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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CPO Sales Continue to Grow 04/17/2019 Affordability pressures generally benefit the used market and strengthen demand as a result of buyers being priced out of the new market. New-vehicle prices are at record highs and interest rates are at 8-year highs. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that we saw sales of certified pre-owned vehicles increase to 677,038, up 0.4% in Q1 2019 compared to the same time period for 2018.… Read Article

Market Insights Data Point

Strong Q1 Fleet Numbers Stave Off Larger New-Vehicle Sales Loss 04/11/2019 The first-quarter of 2019 came to a close last week, with new-vehicle sales in March coming in slightly stronger than anticipated as the quarter closed. Still, sales in Q1 2019 were down 2.7% versus year-ago levels. Had it not been for strong fleet numbers the results would have been worse. Retail sales were down 4% through the quarter, while fleet sales jumped 6%. At the corporate level,… Read Article

Market Insights Data Point

Fleet Sales See Continued Strength, Increase 16% in March 04/10/2019 Like the used market, the new-vehicle market showed weakness in March. March new-vehicle sales were down 2.2% year-over-year, with one less selling day compared to March 2018. However, the March 2019 SAAR came in at 17.5 million, improving versus last year’s 17.2 million. Cars continue to see declines, as sales in March fell 7.9% compared to last year. Light trucks outperformed cars in March, finishing the… Read Article

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Auto Loan Rates Now at Eight-Year Highs 04/09/2019 One of the most intriguing trends for the year is what has happened and is happening with interest rates. At the end of last year, the Fed remained hawkish and very resolute about pushing rates higher in 2019. After a stock correction, they turned to patience as the mantra. And this month the yield curve inverted. The graphic below illustrates what has been happening in key… Read Article

Market Insights Data Point

2019 Wholesale Volume Through Digital Channels Expected to Increase While In-Lane to Drop Slightly 04/08/2019 The wholesale market plays a central role in facilitating the flow of used vehicle inventory. Like 2018, this year is poised to be a great year for offsite digital volume growth. That does not mean traditional auction volume will collapse, but growth in the flow of vehicles will favor non-tradition channels and not the physical lanes. Dealers do not need to consign as many vehicles when… Read Article

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Chevrolet Bolt EV Gets Jolt From Reduced Tax Break 04/02/2019 The already struggling Chevrolet Bolt electric car got another jolt this week when the federal tax break on it was reduced. Beginning April 1, the once $7,500 federal tax break for purchasing an electric vehicle began winding down for General Motors’ EVs, like the Bolt, and plug-in hybrids, like the Chevrolet Volt that is being eliminated from the product line. The tax break is lowered and… Read Article

Market Insights Data Point

Segment Shifts Drive Higher Average MSRP While Affordability Concerns Increase 03/26/2019 You can visualize the relentless rise of new-vehicle prices in the U.S. market in many ways. Average transaction price – ATP – is a common measure, showing the amount consumers pay for a vehicle, including all rebates and incentives. Or look to the average monthly loan payment for a new vehicle, which is currently more than $545 a month, up 4 percent from year-ago levels. Our… Read Article

Market Insights Data Point

SUV Popularity Contributes to Overall Brand Sales 03/21/2019 In the last 10 years, most non-luxury brands have benefited from the explosive growth in SUVs. Brands such as Subaru and Kia have seen massive increases in their overall sales, while Dodge saw negative growth in car sales and comparatively modest SUV gains. SUV sales growth is up 16 percent in the last two years, with more than 6.5 million new SUVs sold in 2018 alone.… Read Article

Market Insights Data Point

2019 CPO Sales Off to Sluggish Start 03/13/2019 Sales of certified pre-owned sales are off to a slow start in 2019. Sales are down 1 percent year-to-date compared to the same time last year, according to Cox Automotive. Much of the weakness has been driven by a sluggish January where sales were down 2 percent. Even with the slow start, Cox Automotive is forecasting CPO sales to come in at roughly 2.75 million units… Read Article

Market Insights Data Point

Fleet Sales Increase More Than 25 Percent in February 03/07/2019 Unlike the used market, the new-vehicle market showed no signs of improvement in February over January. New-vehicle retail sales were down 4 percent in February, leading to a retail SAAR of 13.0 million, down from 13.5 million last February. February new-vehicle total sales were down 2.4 percent year-over-year, with the same number of selling days compared to February 2018. The February total SAAR came in at 16.5 million,… Read Article

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