When the Toyota Prius first came out, it wasn't the most popular kid on the block - it was new, strange, unproven. The car first came to the Japanese market in 1997, and was then brought to the global car market in 2000.

Experian also said the said the Toyota Camry was the top-selling vehicle in the first half of this year based on its latest vehicle registration analysis. The Ford F-150 pickup truck is a close second. The Ford F-150 has been the most popular vehicle overall in the U.S. for decades and the Camry has been the best-selling car here for most of the past 15 years.