Tesla vs Ford F150: Annual list of popular vehicles shows BC is shifting to luxury models

AutoTrader has released its annual list of the most-searched and -sold vehicles in Canada, and it suggests that people in BC enjoy the more luxurious things in life.

The automotive marketplace website analyzed 11 million annual visitors, Canadian car searchers, and purchases from January 1 to October 27, 2023.

“Each year, AutoTrader analyzes millions of data points to piece together an underlying narrative about consumer vehicle shopping behaviours and patterns,” says Ian MacDonald, chief marketing officer at AutoTrader.

To our surprise, the most searched vehicle in BC was not a Tesla model, but rather, the Ford F150. The truck was crowned the most-searched-for model for BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and the Atlantic provinces.

“This year, we see vehicle buyers searching aspirationally, but ultimately opting for more practical purchases, which could suggest Canadians are maintaining an optimistic outlook but prioritizing reliability and utility in a turbulent year.”

But, while the truck might be king, there’s a shift going on.

According to the press release, “BC’s top-searched vehicles list has the highest number of luxury brands of all regions in 2023, composed of 60% luxury.”

For the past two years, there has been a strong focus on affordable vehicles in British Columbia. However, this year’s edition of the BMW X5 (#7 on the list) suggests that the trend is shifting back towards the fancier things in life.

Despite economic circumstances, it appears that British Columbians are still interested in purchasing top-of-the-line luxury cars but are still shopping for space and versatility.

This year, Canadians preferred bigger trucks, with two trucks making it to the top 10 most-searched vehicles list for the first time since 2019.

Check out the list of the most-searched and -sold vehicles in 2023.

Would you buy any of the cars on the list? Let us know in the comments.

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