The Dodge Charger Daytona has just finished its first full year on the market, and the results weren’t pretty. Dodge moved a paltry 7,421 of them over during 2025, compared with nearly 76,000 for the previous-generation Charger’s last full year on the market and almost 45,000 for the outgoing Challenger. Ouch. This drop-off left a gap in the performance market, which rivals were undoubtedly more than happy to fill. Below are 10 sporty cars that outsold the Charger Daytona in 2025.
Base Trim Engine
EV
Base Trim Transmission
Automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Fuel Economy Equivalent (city/highway/combined)
104/91/98 mpge
Base Trim Battery Type
Lead acid battery
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
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10
Mazda MX-5 Miata
8,727 Units
The Mazda MX-5 Miata’s appearance on this list should come as no surprise, as the sprightly Japanese roadster has consistently ranked among the world’s best-selling sports cars for years. Of course, it’s a very different beast from the Dodge Charger Daytona. Not only does the Mazda weigh less than half as much, but its $29,330 starting price is also less than half of what Dodge asks for its electric muscle car.
Miata sales actually grew in 2025, with 8,727 units sold in the US – a 7.7% increase year over year. That’s a notable achievement given the age of the current fourth-generation model. Known to enthusiasts as the ND, the Miata debuted for the 2016 model year, yet it has continued to resonate with buyers thanks to its lightweight design, accessible performance, and timeless formula. Mazda, for its part, doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to replace the existing Miata, and judging by the sales numbers, the automaker doesn’t need to be.
Base Trim Engine
2.0-Liter I4
Base Trim Transmission
6-Speed Manual
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
181 HP @ 7,000 RPM
Base Trim Torque
151 LB-FT @ 4,000 RPM
Infotainment & Features
6 /10
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9
Toyota GR86
9,940 Units
The Toyota GR86 beating the Dodge Charger Daytona on the sales chart is a reminder that enthusiasm still matters. Like the Miata, the GR86 is an enthusiast favorite that consistently sells in reasonable numbers globally, even if the US isn’t its strongest market. Last year, the coupe managed 9,940 sales stateside, or 12,822 when you include the Subaru BRZ twin. You can also still buy one for about $30,000, which doesn’t hurt.
The GR86 appeals to a very different buyer than the Charger Daytona. For GR86 fans, power isn’t the point; purity is. It’s about mastering control, keeping the engine on the boil, and earning speed through precision rather than brute force. The current second-generation car has been around since 2022, and Toyota has already hinted at a future version that might come without Subaru involvement, if recent rumors hold true.
Base Trim Engine
2.4L H4 ICE
Base Trim Transmission
6-speed manual
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
228 HP @7000 RPM
Base Trim Torque
184 lb.-ft. @ 3700 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
20/26/22 MPG
Infotainment & Features
8 /10
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8
Hyundai Ioniq 6
10,478 Units
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 beating the Dodge Charger Daytona EV on the sales chart shows that electric buyers aren’t all chasing muscle-car bravado. The Ioniq 6 isn’t positioned as a sporty model, but it delivers genuine enjoyment behind the wheel. The sleek, coupe-like silhouette helps the car stand out in a way that makes it a fair comparison to the Dodge. Hyundai sold close to 10,500 examples last year, and that the number should climb in 2026 with the arrival of a sharper-looking facelift and a new performance flagship, the Ioniq 6 N, boasting up to 641 horsepower.
That said, the base model doesn’t exactly set hearts racing. Starting at just under $40,000, it makes do with a single motor and a modest 149 hp. Spend closer to $46,000, though, and you’ll get a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup that pumps out 320 hp, transforming the Ioniq 6 into something that’s both quick and genuinely fun to drive.
7
Volkswagen Golf GTI And Golf R
10,554 Units
Even in a rough year, Volkswagen’s hot hatches managed to outrun Dodge’s electric muscle car. The US only gets the sporty versions of the Golf, but that didn’t stop the Golf GTI and Golf R from combining for 10,554 sales in 2025, which was enough to outsell the Charger Daytona. Of that total, 7,235 buyers chose the GTI, while 3,319 stepped up to the all-wheel-drive Golf R. The figures were a solid showing on paper, especially given how niche the segment has become.
Dig deeper, though, and it was a tough year for both cars. GTI sales fell 34.7% year over year, while the Golf R dropped 20.9%. The decline almost certainly traces back to VW introducing refreshed models partway through the year, which likely prompted buyers to wait. This means a rebound this year looks likely, though numbers may still be off, given that the updated models no longer offer the option of a manual gearbox.
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6
Subaru WRX
10,930 Units
If you thought the Golf GTI’s 34.7% slide was rough, the Subaru WRX’s 2025 performance was downright ugly. The rally-bred sedan limped to just 10,930 sales for the year, which was a 41.2% drop from the year before and the second-worst result in the model’s history. Only 2010 was worse, when Subaru sold 8,323 WRXs, but those numbers came at a time when the brand’s overall US sales volume was barely 40% of today’s levels.
