Used Cars for Sale in Irvine, CA

Tesla leads Irvine's newer cars

Tesla is the most popular newer car in Irvine, California: more than 1 in 5 cars from model year 2021 and newer registered in the city is a Tesla, a higher share than in any other Orange County city.

Based on the DMV's most recent registration data.

1. Tesla
2. Toyota
3. Mercedes-Benz

What sets Irvine apart

• Teslas everywhere. Irvine has more Teslas than any other city in Orange County, and newer Teslas are about six times as common in Irvine as in the national sales mix over the same five years.
• A taste for German luxury. Newer Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche models are each about three times as common in Irvine as in the national sales mix.
• Light on trucks. Ford, Chevrolet, GMC and Ram, the brands behind most of America's pickups, make up about 1 in 21 newer cars in Irvine, about half the county rate.
• Hometown brands. Mazda, Rivian and Kia all have their US headquarters in Irvine. Mazda and Rivian are both more common in Irvine than in the national sales mix, and Mazda's extra cars are spread across the city's neighborhoods. Kia is the odd one out: in Irvine it shows up mostly near its headquarters, which points to company cars, and across the rest of the city it's less common than nationally.

Counting older cars, Toyota still leads

Counting all cars on the road in Irvine, including older ones, Toyota is the most common make, with Tesla second, according to the DMV's most recent registration data. Among cars from 2021 and newer, Tesla leads.

Nearly 1 in 5 Irvine cars is now electric

Nearly 1 in 5 cars registered in Irvine is now fully electric, up from about 1 in 30 in 2020 and about double the Orange County rate, according to the DMV's most recent registration data.

About this data: These figures come from Bestest's analysis of California DMV vehicle registrations (as of January 1, 2026, the most recent available) and California Energy Commission new-car data. "Newer cars" means model years 2021 and later. Starting with its 2024 file, the DMV's public data leaves the make blank for about a third of vehicles. Our model fills in those blanks, and it proved itself by identifying 96% of each city's top five brands in a year when the DMV still named nearly every car's make. National comparisons use the US new-car sales mix for 2021 to 2025. Analysis by Jason Allan, former head of vehicle reviews and ratings at Kelley Blue Book. Updated October 2026. How we calculate city car data →