Why Toyotas Are Impossible to Buy Right Now (and What to Cross-Shop Instead)

If you’ve walked into a Toyota dealer in the last six months and felt like the salesperson had zero interest in negotiating, it wasn’t your imagination. The data backs it up. Toyota is having one of the strongest supply years in the modern car market — and that’s a polite way of saying they don’t have enough cars to keep up with the people who want them.

I posted a TikTok about this and it took off, so I went and pulled the latest numbers. As of May 7, 2026, 10 of the 25 fastest-selling new vehicles in America are Toyotas or Lexuses. The Grand Highlander has a 10-day supply. The RAV4 and Highlander have 11. The Camry has 15. By comparison, the average new car in America has roughly a 70-day supply. Toyota dealers can keep markups in place because the next person walking in will pay them.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that the rest of the market is sitting on plenty of metal — and most Toyota shoppers are buying a segment, not a badge. If you wanted a midsize 3-row SUV, the Hyundai Palisade and Mazda CX-90 do the same job. If you wanted a Camry, a Hyundai Sonata is $6,000 cheaper at the same trim level. The cross-shop is where the real money is.

Here’s the data, segment by segment.

The Toyota Supply Problem in One Table

These are the Toyota and Lexus models in the top 25 fastest-selling new vehicles right now, ranked by Market Day Supply:

Make	Model	Market Day Supply	On Dealer Lots	45-Day Sales	Avg Listing Price
Toyota	Grand Highlander	10	7,067	31,878	$57,069
Toyota	Highlander	11	3,052	12,893	$55,542
Toyota	Corolla Cross	11	6,429	26,893	$32,981
Toyota	RAV4	11	8,940	37,585	$41,477
Lexus	GX	13	638	2,273	$84,075
Toyota	Sienna	13	5,079	17,630	$53,606
Toyota	Corolla	14	12,173	38,398	$27,088
Lexus	RZ	15	646	1,927	$51,340
Toyota	Camry	15	22,821	68,717	$36,654
Toyota	Land Cruiser	17	1,466	3,815	$71,460
Toyota	Sequoia	18	2,358	5,763	$84,844

A 10-day supply means the dealer’s lot will be empty before the end of the month at the current sales rate. Honda’s CR-V — also fast-selling at a 25-day supply — is more than twice as forgiving. The national average across all 2026 models is closer to 70 days. Toyota’s whole lineup is running at roughly 15-20% of normal.

You can see the full list at our fastest and slowest selling cars page.

How to Use This: The Cross-Shop Rule

Here’s the simple rule. Don’t shop a model. Shop a segment. A Grand Highlander shopper is really a “I need a 3-row SUV around $55k” shopper. The Toyota is one option. There are 8-10 others in the same money, same size, same job — most with 10-20x more supply on dealer lots and dealers that are highly motivated to move them.

The “Supply Multiplier” column below tells you how much more inventory a competitor has versus the Toyota. Anything above 5x is a meaningful negotiating shift. Above 10x, you’re shopping a buyer’s market while the Toyota next door is a seller’s market.

I’ve also linked each alternative to its CarEdge inventory page so you can see what’s actually for sale near you, and what people are paying.

Toyota RAV4 → Compact SUVs With Real Inventory

The RAV4 is the king of the compact SUV segment, but the segment itself is enormous. Twelve serious competitors, almost all of them sitting on more inventory.

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Mitsubishi Outlander	188	17.1x	$36,805
Jeep Compass	120	10.9x	$32,821
Mazda CX-5	106	9.6x	$37,537
Volkswagen Tiguan	90	8.2x	$36,611
Kia Sportage	86	7.8x	$36,098
Mazda CX-50	83	7.5x	$37,943
Ford Escape	83	7.5x	$32,006
Hyundai Tucson	66	6.0x	$35,042
Nissan Rogue	65	5.9x	$34,268
Chevrolet Equinox	47	4.3x	$34,017
Subaru Forester	36	3.3x	$38,026
Honda CR-V	25	2.3x	$39,305

My picks: The CX-5 and CX-50 are the closest matches to a RAV4 in build quality and driving feel, and Mazda dealers right now will deal. The Tiguan got a full redesign for 2026 and dealers are aggressive on it. The Sportage has the best value on paper if you don’t need AWD.

Don’t bother with the CR-V — Honda is in the same boat as Toyota right now and the CR-V is the second-fastest-selling compact SUV in America.

Toyota Grand Highlander → 3-Row SUVs With 10-20x More Supply

This is the segment with the biggest disparity. The Grand Highlander has a 10-day supply. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L has 216 days — almost 22x more. Most 3-row SUV shoppers will be just as happy in any of these.

