Which Car Company Gets Googled the Most in the United States? [Infographic]

the world's most google searched cars map infographic
The World’s Most Google Searched Car Brands

Toyota sells the most cars worldwide than any other car company, but does that make them the most popular car company in the United States? Google may have the answer to that.

Topspeed.com studied Google searches for car brands between April 2014 and March 2015. Unsurprisingly, Toyota was at the top of many countries, including the United States, but diving deeper into the data – breaking it down by state – shows a more complex picture.

Interestingly, the results of this study differ from Google’s own Trends report, which gathered search data from January to December 2014 and showed that the most searched car brand in the U.S. was Ford.

Looking at the map, it’s hard not to notice that the country is essentially divided between Toyota and Ford, with a few other brands scattered about. It looks a lot like a political map, but instead of Democrat vs. Republican, it’s Ford vs. Toyota.

the world's most google searched cars - united states of america

Toyota dominates a U-shaped area from Washington down the west coast, along the south and up to New England. This area is dominated by large cities, whose occupants are more likely to buy cars than trucks, and Toyota’s dominance of the car market shows.

Ford, however, dominates the upper Midwest. More of this area is rural, which means only one thing – F-Series trucks. No one vehicle sells more in the U.S. than Ford’s ubiquitous full-size pickup, and rural buyers are more likely to buy a truck than a car.

The only Midwest state to lean Toyota is Illinois, which makes sense as Chicagoland buyers are more likely to by cars, despite there being a lot of farmland in the state.

Another interesting anomaly is the appearance of Subaru in areas of the Rockies and New England. Subies were always popular in those areas almost to the point of cliché, and why not? Their all-wheel-drive capability fits perfectly with the outdoorsy car buyer, and with the plethora of ski areas and outdoor recreation opportunities in those areas, it’s no wonder Subarus are popular there.

Nissan’s adopted U.S. home of Tennessee showed their loyalty by lifting the carmaker to tie the big two. The company has a strong manufacturing presence in the state, and it looks like it helped their popularity.

The only other carmaker to hang with Ford and Toyota in any state is Hyundai, who tied Toyota in Florida. This anomaly is a little harder to explain, and may have something to do with the demographics of the state. Florida is home to a lot of retirees, and perhaps with their fixed incomes more were drawn to the Korean company’s lower prices.

Check out the full infographic below of the most Googled car brands in the United States:

the world's most google searched cars map infographic USA