Largely The Most Common Cars On The Road Too
If you’re like me, you feel curious about a bunch of different, sometimes random things. Like, how many frames fit in a foot of a movie film projector? (Hint: only 16 frames per each foot of 35mm projector film, which was the standard for cinemas before digital.) Or, in the case of this article, what are the top ten cars that are used for title loans? There are a couple of surprises when compared to the most common cars on the road in America today. Those numbers provided courtesy of our friends over at Insurify.
We’ll give you where each car model ranks on our list as well as how it compares to the most common cars on the road. We went with the most common on the road, as new car sales don’t necessarily correlate well with how common they are in total. We like to be thorough at Max Cash®, so we’ll give you some history and information about each car as well as an occasional trivia tidbit for all the vehicles. Read on to satisfy your curiosity as we give you our first Top Ten List at Max Cash.
Most Used Cars For Title Loans
It should be no surprise that most of the vehicles that appear on our Top Ten are also the most common on the road. At least in America, as that is our market. It should also be stated that the majority of our customers are in the states of Arizona and Texas. That probably skews the data more than a little from the nationwide average. The geography alone for each of those states as well as demographics will differ quite a bit from the rest of the country.
The overlap remains heavy, with 8 vehicles appearing on both lists. The analysis as to why will stay onesided somewhat, as I can examine why a vehicle did or didn’t make our list. But for obvious reasons, I can’t examine the data set from Insurify to make any meaningful determinations. This may be updated in the future if more data becomes available or Insurify responds to a more direct information request.
10. Chevrolet Tahoe – Did Not Appear On The Most Common List
The lowest on our list at number 10, the Chevy Tahoe is still regularly the best-selling SUV. Probably why it is the only SUV to actually make our list. All other vehicles on our top ten being sedans or trucks. Mainly sedans, with only two being trucks, not counting the Tahoe.
The Tahoe was first introduced in 1994 as a larger version of the Chevrolet Blazer. It is the Chevy marque version of the Yukon, which was introduced in 1991. Both names are references to rugged landscapes in North America. Tahoe referencing Lake Tahoe that straddles California and Nevada in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The Tahoe remains a very popular vehicle for first responders in America, often being the main vehicle of many law enforcement agencies as well as EMS and fire departments. Not only does it often top the sales chart for SUVs, but it often does so at a rate of 2 to 1 versus competitors!
9. Hyundai Sonata – #10 On The Most Common List
The first but certainly not the last sedan on our top ten, the Hyundai Sonata has been around since the 80s. Those musically inclined will undoubtedly understand the name, but a sonata is a traditional musical form for instruments, as it means played rather than sung, like a cantata.
First introduced in 1985, the Sonata started life as a facelifted Stellar. Even though they pulled it from the market two years later, the second generation of the Sonata found popularity through exports around the world. Current manufacturing takes place in South Korea, China, and Pakistan.
The Sonata seems to gain most of its popularity and use due to the heyday of sales in the early 2010s. From 2011 to 2015, it sold over 200,000 cars in the U.S. alone. Not bad to beat over 200,000 sales every year for five years in a row. Sales have appeared to fall somewhat in recent years, however.
8. Chevrolet Impala – Did Not Appear On The Most Common List
Named after the African antelope, the Chevy Impala has long been one of the most popular cars in America. It was first introduced in 1958 but is sadly no longer in production. The third and final discontinuation of the model happened in 2020. But who knows, the Impala may yet ride again.
Often offered in a convertible model, the Impala proved a well-loved car often used for hotrods and lowriders. Though arguably, the most famous version of the popular car would turn out to be the 1967 sedan as made famous by the show Supernatural. The black four-door sedan was the only other constant on the show besides the two main characters, and certainly did more than its part to fight monsters. Though good luck finding that model year at anything less than a fortune.
Though the third revival as a front-wheel drive did well on reintroduction, selling over 300,000 in 2007 alone, sales did drop steadily leading to this last discontinuation. It sold less than 10,000 in the last model year, with the paltry 750 being sold in 2021 most likely the last of the inventory.
7. Chevrolet Malibu – #8 On The Most Common List
The third Chevrolet on our list and not the last, the Chevy Malibu began life as a trim-level of the famous Chevelle in 1964. Named after the famous coastal town in California, the Malibu only became its own model line in 1978. The original run was discontinued in 1983 and it too was brought back as a front-wheel-drive sedan like the Impala.
The first Chevrolet on our list to also be the most popular on the road, the Malibu distinguishes itself as the only sedan currently being offered by Chevy. It’s not hard to understand why, as the car model has sold over 100,000 nearly every year since its reintroduction.
It stands out on our list as the first vehicle that is a only single slot away from the spot occupied on the other list. While an entry higher on ours at number 7, the Malibu sits at the number 8 spot for overall popularity on the road.
6. Ford F-150 – #2 On The Most Common List
The most popular truck model in a most popular series of trucks that has been around for 75 years! Making it onto our list several places below its popularity, it also marks itself as the first truck on our list, but not the last. Ford introduced the F-Series in 1948 to replace the pickup version of their popular automobile.
The F-150 itself was introduced in 1975. Since 1977, the F-Series has been the best-selling pickup truck in America. It surpassed even that distinction in 1981 when it became and remains the best-selling vehicle in the United States. As the most popular version of the long-running line, it is no surprise to see it on our list. Particularly as Fords are known to retain their value in the long term.