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Jeep Grand Cherokee L	216	21.6x	$50,520
Mazda CX-90	141	14.1x	$49,755
Hyundai Palisade	134	13.4x	$51,983
GMC Acadia	108	10.8x	$55,207
Volkswagen Atlas	96	9.6x	$46,600
Ford Explorer	96	9.6x	$50,326
Dodge Durango	95	9.5x	$49,520
Subaru Ascent	87	8.7x	$49,499
Nissan Pathfinder	71	7.1x	$45,480
Chevrolet Traverse	49	4.9x	$49,896
Honda Pilot	26	2.6x	$51,224

My picks: The Palisade is the most direct cross-shop — three real rows, premium interior, and the most-redesigned SUV in the segment. The CX-90 is the driver’s pick. The Atlas is the value pick at ~$10k less than a Grand Highlander on average.

The Grand Cherokee L has the most absurd supply imbalance in the entire market right now. If you can live with Jeep’s reliability reputation, the deal will be there.

Toyota Highlander → Same Segment, Less Stress

The standard Highlander competes against the same 3-row roster, just slightly smaller and cheaper than the Grand Highlander. The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento are the standouts here — fully redesigned, well-reviewed, and $10-15k cheaper.

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Mazda CX-90	141	12.8x	$49,755
Hyundai Santa Fe	137	12.5x	$42,969
Kia Sorento	120	10.9x	$40,342
Ford Explorer	96	8.7x	$50,326
Volkswagen Atlas	96	8.7x	$46,600
Subaru Ascent	87	7.9x	$49,499
Nissan Pathfinder	71	6.5x	$45,480
Chevrolet Traverse	49	4.5x	$49,896
Honda Pilot	26	2.4x	$51,224

My pick: The Santa Fe is the value champion. The redesign nailed the boxy-rugged look people actually want, the warranty crushes Toyota’s, and you save real money.

Toyota Camry → Sedans Where Dealers Will Talk

The Camry is selling at a 15-day supply. Its closest competitor, the Honda Accord, isn’t much better at 61 days. But the Korean and Nissan options are genuinely sitting:

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Hyundai Sonata	140	9.3x	$30,287
Nissan Altima	102	6.8x	$30,729
Kia K5	80	5.3x	$32,230
Honda Accord	61	4.1x	$34,817

My pick: The Sonata. It’s a more interesting car than the Camry to look at, comes loaded with tech, has a better warranty, and saves you about $6,300 on the average transaction price. The Altima is the second-best value if you find a dealer running aggressive incentives.

Toyota Corolla → Compact Sedans With Room to Negotiate

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Volkswagen Jetta	108	7.7x	$27,736
Hyundai Elantra	100	7.1x	$25,642
Nissan Sentra	95	6.8x	$26,034
Subaru Impreza	79	5.6x	$29,737
Mazda Mazda3	70	5.0x	$29,302
Kia K4	53	3.8x	$26,231
Honda Civic	21	1.5x	$29,357

My picks: The Elantra at $25,642 average is one of the few new cars left under $26k. The K4 is the new kid on the block — Kia replaced the Forte and the K4 is a sharper, better-equipped car.

Skip the Civic — it’s the second-tightest compact sedan in the country right now. Honda is the new Toyota in this segment.

Toyota Corolla Cross → Subcompact SUVs Sitting on Lots

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Volkswagen Taos	142	12.9x	$31,580
Nissan Kicks	114	10.4x	$27,730
Mazda CX-30	104	9.5x	$31,330
Hyundai Kona	84	7.6x	$30,803
Buick Envista	83	7.5x	$28,869
Kia Seltos	76	6.9x	$28,726
Buick Encore GX	64	5.8x	$29,650
Subaru Crosstrek	56	5.1x	$34,517
Chevrolet Trailblazer	56	5.1x	$29,970
Chevrolet Trax	50	4.5x	$26,195
Honda HR-V	35	3.2x	$31,138

My picks: The Kicks got a full redesign for 2025 and is finally a real player in this segment, with the lowest average price of the bunch. The Envista is the sleeper pick — it looks more expensive than it is and Buick dealers desperately want to move them. The Trax at a $26,195 average is the legitimate budget winner.

Toyota Sienna → The Pacifica Has 12x More Supply (and is $7K Cheaper)

The minivan segment is small but the supply gap here is huge.

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Chrysler Pacifica	153	11.8x	$46,447
Kia Carnival	104	8.0x	$46,040
Honda Odyssey	58	4.5x	$46,632

My pick: The Pacifica is the only direct competitor with a plug-in hybrid. It’s about $7,000 cheaper than the average Sienna right now and Chrysler dealers are running aggressive cash and APR offers. The Carnival is the wildcard — Kia calls it an “MPV” instead of a minivan to try to make it cool, but it’s a legitimate alternative.

Toyota Sequoia → Body-on-Frame Full-Size SUVs

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Jeep Grand Wagoneer	156	8.7x	$77,291
Nissan Armada	122	6.8x	$73,264
GMC Yukon XL	68	3.8x	$93,999
Chevrolet Suburban	60	3.3x	$82,715
Ford Expedition	60	3.3x	$78,426
Chevrolet Tahoe	53	2.9x	$77,275
GMC Yukon	36	2.0x	$91,869

My pick: The redesigned Armada is the value standout — it’s $11,500 cheaper on average than a Sequoia and is finally a credible alternative after the 2025 refresh. The Grand Wagoneer is for buyers who actually want luxury.

