by Honda and Acura sales rise: Prelude hits the target
Honda management has reason for optimism, as group sales increased by nearly 10% in the first five months of the year. May proved successful not only for models under the Honda brand but also for several Acura models.
Overall, Honda and Acura sold 148,903 vehicles in the US last month, a 9.9% increase compared to May of last year. However, the year-to-date total saw a slight decline to 623,139 units, down 0.2%. The main contribution came from the Honda brand with 135,668 cars sold (+10.5% vs. May 2025), although its annual figure of 565,737 units trails last year’s pace slightly (-0.3%).
Success for Accord, Civic, and CR-V
May was particularly strong for the Accord model: 18,688 units were sold, an increase of 33.3% compared to April and 28.9% more than in May last year. Civic sales also rose by 4.6% compared to the previous month to 26,995 units, a 1.2% increase year-over-year.
At the other end of the spectrum was the Prelude — currently Honda’s least-sold model with 318 units. This is less than the 357 sold in April, but importantly, this figure exceeds Honda’s target of selling 300 Preludes per month in the US. Despite the criticism, it seems the Prelude is selling exactly as the company planned.
Other models and electric vehicles
Other Honda models also had a successful May. The CR-V saw sales increase by 19.3% compared to April to 45,141 units, although the annual growth was only 2.5%. HR-V sales rose by 0.7% to 13,350 units, and Passport by 3.8%. There was also strong demand for hybrid versions: Accord FHEV (9,414 units, +33.1% vs. April), Civic FHEV (8,450 units, +0.3%), and CR-V FHEV (24,401 units, +25.7%).
Not all figures were positive. The electric crossover Prologue fell by 10.1% compared to May 2025 and by 50.3% year-to-date to 1,897 units. The Odyssey declined by 3.1% month-over-month and by 15.1% year-to-date. Nevertheless, overall sales of Honda electrified vehicles increased by 13.5% compared to April to 44,173 units, indicating the lineup’s significant reliance on hybrid technology.
Acura also shows growth
Acura sales also rose by 4.1% last month to 13,215 units, compared to 12,689 in May 2025. The ADX model made the largest contribution with sales surging 106.2% to 3,179 units (versus 1,542 in May 2025). Demand for the Integra also remained high, with sales increasing by 67.1% compared to April to 2,968 units.
Additionally, MDX sales rose by 16.1% in May to 4,504 units. Meanwhile, the RDX saw a decline of 14.2% to 2,514 units. As for the TLX and ZDX, both models have been discontinued, so their figures are no longer of practical significance: only 48 and 2 units, respectively.
Overall, the May results show that Honda and Acura are successfully adapting to market conditions, betting on hybrid technology and popular models. Despite a slight overall year-to-date decline, the positive sales momentum for the Accord, Civic, and CR-V, as well as achieving the Prelude’s target, indicates a balanced approach by the company. At the same time, the drop in sales for the Prologue and Odyssey points to the need for further improvement of electric models and an update to the minivan lineup. Acura, for its part, is receiving a significant boost from the new ADX and Integra models, which compensates for the decline of the RDX and the end of production for the TLX and ZDX.
