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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Vehicle Inventories Remain in Check 07/22/2019 After rising to worrisome levels throughout the spring, vehicle inventories remained pretty well in check to start July, though light truck inventories edged higher. May sales popped above forecasts, sopping up some of the inventory that had built up during weak sales months in winter. Similarly, June sales came in stronger than expected, helped by somewhat beefier incentives. A healthy June helped keep inventories mostly in… Read Article

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The Chevrolet Corvette is Already Tops in Styling and Performance. Will the All-New ‘Vette be Better? 07/18/2019 With the new Corvette, Chevrolet has rethought everything, giving its two-seater a mid-engine layout for improved performance and a more exotic, stand-out design. With these moves, Chevy likely envisions a Corvette among a more exotic competitive set, high performers such as the Acura NSX and Porsche 911. Our team at Kelley Blue Book looked at how well the current Corvette would fit in a more upscale… Read Article

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All-New Mid-Engine Corvette Launch: Perfect Timing 07/18/2019 For many, the big story in the all-new 2020 Chevrolet Corvette being unveiled this evening will be price. The number has yet to be announced, but speculation is that it will be far higher than the $56,000 base price of the current Corvette. An all-new structure with a mid-engine configuration will not come cheap, and Chevy has not been shy about positioning the new Corvette as… Read Article

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Corvette in New Territory 07/17/2019 General Motors is rightfully looking for new customers for its Chevrolet Corvette, as the current crop of loyal buyers begins to age out of their sports-car-buying years. It’s an admirable pursuit, but not an easy one. Seeking higher performance and a more exotic structure often pushes cars into higher, thinner air. Sustaining sales gets more difficult. These two simple charts tell the story. They offer the… Read Article

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June Fleet Sales Increase 5%; Fleet Growth Remains on Pace to Set 2019 record 07/11/2019 In the first half of 2019, the new-vehicle market in the U.S. has been propped up in part by strength in fleet sales. Combined rental, commercial and government purchases of new vehicles were up 5% year-over-year in June, following an even stronger gain in May. The rental fleet channel was strongest in June, up 11% year-over-year. Retail sales, on the other hand, have struggled in the… Read Article

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Car Shoppers Vote Free Maintenance Most-Appealing Offer by Wide Margin 06/25/2019 In a recent survey of car shoppers visiting Kelley Blue Book’s website, free maintenance for 2 years was voted the top most-appealing offer when purchasing their next vehicle, by a wide margin. Roadside assistance and monthly car washes finished a distant 2nd and 3rd in the survey, demonstrating car buyers will be most tempted by free maintenance, likely to help keep ownership costs down. Assuming the… Read Article

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CPO Sales on Pace to Break 2018 Record 06/18/2019 Sales of certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles increased 1% in May compared to May 2018 and were up 8% compared to April. For the month, 251,863 CPO units were sold. This brings the total CPO sales for 2019 to 1,162,441 units. This year CPO sales are up 2% versus 2018, growing at a comfortable pace above 2018’s record-setting performance. As the used-vehicle market continues to see strong consumer… Read Article

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Automakers Have Come a Long Way in Improving Fuel Economy. Where Do They Go From Here? 06/17/2019 New vehicles have enjoyed tremendous gains in fuel economy over the past decade. It’s worth noting the significant improvements as the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee prepare for a June 20 hearing on the Trump administration's proposal to freeze fuel efficiency standards at 2020 levels through 2026. Since 2007, the sport-utility vehicle segment has achieved the highest percentage improvement in fuel economy –… Read Article

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Vehicle Inventories Back in Check, Down from Recent Highs 06/14/2019 Automakers and their dealers entered June with inventories of unsold vehicles falling from the 10-year-high levels of recent months, thanks to improved May sales. May inventories dipped below 4 million units for the first time in four months, according to Autodata/Motor Intelligence. That pushed the days’ supply for all new unsold vehicles to 64 days, down from 78 days in April, the highest level since 2009.… Read Article

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10 Things to Know About May Sales 06/12/2019 May 2019 auto sales were reported last week, and the numbers came in stronger than initial forecasts, but down slightly from year-ago levels. Big fleet sales helped the total, but the retail side of the market remains soft. Our data team at Kelley Blue Book has had a chance to comb through the numbers. Here are ten things we think you might have missed, based on… Read Article

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