Toyota 4Runner → The Off-Road SUV Cross-Shop ($50K Tier)

The redesigned 4Runner sits at a 32-day supply — meaningfully looser than the rest of the Toyota lineup, but still well below the segment average. Translation: there’s a little room to negotiate on a 4Runner itself, but the cross-shops are where the real leverage is.

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Jeep Grand Cherokee	230	7.2x	$47,049
Jeep Wrangler	144	4.5x	$49,936
Ford Bronco	122	3.8x	$56,637
Subaru Outback	95	3.0x	$43,878
Ford Explorer	94	2.9x	$50,219
Nissan Pathfinder	69	2.2x	$44,773
Chevrolet Tahoe	53	1.7x	$77,391
Honda Passport	35	1.1x	$52,117

My picks: The Bronco 4-Door is the cleanest direct cross-shop — same body-on-frame off-road DNA, removable doors and roof, and roughly $2,000 cheaper on average with 4x the supply. The Wrangler is the value play if you want the most off-road-capable rig at a $50k price point. If you actually want a comfortable family SUV that can handle a fire road (the real 4Runner use case for most buyers), the Grand Cherokee is $11,500 cheaper and dealers are practically begging to move them.

Skip the Passport — Honda completely redesigned it for 2026 with real off-road capability, and the market has noticed. It’s tighter than the 4Runner is.

Toyota Land Cruiser → The Off-Road Cross-Shop

The Land Cruiser is the trickiest segment because it’s a body-on-frame, off-road-capable SUV at a $70k price point. Real cross-shops are limited, but the ones that exist are sitting on lots.

Cross-Shop	Market Day Supply	Supply Multiplier	Avg Listing Price
Jeep Grand Cherokee	237	13.9x	$47,035
Jeep Wrangler	144	8.5x	$49,979
Ford Bronco	124	7.3x	$56,753
Land Rover Defender	72	4.2x	$99,403

My pick: If what you really want is the off-road capability and the looks, the Wrangler 4-Door and Bronco 4-Door are direct competitors at roughly $20,000 less. If you want a comfortable family SUV that’s also good in the snow, the Grand Cherokee at $47k saves you $24,000 over a Land Cruiser.

Skip the Lexus GX — it’s the only alternative in this list with even less supply than the Land Cruiser. Same parts-bin, same problem.

A Word on Reliability

The pushback on this kind of post is always: “Yeah but Toyota is more reliable, that’s why people pay the premium.” Two things on that.

First, the reliability gap between Toyota and most of these alternatives has narrowed dramatically. Hyundai and Kia post warranty and reliability numbers that are genuinely competitive. Mazda is in the same conversation. Honda’s reliability is comparable. The only ones with meaningfully worse track records are Jeep and the Stellantis brands — which is why they’re at the top of every “most supply” list and have to incentivize hard to move metal.

Second, even if you give Toyota a 10-15% reliability edge, the question is whether that’s worth paying full sticker (or more) versus a 10-15% discount on a Hyundai. At a $50k vehicle, that’s the difference between $50,000 and $42,500. Reliability is real. But it’s not worth $7,500 over a 5-year ownership window for most people.

If reliability is the only thing that matters to you, the data still says you should look at the Honda CR-V (the lone Honda in our cross-shop with meaningful supply), or wait until Toyota’s supply situation eases.

What to Actually Do With This

If you’re shopping a Toyota right now, here’s the play:

1. Get a quote from your local Toyota dealer first. Treat it as the price ceiling. Don’t expect it to come down much.
2. Pick 2-3 cross-shops from the list above. Drive them. Most people are surprised by how good the alternatives are once they actually sit in them.
3. Get out-the-door quotes from each cross-shop dealer. Mention you’re cross-shopping a Toyota, Honda, or Lexus equivalent. Watch how fast they sharpen the pencil.
4. Use the data. Tell them you know they’ve got a 140-day supply on this car. They know you know. The conversation changes.

You can always come back to the Toyota. But starting your search at a Toyota dealer is starting your search at the worst possible position of leverage in the entire 2026 market.

For the most up-to-date inventory and pricing, check our fastest and slowest selling cars dashboard, and use CarEdge to see what other people are actually paying before you walk into any dealership.

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Methodology: Market Day Supply (MDS) is calculated as on-lot inventory (excluding in-transit and unavailable vehicles) divided by the average daily sales rate over the past 45 days. Data is from CarEdge’s proprietary new car listings dataset, snapshot date May 7, 2026. Vehicles with fewer than 100 on-lot listings are excluded to filter out low-volume models with unreliable data. Average listing price is the mean of all currently active dealer listings for 2026 model year vehicles.