Top 20 best-selling cars of August 2011

Two American full-size pickups and two Japanese midsize cars stood at the top of the August 2011 new car sales charts, according to sales data released today, but several typically popular models were shut out of the best-seller list.

The Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado pickups consistently hold the No. 1 and No 2 sales spots, respectively, and that held true last month. The Toyota Camry -- in the final weeks before the launch of an overhauled 2012 model -- celebrated its second straight month as the nation's best-selling passenger car after being briefly upset earlier this year, followed by the competing Nissan Altima.

In addition to the F-Series, Ford also saw Top 10 best-seller appearances from its Escape SUV and Fusion sedan; General Motors' Chevrolet Cruze small car remained in the top five. Chrysler's Ram Pickup had a strong month, with 21,243 sales placing it in sixth place for August 2011 sales. The automaker didn't see any of its other products in the Top 20, but it had several with unusually strong sales just below that mark.

Honda, however, still struggles. The once-beloved Civic didn't even rank among the top 20 in last month's new car sales after narrowly holding 19th place in July. And the automaker's best-seller, the Accord/Crosstour line, ranks only as the ninth best-selling vehicle for August 2011, in contrast to its long-running challenge to the Camry's sales domination.

Furthermore, Honda's sales figures have just begun to split the Crosstour five-door from the Accord coupe and sedan line, making the drop seem even more dramatic. (This source will keep them listed together for the remainder of the calendar year for consistency, then break apart both the Accord and Crosstour and the Subaru Legacy and Outback for 2012 sales data.)

And aside from the Camry and Altima, sales of Toyota and Nissan mainstays have remained soft. The Toyota Corolla/Matrix has slid to 14th place in the sales rankings, and the Toyota Prius, RAV4 and Sienna sales put them far below the top 20. Nissan's Sentra and Versa small cars and Rogue small SUV -- each of which has a recent best-seller appearance -- fell short; the No. 24 Rogue was the best-selling Nissan in August after the No. 4 Altima.