The auto industry achieved an important goal in 2015: fewer losses than gains. A record 17.5 million cars were sold, partly because of turnover. Since 2012, the average age of cars on U.S. roads has been 11 years because consumers started keeping their vehicles for longer time periods.
With falling gas prices and a more balanced unemployment rate, consumer confidence returned during the year, making people more certain that they can afford a new car. In the list below, we have included an overview of the best-selling 2015 cars in the United States, excluding crossovers, pickup trucks and SUVs.
1. Toyota Camry (429,335 sold)
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Equipped with a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with 178 horsepower, the Toyota Camry comes with a six-speed automatic transmission. The front of the car has a large grille and narrowing headlights, while the interior features a contemporary style and quality materials. Voice-activated audio is part of the Entune infotainment system that comes with a 6.1-inch touch screen.
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The Camry also has a rearview camera and warning systems for lane departures, potential collisions and rear-cross traffic. With a starting invoice price of $22,970, consumers love its instinctive infotainment controls, balanced handling, quiet cabin, and roomy back seat.
2. Toyota Corolla (363,332 sold)
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The Toyota Corolla has a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that generates 132 horsepower and is coupled with a six-speed manual transmission as standard. The front of the car has wider headlights than the Camry, while the interior offers a high-end, soft-touch dashboard and supportive front seats.
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An Entune infotainment system with a 6.1-inch touch display and a rearview camera are optional. Consumers like the Corolla for its easy-to-use infotainment, exceptional legroom for rear passengers and good fuel economy. The starting price is $16,950.
3. Honda Accord (355,557 sold)
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Honda decided to put a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower into its 2015 Accord base model, along with a six-speed manual. The exterior features a front-end with a narrow grille and evenly shaped headlights. The simplistic interior styling is attractive with upscale cloth upholstery.
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The infotainment system features an 8-inch display with Pandora and hands-free texting. Forward collision and lane departure alert systems are available, along with LaneWatch, which is a blind spot camera on the passenger side. Owners love the agile handling, decent fuel economy and spacious rear seats in the Accord, which starts at $22,205.
4. Honda Civic (335,384 sold)
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The Honda Civic includes a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 143 horsepower and a five-speed manual transmission. Sporting a short, sloped front-end and stubby back-end, the cabin of the Civic is well-constructed, as it is designed with soft-touch materials and comfortable, supportive front seats.
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While Bluetooth and a rearview camera are standard, a 7-inch Display Audio system and LaneWatch are optional. The Civic is loved for its good fuel economy, smooth CVT and upper-class interior materials. Its price starts at $18,290.
5. Nissan Altima (333,398 sold)
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The 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine, generating 182 horsepower, comes standard in the Nissan Altima, along with a CVT. While the exterior has a shiny grille and stylish headlights, the cabin has a modern design and soft-touch surfaces. NASA-inspired Zero Gravity front seats minimize fatigue during longer trips.
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You can buy the Altima with the optional NissanConnect infotainment system, which comes with a 5-inch touch screen and smartphone integration or with a 7-inch touch display and navigation. Other options are blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic detection and a rearview camera. Drivers enjoy the great fuel economy, sporty handling, very comfortable front seats, and well-built interior of the Altima. The car is priced from $22,300.
6. Ford Fusion (300,170 sold)
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Under the hood of the base Ford Fusion is a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with 175 horsepower and a six-speed transmission. The exterior features narrow, wrap-around headlights and taillights, with small lights on the side mirrors. All of the comfortable seats can be upgraded to leather or recycled-fabric. The Fusion’s standard interior features include voice-controlled Sync with MyFord, which comes with audible text reading and Bluetooth, and a rearview camera.
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The Sync with MyFord Touch, which includes a touch screen, alongside parallel park assist and rear parking sensors are all optional. Owners like its contemporary cabin with upscale materials, the abundant passenger and trunk space, powerful engines and sporty handling. The starting price for the Fusion is $22,500.
7. Hyundai Elantra (241,706 sold)
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The Hyundai Elantra has a standard 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that delivers 145 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. Wide headlights narrow as they glide up the edge of the hood, and wide taillights taper around the side. The cabin features a mix of hard and soft-touch surfaces, and the seats are available in leather with a heating system.
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Satellite radio and six speakers are standard, while a 4.3-inch touch audio system, 7-inch touch infotainment system, Bluetooth and rearview camera are optional. The best features of the Elantra include an attractive interior, decent fuel economy and plenty of cargo room. It has a starting price of $17,250.
8. Chevrolet Cruze (226,602 sold)
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The standard engine that Chevrolet put in the 2015 Cruze base model is a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 138 horsepower, which is coupled with a six-speed manual transmission. The headlights and taillights are rectanglar but stylish, and vents are positioned above and below the small front grille. The cabin is attractive and quiet; the center console and dashboard feature nicely textured hard plastics.
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Built-in Wi-Fi and OnStar are standard, and some available options include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a rearview camera, Siri Eyes Free, which offers voice control for iPhones, and the voice-controlled MyLink infotainment system with a 7-inch touch display. Consumers find that the most enjoyable features are balanced handling, good fuel economy, and a spacious trunk. The Cruze is available from $16,170.
9. Hyundai Sonata (213,303 sold)
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Along with a standard 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine capable of 185 horsepower, the Hyundai Sonata base model has a six-speed automatic transmission. Its narrow headlights widen as they stretch along the edge of the hood, and the shiny grille is complemented with vents underneath. The elegant design of the interior features cloth upholstery and roomy back seats. Available cabin features include an infotainment system with a 5-inch or 8-inch touch screen and a subscription-based Blue Link telematics system, which provides emergency assistance and points of interests from Google through a connected smartphone.
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Optional safety features include blind-spot monitoring, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera. Owners generally like the very quiet cabin and upscale interior materials. The price of the Sonata starts at $21,150.
10. Nissan Sentra (203,509 sold)
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The base model of the Nissan Sentra has a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that generates 130 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. The headlights and taillights are nearly identical, and the grille has a curvy design. The style of the cabin is simple, with deluxe materials and cloth seats.
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Available interior features include the NissanConnect infotainment system with a 5.8-inch touch display, eight Bose speakers, navigation, and a rearview camera. People love the Sentra for its decent fuel economy with the optional CVT and spacious rear seats and trunk. The car is priced from $16,530.
From balanced, sporty handling to modern, tech-driven cabins, the most popular cars of 2015 are as affordable as they are diverse.
What do you think about these best-selling cars?
Do you own one of them? Would you like to?