The Auto Market Brief

Pricing Pressures and EV Momentum in a Tight Used Market

Pricing pressures are building across the auto market while inflation remains elevated, labor signals are mixed, and demand continues to adjust rather than retreat. In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, Cox Automotive Executive Analyst Erin Keating and Chief Economist Jeremy Robb walk through the latest economic signals and explain how broader market pressure is showing up most clearly in vehicle pricing, inventory, and affordability, particularly in the used and used‑EV markets. Market pressure in context: Jeremy breaks down the latest CPI and labor market data to set the backdrop for consumer conditions, emphasizing how persistent cost pressures and mixed economic signals continue to influence buying behavior without triggering a sharp market pullback. Pricing and supply dynamics across the market: The conversation focuses on tightening used inventory, rising used‑vehicle prices, and why affordability risks are most acute where price‑sensitive buyers are concentrated. New‑vehicle market conditions, incentives, and day‑supply trends add important context to the broader pricing environment. Tariffs, regulation, and industry strategy: Erin covers ongoing tariff uncertainty, USMCA enforcement focus, Chinese market barriers, and how compliance costs, supply chain complexity, and Ford’s EV manufacturing strategy are influencing vehicle pricing and long‑term affordability. The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next. The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.

Service Revenue Is Up. Why Are Dealers Losing Share?

Service departments are no longer just another revenue stream for dealers, they’re a critical inventory funnel, customer relationship engine, and profit driver. In this special episode of The Auto Market Brief, Erin Keating is joined by Alex Bland, Cox Automotive's Sr. Director of Market and Customer Research, to break down new consumer and dealer research exposing what's changed in fixed operations, and how this area is becoming the most critical profit engine for dealers in today’s market. As vehicle affordability tightens and ownership periods stretch, dealers are losing service share to independents, even as service revenue hits record highs. This conversation explores what’s driving that paradox, where dealers are leaking opportunity, and how trust, transparency, and convenience can turn fixed ops into a powerful retention and sales driver. In This Episode: * Why dealers are making more service money, but losing market share * How convenience, trust, and pricing perception reshape service decisions * Where service visits unlock sales, trade‑ins, and lifetime value The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.  The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.

Strong Spending and Auto Sales: Here’s What’s Behind It

Consumer spending remains unexpectedly strong as the auto market moves through the heart of the spring selling season. In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, Erin Keating is joined by Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb to break down the latest retail spending data, new‑ and used‑vehicle sales performance, and what's shaping demand across the market. Consumer spending and retail sales trends: Jeremy explains why overall retail spending remains elevated, including a record month‑over‑month increase in gasoline station sales and the continued impact of tax refunds supporting consumer activity. New, used, and EV market performance: The discussion examines year‑to‑date new‑vehicle sales in the context of last year’s tariff‑driven pull‑ahead, cooling but stable used‑vehicle sales, tightening used inventory, and rising prices for top‑selling used vehicles. The episode also highlights improving demand and price retention for used EVs at both retail and wholesale levels. Market signals and industry developments: This episode also touches on Federal Reserve leadership updates, wholesale price movement, and retention trends, alongside key industry headlines from major automakers, marketplace expansion, and dealership consolidation activity. The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next. The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights [https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights].

Why Chaos Isn't Breaking the Auto Market

New inflation readings, geopolitical uncertainty, and lingering tariff pressure continue to cloud the economic outlook, but the auto market is proving more resilient than the headlines suggest. From inflation reading timing and consumer income dynamics to tightening used supply and disciplined OEM strategies, this episode unpacks why rising uncertainty has not yet translated into market disruption and what that means as the industry moves deeper into the second quarter of the year: Inflation signals, timing, and economic context: Recent CPI and PCE data point to ongoing inflation pressure, but differences in timing and composition matter. Erin Keating and Jeremy Robb explain why headline inflation can feel more alarming than the underlying trend, and how consumers and markets are still adjusting rather than reacting. Consumer behavior, credit access, and market resilience: Despite softer income growth and economic strain, vehicle demand remains relatively steady. The discussion explores how tax refunds, seasonal sales patterns, and improving credit availability are supporting transaction activity, even as affordability challenges persist. OEM discipline, inventory dynamics, and industry strategy: Tight used‑vehicle supply, firm wholesale pricing, and measured incentive activity signal an industry recalibrating around margin discipline and realistic growth. Insights from New York Auto Forum and the New York Auto Show reinforce how automakers are prioritizing affordability, hybrid momentum, and disciplined capital deployment in an uncertain policy and cost environment. The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next. The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights [https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights].

How Creator Content Is Changing Car Research

Car shoppers aren’t following a linear path to purchase anymore. Instead, they’re validating information across platforms, formats, and voices, reshaping how automotive content is created and consumed. In this conversation, Erin Keating is joined by Michelle Clark, Director of Editorial for Cox Automotive’s consumer brands, to explore these shifts in behavior and what it means for the future of automotive storytelling: Validation over linear research: Today’s consumers continuously validate what they see and hear, seeking multiple perspectives, real experiences, and trusted sources throughout the entire shopping journey, not just at the point of purchase. Creator-led content builds trust: Short-form video and creator perspectives are resonating because they feel personal and authentic, helping shoppers assess vehicle features, technology, and ownership considerations through real-world lenses. Content closer to the transaction: Automotive advice content is moving beyond awareness into decision-support, with tools and information like gas price tracking and insurance guidance playing a more direct role in purchase confidence. AI as an enabler, not a storyteller: Editorial teams are using AI to scale and adapt storytelling across formats, empowering journalists to become multi‑format generalists while keeping human expertise at the center of the content. The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next. The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights [https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights].