These are the most popular types of cars in Missouri in 2026
Missouri loves its cars. In fact, there are more vehicles than adults in the Show Me State.
More than 5 million cars, trucks and SUVs registered in Missouri, according to a January report from the Missouri Department of Revenue. And 4.8 million people over 18 call Missouri home, according to the census.
Statewide, trucks make up 29% of all the cars, trucks and SUVs. So what are the brands people drive most? The Star analyzed DOR data to find out.
Show me unusual vehicles
While thousands of Hondas and Hummers, Mazdas and Mini Coopers, Teslas and Toyotas rove the roads of Missouri, there are some types of vehicles with only a handful on the road.
One Missourian owns a Mini Cooper truck, which could be a custom “Wings Team” truck to advertise Red Bull. Or it could be the tiny, 11-foot-long mini pickup, a British car which was discontinued in the 80s.
Reducing the number of wheels to three, you can find 10 tricycles listed as Vespa brand. These might be custom scooters or a motorcycle with two wheels in the front and one in the back made by Piaggio Group, which also makes Vespas.
As for Tesla’s politically charged electric vehicle, the Cybertruck, there are 564 Tesla trucks registered in the state.
In addition, there are 611 Volkswagen trucks registered in Missouri. The German manufacturer cooked up a number of unique-looking trucks over the years, including one that looks like a truck version of the VW bus.
Ford or Chevy?
Missouri loves American cars, specifically Ford and Chevrolet. These two have a duopoly on the Missouri market, with Toyota of Japan in a distant third place. The Ford and Chevy logos emblazon more than a third — 36% — of all cars and trucks registered in the Show Me State.
In addition, the two brands are the most popular companies in each of the more than 100 counties, but which one is top dog depends on the county.
In the Kansas City area, Ford reigns supreme, even though both companies have factories in the metro.
Across I-70 within St. Louis city limits, Chevy barely edges out Ford, with 224 more vehicle registrations. But St. Louis County prefers Ford, with a margin of more than 8,000 vehicles.
Both the boot-heel and northwest Missouri prefer Chevy. While southwest Missouri prefers Ford, the counties that contain Sedalia and Nevada are Chevrolet dots in a sea of blue logos.
What are the most popular car brands in Missouri?
Here are the most common models for cars, trucks and SUVs in Missouri as of January 2026, according to the Department of Revenue data:
1. Ford: 988,458 vehicles
2. Chevrolet: 902,607 vehicles
3. Toyota: 466,360 vehicles
4. Honda: 310,353 vehicles
5. GMC: 266,434 vehicles
6. Nissan: 248,629 vehicles
7. Jeep: 241,054 vehicles
8. Dodge: 236,951 vehicles
9. Kia: 156,293 vehicles
10. Hyundai: 143,196 vehicles
Here are the most popular motorcycle brands in Missouri, as of January 2026:
1. Harley-Davidson: 53,565 vehicles
2. Honda: 18,721 vehicles
3. Kawasaki: 9,533 vehicles
4. Yamaha: 8,323 vehicles
5. Suzuki: 4,880 vehicles