Though it is noteworthy how much lower on our list than it is on road in terms of popularity. Ford vehicles also tend to cost more than their equivalents. Perhaps those that can afford the upcharge need less emergency cash or some other reason that isn’t immediately apparent.
5. Toyota Corolla – #6 On The Most Common List
The first Toyota on our list, the Corolla comes in at number five, marking the beginning of the top half of our list here at Max Cash. It’s a wonder it isn’t higher on both lists, since it has sold over 100,000 units every single year since 1973 in the United States alone. It was first produced in 1966 and in 1997 it surpassed the famous Volkswagen Beetle as the best-selling nameplate in the world. Just two years ago, in 2021, it surpassed 50 million units sold worldwide.
The name of this car means “little crown” in Latin. This follows an old tradition of Toyota naming sedans after the line of Crown cars which are not sold in America. It has routinely sold over 300,000 a year starting in 2003 with the last peak over that number being in 2019.
You would think such a popular vehicle would come in higher than number 6 on the most common on the road list. That just stands as a testament to how much more popular other vehicles are in America. Most of the accolades the Corolla earns are worldwide popularity, while still being very popular in the United States.
4. Chevrolet Silverado – #7 On The Most Common List
The second and last truck on our list comes in at number 4. The Chevy Silverado was introduced formally in 1999 to replace the C/K line of trucks, of which it was the top trim level before becoming the name of the new line. It is the sister vehicle to the GMC Sierra. The name first appeared as a trim level in 1975, so it took some time to become the actual pickup line itself.
The name Silverado comes from the name of a historic community in California. First founded in 1878, over a hundred years before the truck that would bear its name. Silverado is thought to be a Spanglish term to indicate a silver version of the legendary El Dorado, the city of gold. It was also the name of a high-budget Western from 1985.
This truck proves interesting in that it jumped three places from the road list to ours. It is also the highest truck and the highest Chevrolet on our list of vehicles for title loans.
3. Toyota Camry – #4 On The Most Common List
Another of the transposed vehicles just one off on each list, the Toyota Camry shows itself to be one of the most popular cars in the world. Introduced as a nameplate for another vehicle much like Silverado, the Celica Camry first appeared in 1979. Officially becoming its own vehicle in 1982, it has gone on to be one of the best-selling and most recognizable vehicles in the world.
It was the best selling passenger car in America for over 20 years, regularly selling over 400,000 units every year. The name follows the example of the Corolla in that it relates to a crown. In this case, it actually started as kanmuri, the Japanese word for crown. The alternate spelling may have been for trademark or some other purpose.
It jumps a place up to number 3 on our list, rather than number 4. But it is no wonder such a wildly successful vehicle is used to tap into equity. Toyota, much like Ford, is a brand known for retaining its value.
2. Honda Accord – #1 On The Most Common List
The only Honda on our list and the number one most common car on the road in America can only be the Accord. It drops a spot from the most common car on the road to the number 2 spot on our list. The Honda Accord began life in 1976 and includes models from two-door coupes to five-door hatchbacks. It has been a best-selling vehicle in the U.S. since 1989. It only now shows some sign of slowing down in that department.
Ironically, the Accord followed the Civic from Honda even though it proved much more popular. And that is really saying something, considering the Civic is in the third spot as the most popular on the road. The Civic did not make our list at all, however.
The Accord is somewhat interesting while being famous as a sedan, it is also a race car in some circuits. It races as a touring car for obvious reasons, but not many other ubiquitous sedans win championship races.
1. Nissan Altima – #5 On The Most Common List
The biggest jump from popular on the road to used for title loans gets taken by the Nissan Altima. Much like the Accord, this is the only vehicle from Nissan to make our list. And it does it in a big way, going from number 5 on the road to the number one vehicle used for title loans.
The Altima first started being manufactured in 1992 and has sat between the Sentra and the Maxima in the Nissan line of sedans. Altimas made for North America are actually made in plants in Mississippi and Tennessee.
Perhaps the reason it jumps so high on the list follows the fact that Altimas are often purchased and used for fleets. High fleets sales can lead to a negative perception of a brand and can impact used-car value.
Common Cars NOT As Commonly Used For Title Loans
While the two cars that made our list that didn’t make the top ten most common have been discussed, it is interesting to note the two that were common that didn’t make our list. The first is perhaps not that shocking, as it is the Ford Fusion, which was only number 9 on Insurify’s list. It was also discontinued several years ago and was at the bottom of the list. So the fact that it didn’t show up on our list makes sense. But it was just off our list, barely being edged out by the Tahoe.
But the really odd thing proves to be the other car that didn’t make the jump to our list, the Honda Civic. The third most popular car on the road in America didn’t crack the top ten on our list of most commonly used cars for title loans. While not a single car was in the same spot on each list, it seems odd that a car so high on Insurify’s list didn’t even make it to ours.
To be sure, looking at the data shows that the Civic was only a few places off the top ten list. And also just under the much lower on the list Ford Fusion. But the fact that it fell so far from such a prominent place still seems very interesting. More research needs to be conducted in order to understand why. Do Civics get less value in title loans? Are Civic owners less likely to need a title loan due to the inexpensive and reliable car? Interesting questions to be sure.
Max Cash Gets You The Max Cash For Your Car Title Loan!
Here at Max Cash, we know cars and title loans. We work hard to bring you the best selection of providers so that you can get multiple offers with just one application. With over 4 million satisfied customers, we have the experience to get you the money you need when you need it. Start an application today to get the loan that is right for you. At Max Cash, we work hard to get you the max cash for your title loan!
