Trendiest U.S. Car Models, According to Google Trends

Car sales data is fascinating. But while it reveals where people are spending their money, it doesn’t tell us much about consumers' curiosities. That's where Google search data comes in. And with Google Trends, we can even see how these searches have changed over the very recent past.

That in mind, we collected data to provide an interesting snapshot of which cars are trendy right now. This list of 25 car models reveals which new cars (and, in some cases, not-so-new cars) are capturing the public's attention.

Car models with the biggest boosts in search

Using Google Trends, we searched for the top 10 most sold car makes in 2023 and looked at car model keywords that are considered "rising." Google Trends defines "rising" as "queries with the biggest increase in search frequency since the last time period." Since we wanted very recent data, we compared the 30 days of May 21, 2024, to June 21, 2024 to the preceding 30 days.

Here are the rising queries:

Why these cars, and why now?

Besides some cars being brand new (like the Toyota Crown Signia), when you take a closer look, a few trends emerge across these trending vehicles.

Electric vehicles

Both the Jeep Wagoneer S and the search term “Jeep EV” made the list. The Jeep Wagoneer S is the new all-electric model from Jeep, and the search for “Jeep EV” can also be related to the whisperings of a $25,000 EV Jeep, which is significantly cheaper than the Jeep Wagoneer S’ expected $71,995 starting price.

Two of the three Chevys that made the list are electric vehicles. The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV is a brand-new entry-level SUV that joins the Chevrolet Silverado EV full-size pickup, both of which made the list.

Kia’s EV3 and EV9 are trending, as well, with the latter perhaps thanks to the announcement of the former. The EV3 is expected to arrive in the U.S. in the first half of 2025 as a more affordable yet smaller version of the EV9.

New 'standards'

Some of the cars we’ve come to know and love are getting upgrades, too.

Starting with Jeep, the “Tuscadero Pink” search stands out as a bit of an outlier, but it’s because the wildly popular color is being re-released for the 2024 Wrangler.

Many of Honda’s tried-and-true makes are also getting 2025 upgrades, including three on this list: Civic (plus its hybrid version), Odyssey and CR-V. While none of these updates are significant, it speaks to the popularity of Honda’s longstanding cars.

Finally, the 2025 Subaru Forester kicks off the sixth generation, featuring a bigger infotainment screen, a quieter cabin and a restyled exterior.

Should you keep an eye on these car models?

Just because people are curious about and searching for these cars doesn’t necessarily make them the best options.

To help you decide which car models are worth your attention if you’re planning on car shopping soon, we've pulled the most recent Edmunds ratings for the trending car models.

Kia dominates the pack with Nissan monopolizing the bottom of the list. So why are these Nissan models trending?

It could be that the updated Nissan Kicks has a new look while remaining at its affordable base price of $22,000, or that new versions of the Murano and Armada are on the way. It seems folks are keen on checking out what Nissan’s updates have in store.

Stay tuned for Edmunds’ ratings when the new makes are released, and in the meantime, there are plenty of other highly-rated cars to choose from.