The Auto Market Brief

Gas prices are finally coming down, but how much does that actually improve the total cost of buying and owning a vehicle?In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, Erin Keating and Jeremy Robb break down the latest economic signals shaping the market, from declining fuel costs and improving sentiment to the ongoing pressures tied to inflation, interest rates, and vehicle pricing.How much lower gas prices really help: Gas prices have fallen below $4 per gallon, providing some relief for consumers, but fuel is only one part of the overall cost equation.Why vehicle affordability remains under pressure: Even as fuel costs ease, elevated interest rates and higher vehicle prices continue to impact monthly payments and purchasing decisions.What the latest data says about market performance: New vehicle sales are holding stronger than expected, while used vehicle prices remain elevated, highlighting the ongoing tension between demand and affordability.The episode also explores key industry developments, including regulatory focus on pricing transparency, continued investment in autonomous technologies, and signals from subprime lending markets.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.

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.

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.

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 shareHow convenience, trust, and pricing perception reshape service decisionsWhere service visits unlock sales, trade‑ins, and lifetime valueThe 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.

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.

Soaring gas prices, ongoing geopolitical tension, and shifting rate expectations continue to collide with a key spring selling period for the auto market.From fuel price volatility and interest rate pressure to evolving consumer shopping behavior and industry cost complexities, this episode unpacks the dynamics shaping demand, market resilience, and decision-making across the automotive landscape as we step into the second quarter of the year:Fuel prices, sentiment, and near-term demand signals: Oil price increases tied to global conflict are lifting fuel costs and weighing on sentiment, with national averages inching closer to critical thresholds. Despite this, the market has not yet seen a sharp sales slowdown, with regional differences, income dynamics, and timing effects likely influencing consumer behavior.Consumer shopping behavior and market resilience: Despite economic pressure, new and used vehicle sales remain relatively strong. Erin Keating and Jeremy Robb discuss tax refunds, the spring sales tailwind, and rising online interest in hybrids and EVs as consumers adjust rather than retreat in response to higher operating costs.Rates, tariffs, and industry pressures: With benchmark rates moving higher and tariff impacts lingering, the conversation explores how financing conditions, wholesale market signals, production decisions, ADAS repair complexity, and autonomous vehicle investment are reshaping cost structures and strategic planning across the industry.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.

Geopolitical tensions are on the rise, and they’re creating ripple effects across energy markets and global supply chains. So, what does that mean for the automotive industry right now? In this special bonus episode, we break down how the conflict involving Iran could show up in the market over the near term and what auto leaders should be paying attention to in the weeks ahead:Fuel prices and consumer behavior: Disruption to the flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz pushes oil and gas prices higher, which often changes how consumers think about driving, fueling up, and making near‑term spending decisions.Supply chains and cost pressure: Automotive’s global footprint means shipping lanes and petrochemical supply matter. Extended instability could impact logistics, materials like plastics and synthetic rubber, and overall input costs for automakers and suppliers.Interest in EVs vs. actual purchases: History shows fuel price spikes tend to drive short‑term interest in hybrids and EVs, but that interest doesn’t always turn into immediate sales, especially in an uncertain economy.More layers of uncertainty: Add in tariffs and broader policy questions, and automakers and dealers are navigating an increasingly complex planning environment that calls for flexibility and scenario thinking.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.

Jobs market momentum is slowing and automakers are under pressure. What does it all mean for sales, credit, and pricing decisions across the automotive market?From labor market weakness and rising debt levels to disciplined incentives and inventory strain, this episode breaks down the forces reshaping demand, profitability, and strategy as we get further into the first quarter of the year:Labor, productivity, and economic risk: Job growth revisions reveal a cooling labor market, while productivity gains and wage growth complicate the outlook for consumer demand, GDP, and recession risk. Erin and Jeremy explore what the current “low hire, low fire” environment means for automotive retailing and long-term sales momentum.Credit availability and consumer pressure: Auto loan rates, APRs, and credit availability remain relatively stable, but rising subprime share, negative equity, and growing delinquencies (especially in student loans) signal increasing pressure on consumers and lenders heading into tax refund season.Automaker performance, pricing, and inventory: OEMs navigate tariff-driven cost increases, supply chain disruptions, and disciplined incentive strategies as MSRP, invoice, and average transaction prices compress. Inventory levels, days’ supply, and production decisions are setting the stage for an intense market-share battle across key segments.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.

Looking for clarity in the chaos of the automotive market? You're in the right place. The Auto Market Brief is your fast, focused update on the trends, data, and decisions shaping the automotive market. From macroeconomic signals like inflation, GDP, and Federal Reserve policy to industry-specific factors like auto loan interest rates, pricing pressure, consumer credit, and sentiment; we help you connect the dots across the economy and make smarter decisions about what comes next.Each episode begins with a quick pulse check on the economy, then goes deeper, uncovering insights across inventory, retail, lending, fleet, and automaker performance. You’ll also hear timely perspectives from Cox Automotive experts and industry guests, delivering clear context, short‑term outlooks, and practical insight.Whether you’re navigating new and used vehicle dynamics, monitoring consumer behavior, or planning for shifting market conditions, The Auto Market Brief is built to keep you informed, focused, and ahead. 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.