Reading the Signals: Sales Momentum, Rates, and What Comes Next

May Sales, Hybrid Momentum, and Strained Affordability

What do newly-released May sales numbers, rising hybrid demand, and shifting consumer behavior reveal about today’s auto market? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, Host and Executive Analyst Erin Keating is joined by Jeremy Robb, Cox Automotive’s Chief Economist, to break down May sales performance, evolving demand, and the latest data shaping how the market is responding to ongoing economic pressure: What May sales reveal about market resilience:  New vehicle sales improved in May, with stronger performance emerging later in the month and signaling continued stability across the market. Why hybrid momentum continues to build:  Automakers offering strong hybrid portfolios are seeing gains as consumers increasingly prioritize fuel efficiency and overall value. How affordability pressure is reshaping demand:  Rising fuel costs and elevated inflation are shifting consumer spending patterns, with increased interest in lower-priced and older vehicles pointing to continued trade-down behavior. The episode also explores evolving industry dynamics, including tariff uncertainty, supply chain risk tied to supplier disruption, and how automakers are adjusting EV strategies in response to changing demand. 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].

Reading the Signals: Sales Momentum, Rates, and What Comes Next

What are today’s economic signals really telling us about where the auto market is headed next? In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, Cox Automotive Executive Analyst Erin Keating is joined by Chief Economist, Jeremy Robb, to break down the latest data shaping the market, from interest rate volatility and inflation trends to consumer spending behavior and recent shifts in vehicle sales performance: What rising rates and inflation mean for affordability: Treasury yields have reached levels not seen in years, driving continued pressure on borrowing costs and influencing how lenders price auto loans across the market. How consumer spending is holding up, and where it’s shifting: Overall spending remains positive, but rising fuel costs are taking up a larger share of consumer budgets, raising questions about how long that resilience can continue. Where sales momentum is coming from today: New vehicle sales are showing strength, supported by growing demand for hybrids, while used vehicle values and EV pricing trends reflect tight supply and sustained interest in more efficient options. The episode also explores key industry developments, from OEM strategy shifts and production challenges to evolving tariff discussions and regulatory activity, offering a clearer view of what these signals could mean for the road ahead. 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 Are Gas Prices Changing Car Buying Decisions?

How are rising gas prices influencing what consumers want, and what they’re willing to buy next? In this bonus episode of The Auto Market Brief, Erin Keating is joined by Alex Bland, Cox Automotive's Sr. Director of Market and Customer Research and Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive's Director of Industry Insights, to uncover findings from a recent Cox Automotive consumer survey exploring how fuel price increases are shaping shopping behavior, vehicle consideration, and overall sentiment. What consumers are telling us right now: The survey reveals that fuel costs are top of mind for many shoppers, with a majority indicating that rising gas prices are influencing their next vehicle decision, whether that means shifting toward fuel efficiency, delaying a purchase, or accelerating plans to reduce ongoing costs.  Why hybrids are gaining traction: Findings show strong interest in hybrids as a more familiar and lower‑risk alternative, offering improved efficiency without the need for a full transition to electric vehicles. What the data says about EVs and the used market: The conversation also explores how ongoing affordability pressures, the growing availability of used EVs from off‑lease vehicles, and increasing consumer familiarity with EV technology are contributing to momentum in the used EV market, even as new EV adoption continues to evolve. The episode also touches on how generational and regional differences shape these trends, and what the latest consumer signals suggest for the path ahead. 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].

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.