Subaru has pointed to lower inventory during the heart of the summer selling season, blaming pre-planned production shifts to other models. Still, it’s hard to ignore that the WRX has seen little meaningful evolution, with no new STI to reignite excitement. Add a price that now nudges $40,000 with destination, and the WRX no longer looks like the bargain it once was. At that cost, buyers can start to cross-shop the Golf R, Honda Civic Type R, and Toyota GR Corolla.
5
Porsche 911
13,574 Units
So far, every vehicle on this list has been considerably more affordable than the Charger Daytona. However, the Porsche 911 proves that even far pricier performance cars can outrun Dodge’s electric muscle coupe. Porsche managed 13,574 sales of its sports car icon in the US last year, which was down from the record 14,128 units it moved in 2024, but still comfortably ahead of the Daytona.
Porsche’s experience with the Taycan, a closer analog to the Charger Daytona, highlights how tough EVs remain with performance buyers. The brand sold just 4,747 of them in the US in 2024 and only managed 4,142 sales here in 2025. One major hurdle appears to be depreciation because steep drops in Taycan resale values likely deter buyers accustomed to Porsche’s traditionally strong residuals.
4
Chevrolet Corvette
24,533 Units
The Chevrolet Corvette is another car that costs more than the Charger Daytona, yet it still managed to spank it in the 2025 sales race. America’s sports car moved 24,533 units last year, comfortably ahead of Dodge’s electric muscle experiment. While that total represents a notable 26.4% drop from 2024, it lands close to the Corvette’s 10-year average. The dip also stands in contrast to GM’s overall 6% sales gain, driven largely by big pickups and SUVs, especially full-size models.
The Corvette’s softer year didn’t come without excuses. Scheduled plant closures, shortages of key components, and a safety recall that triggered a dealer stop-sale order all created headwinds. It’s also worth noting that the C8 Corvette is now in its seventh model year, meaning its new-car shine has largely worn off. Rumors of a Grand Sport revival with a new V8 suggest Chevy isn’t done stirring up excitement.
3
BMW 4 Series
39,379 Units
The 20206 BMW 4 Series starts at $53,300. That’s less than the Charger and says a lot about the positioning of Dodge’s muscle car and the buyers it’s targeting. Namely, the company is aiming at those with luxury-car budgets. BMW managed to sell 39,379 units of the 4 Series in 2025, a 7.6% decline from the previous year, proving that a more traditional, established offering can still outsell a high-priced newcomer.
The 4 Series also makes for a natural comparison to the Charger because they both offer fully electric variants. Although the i4 is sedan. Impressively, more than half of 4 Series sales came from the i4, totaling 20,114 units, down 14.1%. That drop is likely tied to the loss of the federal EV tax credit and also potential buyers possibly holding out for BMW’s next-generation Neue Klasse EVs due to start arriving at showrooms this year.
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2
Ford Mustang
45,333 Units
The Ford Mustang continues to prove there’s still life in the traditional pony car formula. It’s a long-time rival to the Dodge Charger and the Chevrolet Camaro, which is out of production. The model is also the only passenger car left in Ford’s North American lineup.
The Mustang found 45,333 buyers in the US in 2025. That’s a modest 3% improvement over 2024’s 44,003 sales, which marked the lowest point in the nameplate’s history. The rebound may be small, but the result shows there’s still meaningful demand for classic muscle, even if the number of buyers is a shadow of what it once was.
Dodge dealers, meanwhile, are likely eyeing those Mustang numbers with a sense of forlorn envy. With the Charger once again being offered with an internal-combustion engine, as well as a more practical sedan body style, there should be some light at the end of the tunnel. And if rumors of a V8’s return prove true, Ford could soon be facing stiff competition from its Detroit rival once more.
1
Ford Mustang Mach-E
51,620 Units
Ford has shown that a performance-car nameplate can successfully make the jump to electric power with the Mustang Mach-E, which overtook the traditional Mustang in sales in 2024 and hasn’t looked back. The electric Mustang racked up 51,620 sales in 2025, just 125 units shy of its record 51,745 deliveries in 2024. A dip in 2026 seems likely with the federal EV tax credit gone, but the takeaway is clear that an EV positioned with muscle car attitude can still find plenty of buyers. The Mach-E proves the concept in a way the Charger Daytona hasn’t yet managed.
Of course, the Mustang Mach-E also has a major advantage the Dodge lacks by wearing a crossover body style. In today’s SUV-obsessed market, that alone broadens the appeal well beyond traditional performance buyers. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the Mach-E significantly undercuts the Charger Daytona on price, with a starting sticker of $37,995, making Ford’s electric Mustang feel far more attainable. Maybe Dodge should take some notes.
Sources: BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen
