News Coverage
April Car Sales: As New Vehicle Prices Rise, Consumers Continue to Trend Toward Used Vehicles, But For How Long? – Karl Brauer, Kelley Blue Book
Thursday May 9, 2019
Article Highlights
- We had predicted that sales would be better, certainly be above 17, but the SAAR came in at 16.5, lower than expected, according to Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book.
- Overall sales were down 2.3% in April, and this continued decline is starting to wear on industry observers because it is not so early in the year now. So, if we continue on this track that are a lot of questions about where we will end up.
- New-vehicle sales are being adversely affected by lower tax refunds, higher interest rates and higher transaction prices, along with not-very-strong incentives.
CBT News, May 9, 2019 — While U.S. auto sales softened this past April, and many customers continued to flock to used car lots due to vehicle affordability issues. However, this uptick in used-car sales might not last for much longer.
Here to discuss April’s winners, losers, and more of what dealers can expect in the coming months, is Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book.