Market Insights and Outlook - Cox Automotive Inc.

Smoke on Cars Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke shares his insights on macroeconomic trends, business cycles, demand and the economic factors influencing the automotive industry today. See Insights ›

Commentary & Voices Our team of analysts and experts share their reactions, insights and unique perspectives on the behaviors, data and industry moves that are affecting the broader automotive business. See Insights ›

Data Point The automotive industry is a data-driven business. These are the data points that our team of experts and analysts find most interesting, offered with insights to explain why it matters and why you should know. See Insights ›

Economy & Trends Dynamic economic factors and market trends continually influence our industry, and Cox Automotive’s economists and analysts provide data analysis, forecasts and reports to enhance the understanding of how these factors affect the automotive marketplace. See Insights ›

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Ford Invests $500 Million in Electric-Vehicle Startup Rivian 04/24/2019 This morning in Dearborn, Ford Motor Company confirmed plans to invest $500 million in Rivian, a Michigan-based electric vehicle startup. The investment places Ford among the largest investors in the privately-held company. Rivian has been in the spotlight recently, with interesting concept vehicles appearing at major auto shows and, more notably, an infusion of $700 million led by Amazon in February 2019. In this agreement, Ford… Read Article

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Ford to Report Mixed Bag: Ford Brand Sales Down and Lincoln Up 04/23/2019 Ford Motor Co. reports first-quarter financials on Thursday after the stock market closes. Analysts expect a mixed bag from Ford with lower sales in its major markets leading to overall lower revenue and profits from a year ago. Ford is in the midst of restructuring its operations in numerous markets and at the start of some major product launches. In the U.S., Ford’s quarterly sales performance,… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices

Tesla Expected to Report Loss on Higher U.S. Sales and Market Share 04/23/2019 Tesla reports first-quarter earnings today after the stock market closes. Investors are bracing for a loss after two profitable quarters. The size of the loss is in question and worrisome. Kelley Blue Book data on quarterly sales show Tesla’s first-quarter vehicle sales were much improved from a year ago. Sales rose 66% to nearly 29,900 units, pushing market share up .3 percentage points to .7 percent. … Read Article

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This Week in Car Buying: Mustang turns 55; Audi expands subscriptions; Buyers wrestle with affordability; Inventories peak 04/19/2019 Kelley Blue Book’s Senior Managing Editor Matt DeLorenzo writes This Week in Car Buying, a weekly column on KBB.com. In this week’s article, Matt highlights the venerable Ford Mustang, which turned 55 at the New York Auto Show April 17. The company celebrated the milestone in two ways, boasting about the model’s sales leadership and introducing a new 2.3-liter High Performance Package that wrings 330 horsepower… Read Article

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Cox Automotive Industry Update Report: April 2019 04/16/2019 The April 2019 Cox Automotive Industry Update Report shares Cox Automotive’s multifaceted insight into the automotive marketplace to provide an overview of economic indicators, supply, demand, credit and other vital topics and trends affecting the industry. ECONOMIC INDICATORS The Employment Report for March eased fears regarding a dramatic slowdown in the economy as 196,000 jobs were created when analysts had expected 177,000. Prior payroll numbers were… Read Article

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2019 Car Buyer Journey Study Released 04/15/2019 According to a new study released by Cox Automotive, budget-minded, time-strapped, tech-savvy U.S. car buyers are spending a higher percentage of their shopping time online and less total time in market as they hunt for their perfect ride. The 2019 Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey study also indicates consumers continue to be frustrated by new-vehicle prices and are more likely than ever to be shopping for… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices

Replay of Q1 Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index Call Available 04/08/2019 A replay of the Q1 Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index Call hosted by Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke and Zo Rahim, manager of economics and industry insights for Cox Automotive, is available below. During the call, Jonathan and Zo presented Cox Automotive's Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, the automotive industry’s only used vehicle index that is both seasonally adjusted and adjusted for changes in mix and… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices

This Week in Car Buying: Ford Ranger appearance packages hot; Subaru offers CPO incentive; Hyundai offers student loan deal; Sales soften, transaction prices up 04/08/2019 Kelley Blue Book’s Senior Managing Editor Matt DeLorenzo writes This Week in Car Buying, a weekly column on KBB.com. In this week’s article, Matt highlights the 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford has a hit on its hands with new appearance packages. In fact, two-thirds of all Rangers sold have appearance packages to differentiate them from stock models. While Subaru may have some of the lowest incentives by… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices

Wholesale Prices Rebound With Start of Spring Bounce 04/05/2019 Wholesale used vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) increased 0.58% month-over-month in March. This brought the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index to 136.0, a 4.0% increase from a year ago. Looking at trends in weekly Manheim Market Report (MMR) prices, March saw the traditional spring bounce in values, particularly in non-luxury vehicles. Three-year-old vehicle values in aggregate saw four straight weeks of… Read Article

Wholesale Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index Used Car Market Insights Commentary & Voices

Recalls a Hot Topic at Washington Auto Show; Maryland’s Safety Notice Program is Tackling the Issue 04/04/2019 The Washington Auto Show opened in our capital city this week, and this show is not like other auto shows. Yes, there was new vehicles on carpet for likely buyers to crawl through, but the D.C. show is more a policy show, where lawmakers come and talk about what’s right and what’s wrong with our great business. The pundits at this show are focused less on… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices