The Cadillac Escalade is the most popular luxury car in the U.S., according to a ValuePenguin analysis of search volume around well-known luxury car brands.
In fact, the Escalade was the most searched-for car model in 10 states. The number of Escalade queries has gradually increased since the start of COVID-19 lockdowns last year, still eclipsing pre-pandemic figures.
Alongside Cadillac’s Escalade, three other models — Audi’s R8, BMW’s i8 and the Land Rover Defender — made up more than half (27 of 50 states) of the most searched-for luxury models in the U.S.
Key findings
- The Cadillac Escalade was the most popular high-end car across 10 states, while no other car topped six states.
- Four cars — the Cadillac Escalade, Audi R8, BMW i8 and Land Rover Defender — account for the most searched luxury models in more than half of the country.
- The most popular cars varied by region: the Mercedes-Benz GLC in the Northeast; the Escalade and Jaguar F-Pace in the Midwest; the Defender and R8 in the West; and the Escalade in the South.
- The Defender is the most affordable vehicle to insure among the four most popular high-end models, while the Buick Enclave is the cheapest to insure of all cars in our study. It’s more expensive to insure the smaller, more sporty BMW and Audi models.
The most searched-for luxury cars in every state
In 10 states, the Escalade represented the largest share of searches relative to any one of the other cars included in this study.
For context, the second-highest-ranking car was a tie between the Audi R8 and BMW i8 sports cars. These were the most searched-for in six states.
In total, four vehicles — the Escalade, R8, i8 and Defender — topped the list for the most popular car in 27 states. That’s two sports cars and two SUVs, but no sedans.
Conversely, five car models were most searched-for in only one state each. These were the Maserati Ghibli, Tesla Model S, Porsche 911, Bentley Bentayga and Lexus RX 350. Still, these models were the most popular of their respective makers’ luxury catalogs.
The Escalade was the most popular car in the South, leading searches in six states in the region. Meanwhile, the Escalade tied the F-Pace for the Midwest lead (three states apiece). In the West, the R8 and Defender reigned supreme (three states), while the Mercedes-Benz GLC topped two Northeast states.
1. Alabama
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
2. Alaska
Most searched-for car: Land Rover Defender
3. Arizona
Most searched-for car: Genesis GV80
4. Arkansas
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
5. California
Most searched-for car: Tesla Model S, Porsche 911, BMW i8
6. Colorado
Most searched-for car: Audi R8
7. Connecticut
Most searched-for car: Lexus RX 350 F, Aston Martin Vantage
8. Delaware
Most searched-for car: Alfa Romeo Giulia
9. District of Columbia
Most searched-for car: Alfa Romeo Giulia
10. Florida
Most searched-for car: Alfa Romeo Giulia
11. Georgia
Most searched-for car: Genesis GV80, BMW i8
12. Hawaii
Most searched-for car: Infiniti Q50
13. Idaho
Most searched-for car: BMW i8
14. Illinois
Most searched-for car: Jaguar F-Pace
15. Indiana
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
16. Iowa
Most searched-for car: Buic
k Enclave
17. Kansas
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
18. Kentucky
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
19. Louisiana
Most searched-for car: Lincoln Aviator
20. Maine
Most searched-for car: Volvo XC90
21. Maryland
Most searched-for car: BMW i8
22. Massachusetts
Most searched-for car: Rolls-Royce Phantom
23. Michigan
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
24. Minnesota
Most searched-for car: Audi R8
25. Mississippi
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
26. Most searched-for car:
Most searched-for car: Audi R8
27. Montana
Most searched-for car: Land Rover Defender
28. Nebraska
Most searched-for car: Jaguar F-Pace
29. Nevada
Most searched-for car: Bentley Bentayga
30. New Hampshire
Most searched-for car: Volvo XC90
31. New Jersey
Most searched-for car: Mercedes-Benz GLC
32. New Mexico
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
33. New York
Most searched-for car: Mercedes-Benz GLC, Acura MDX, Infiniti Q50
34. North Carolina
Most searched-for car: BMW i8
35. North Dakota
Most searched-for car: Buick Enclave
36. Ohio
Most searched-for car: Alfa Romeo Giulia
37. Oklahoma
Most searched-for car: Lincoln Aviator
38. Oregon
Most searched-for car: Acura MDX
39. Pennsylvania
Most searched-for car: BMW i8
40. Rhode Island
Most searched-for car: Mercedes-Benz GLC, Aston Martin Vantage
41. South Carolina
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
42. South Dakota
Most searched-for car: Maserati Ghibli
43. Tennessee
Most searched-for car: Rolls-Royce Phantom
44. Texas
Most searched-for car: Cadillac Escalade
45. Utah
Most searched-for car: Audi R8
46. Vermont
Most searched-for car: Land Rover Defender
47. Virginia
Most searched-for car: Audi R8
48. Washington
Most searched-for car: Audi R8
49. West Virginia
Most searched-for car: Land Rover Defender
50. Wisconsin
Most searched-for car: Jaguar F-Pace
51. Wyoming
Most searched-for car: Land Rover Defender
Methodology
ValuePenguin used Google Trends search data to compile this study. To map popularity, we localized searches by state and compared the shares of searches for each car model. To determine which car models to include, we isolated the most popular model by maker using keyword research software.
For example, preliminary research revealed that the Escalade was the most searched-for Cadillac, so it was included. The regions referenced in the study align with the U.S. Census Bureau’s designations. We gathered insurance rates for the 2021 models of the cars mentioned in the study — aside from the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Aston Martin Vantage and Bentley Bentayga due to technical limitations.
ValuePenguin’s analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only, as your quotes may be different.
This article originally appeared on ValuePenguin.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
Image Credit: y_carfan/ iStock.
