I think U.S.-centric readers may misunderstand Mazda. When I was in Singapore, I saw one example of them being quite popular abroad. In the U.S., they seem to be more of an enthusiast / novelty brand.
Last January, I threw Car & Driver stats for 2023 and 2022 best-selling models (from U.S. sales) in a spreadsheet. Mazda was the #12 OEM here, just below Hyundai. (Note this is only based on top 25 models.)
EDIT: Updated to add 2024 top 25.
In 2024, Mazda's CX-5 dropped off the top 25 best-selling, removing it from my spreadsheet.
03. Honda 807,519 11.8%
07. Nissan 398,383 5.8%
In 2023 Mazda increased their volume very slightly, while Nissan lost share, and Honda increased their share.
2023
03. Honda 759,785 11.1%
10. Nissan 271,458 4.0%
12. Mazda 153,808 2.3%
2022
04. Honda 526,699 8.6%
08. Nissan 326,435 5.3%
12. Mazda 151,594 2.5%
