America Went Nuts For This Simple Used Sedan Last Year

• Chevy Malibu surged into the top 10 used cars in 2025 rankings.
• Ford F 150 stayed the top used vehicle as trucks held dominance.
• Tesla leads used EVs, but rivals like Mach E and ID.4 are rising.

A new study highlighting used-car buying habits shows Americans looking for pre-owned vehicles mostly covet the same models new-car buyers do. But one car that's no longer available new has stormed up the used charts in a surprising sedan comeback.

Related: Americans Are Somehow Paying Over MSRP For A Dead Chevy Sedan

After years of polite irrelevance, the Chevrolet Malibu rocketed from 29th place in 2024's iSeeCars study all the way up to 8th on the list of America's most popular used cars in 2025. That's a 21 position jump in a single year, which is not far short of teleportation.

Why the rush to buy a car so forgotten that most people probably don't even realize Chevy cancelled it in 2024? The annual study's authors think it's because rental fleets dumped thousands of them onto the market when the model was axed, and buyers did what buyers always do when a simple, comfortable, modern car suddenly becomes cheap. They bought it in droves.

Other sedans didn't enjoy the same kind of popularity boom as the Malibu. Toyota's Camry dropped from 5th the 6th place, and the Honda Civic fell from 10th to 14th, although the Corolla did climb two places to 9th.

And no sedans broke into the top five, which is still dominated by full-size trucks, much like the new-vehicle sales chart. The Ford F 150, Silverado 1500, and Ram 1500 remain the podium finishers in that order, and in the same positions they achieved in the 2024 study.

Fourth spot goes to the Chevy Equinox, the most popular SUV on the list, while fifth goes to the Nissan Rogue, which jumps two spots versus last year. It's interesting to note that the Rogue has suffered recently in terms of new sales due to its lack of hybrid options, but the absence of electrical assistance doesn't seem to have deterred used buyers.

Over in the used EV market the Tesla Model 3 is once again the most popular used choice with an incredible 19.5 percent market share of 1-5-year-old buys. Its Model Y brother is right on its heels for the second year in a row with a 19.3 percent share.

But the Ford Mustang Mach-E and VW ID.4 are steadily gaining ground, even if they still have miles to go. The Mach-E (3rd spot, 5 percent share) moved up one place and the ID.4 climbed five places to fourth.

Most Popular 1-5 Year-Old Used EVs

In the state-by-state breakdown, the Ford F-150 continues its reign as America's go-to used vehicle, coming out on top in 32 states. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 follows with the highest share in several others, and regional favorites like the Malibu, Camry, and Equinox make notable appearances.

Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, and Virginia all named the Chevrolet Malibu as their most popular used car. Meanwhile, the Equinox dominated in states like Michigan and Indiana, where it grabbed 6.1 percent and 3.3 percent of the market, respectively.

You can scroll down to see exactly how it stacks up, along with the rest of the top performers.

Most Popular 1-5 Year Old Used Cars

Most Popular Used Car in Each State in 2025