A post shared by Felipe Munoz | Automotive (@carindustryanalysis) The Toyota RAV4 managed to beat the Tesla Model Y by less than 3,000 units globally, which is around one tenth of one percent of the total sales of the two models. So, these models were essentially tied. The RAV4 gained sales and the Model Y lost sales over the full year. Notably, Tesla also had another model, the Model 3, in the top-ten cars in the world. It retained its 9th-place spot, and sales increased by 10% in 2024. The BYD Qin rounded out the top 10, leaving 3 plug-in models among the 10 best-selling cars in the world. The competition came at a weird time, for both the RAV4 and Model Y. The RAV4 was nearing the end of its current generation, needing a refresh which was announced in May for the 2026 model year. Among other things, that refresh kills off the ICE-only version of the RAV4, leaving only hybrid and plug-in hybrid models (though, as usual, Toyota is being deceptive in its marketing about what that means). However, despite that upcoming refresh, the RAV4 still saw its best sales in its current generation, which is a rare feat. The Model Y also had an upcoming refresh, which was perhaps more anticipated, and also expected/announced sooner. The refresh was officially announced on January 9, just a few days after the full year of sales ended, but we had seen plenty of leaks and information prior (including the refresh of the Model 3). This upcoming refresh, and all the information about it, likely did help to depress sales from individuals who wanted to wait until the refresh came through. So both models were late in their life, which means their places as #1 and #2 on the global sales charts were all the more impressive – but also, given the balance of how “expected” each refresh was, and how big of a refresh might have been expected, we think perhaps the Model Y’s sales were affected more by this than the RAV4’s, adding a potential asterisk to the change in title due to changeovers… but it’s still a bit of a stretch. So, if 2025 were a normal year, we might expect another close fight, with both vehicles working through new order lists of their refreshed models. But, if you haven’t been paying attention to the news (how? please tell me, I’d like to join you), 2025 is not turning out to be a normal year.