Toyota and BMW are once again America’s most-shopped vehicle brands after falling behind at the end of last year. Renewed interest in sedans likely contributed, as shoppers seek more efficient vehicles in response to record-high gas prices.

Toyota

is once again the most popular non-luxury brand, as it had been for the last four years until Ford briefly overtook it in the last quarter of 2021. Similarly, BMW took back the top spot among luxury brands, where it sat for the last three years until Lexus bested it at the end of 2021.

The Japanese and German companies, respectively, have long led American markets because of their iconic design and reputation for reliability. From

Jerry

, the

car insurance

super app

here’s more information on car shopping trends reported in the

Q1 2022 Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch report

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Gas prices influenced car buying behavior

"Shopping for traditional sedans, which are often more affordable and efficient than SUVs and trucks, jumped up in Q1 after years of declining. Fuel prices clearly influenced shopping behavior,” said Vanessa Ton, research and market intelligence manager at Cox Automotive.

Naturally, the highest gas prices in history have prompted shoppers to seek out smaller, more efficient cars. Fuel efficiency climbed from number 10 to number 7 in a list of factors most important to car buyers. About 25% of car shoppers considered a hybrid or electric vehicle at the start of 2021.

While there weren’t any traditional sedans in the list of 10 most-shopped cars at the end of 2021, three of them made the list in the first quarter of this year—the

Honda Accord

and

Civic,

and the

Toyota Camry.

MORE:

Sedan vs Coupe: Which to choose for cheap car insurance

SUVs and trucks remain popular

Despite this, Americans still can’t seem to get enough of huge SUVs and trucks. Two-thirds of non-luxury vehicle shoppers considered an SUV at the beginning of 2021 and over a third of them considered a pickup truck.

For the first time, the

Chevrolet Silverado

replaced the

Ford F-150

as the most-shopped truck so far in 2022, likely due in part to GM’s announcement of the electric Silverado during the Super Bowl. The electric Silverado is set to release next year.

BMW leads among luxury brands

The German company is back on top of the American luxury market thanks to the popularity of its 3 Series and 5 Series sedans. Lexus, which beat BMW at the end of last year, is now the third most popular luxury brand.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Cadillac was the second most-shopped luxury brand thanks to its

Escalade

SUV, the most popular luxury vehicle in the quarter for the first time.

Tesla dropped from third to fifth place at the start of this year, even before news broke of its CEO, the richest man in history,

exposing himself to a flight attendant,

then offering a quarter-million dollars for her silence.

MORE:

Does BMW have a self-driving car?

How to find affordable insurance for your new car

If you’re considering a new car, too, it might also be a good time to shop around for deals on car insurance. Comparing quotes can be tedious, but the

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