Auto Sales to Reach Highest July Mark in Eight Years, Edmunds Predicts

Edmunds.com forecasts that about 1.46 million new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. market in July, the highest July total since 2006.

by Staff

July 24, 2014

2 min to read

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Edmunds.com forecasts that 1,461,290 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in July, for an estimated Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) of 16.8 million. This would be the highest July sales since the auto industry delivered 1.49 million new car sales in July 2006.

“July’s performance is the clearest indication yet that retail buyers are driving market demand,” said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. “Shoppers are looking past news of recalls and rising gas prices and they’re finding affordable interest rates and other incentives that make it easier to buy a new car.”

Edmunds.com estimates that retail SAAR will come in at 14.5 million vehicles in July, with fleet transactions accounting for 13.8% of total sales. An estimated 3.22 million used cars will be sold in July, for a SAAR of 36.2 million (compared to 2.94 million — or a SAAR of 36.7 million — used car sales in June).

Edmunds.com projects that Toyota will post the most notable sales performance in July. The forecast anticipates that the Japanese automaker will see sales grow 12.4% year over year and 7.7% month over month. As a result, Toyota is poised to surpass Ford as the second best-selling manufacturer for the first month since August 2013.

SALES VOLUME FORECAST, BY MANUFACTURER

Sales Volume	Jul-14 Forecast	Jul-13	Jun-14	Change from Jul 2013*	Change from Jun 2014*
GM	258,966	234,071	267,461	10.6%	-3.2%
Toyota	217,314	193,394	201,714	12.4%	7.7%
Ford	212,714	193,080	221,396	10.2%	-3.9%
Chrysler Group	170,659	140,102	171,086	21.8%	-0.2%
Honda	144,701	141,439	129,023	2.3%	12.2%
Hyundai/Kia	126,937	115,009	118,051	10.4%	7.5%
Nissan	123,653	109,041	109,643	13.4%	12.8%
VW/Audi	48,379	48,843	45,694	-0.9%	5.9%
Industry	1,461,290	1,314,891	1,419,090	11.1%	3.0%

*NOTE: July 2014 had 26 selling days, July 2013 had 25 and June 2014 had 24.

MARKET SHARE FORECAST, BY MANUFACTURER

Market Share	Jul-14 Forecast	Jul-13	Jun-14	Change from July 2013 (Percentage pts.)	Change from June 2014 (Percentage pts.)
GM	17.7%	17.8%	18.8%	-0.1%	-1.1%
Toyota	14.9%	14.7%	14.2%	0.2%	0.7%
Ford	14.6%	14.7%	15.6%	-0.1%	-1.0%
Chrysler Group	11.7%	10.7%	12.1%	1.0%	-0.4%
Honda	9.9%	10.8%	9.1%	-0.9%	0.8%
Hyundai/Kia	8.7%	8.7%	8.3%	-0.1%	0.4%
Nissan	8.5%	8.3%	7.7%	0.2%	0.7%
VW/Audi	3.3%	3.7%	3.2%	-0.4%	0.1%

Topics:new-vehicle sales Edmunds.com July Auto Sales F&I

More F&I

Man holding magnifying glass over sales volume paper.

F&I•May 29, 2026

Why Your F&I PVR Is Misleading You

Here’s a handy checklist of the numbers to track in 2026 instead.

Photo of woman typing on a laptop as she sits on a couch

F&I•by Hannah Mitchell•May 29, 2026

Auto Consumer Anxiety Presents Opportunity

A survey of U.S. drivers found the majority are concerned about finances and the economy, but those fears make many ready to buy vehicle-protection products.

Dustin Gingerich standing on stage giving a presentation

F&I•by Lauren Lawrence•May 28, 2026

Humble and Hungry: 12 Rules for an F&I Life

Dustin Gingerich, with a decade in the F&I business under his belt, shares his thoughts on leadership, building trust with customers, and the importance of learning and innovation.

Photo of businessman's hands resting on files on a desk

F&I•by John Tabar•May 27, 2026

Focus on the Opening

F&I managers must learn as much as possible about their customers, starting before they walk into their offices. The bulk of today’s consumers expect that, and good results will follow.

F&I•by Hannah Mitchell•May 22, 2026

F&I Reaches for the Sky

The increasingly important profit center continued making gains in the first quarter, according to StoneEagle data, ancillary products proving more popular as consumers hold onto their buys longer.

Timing the Market Can Hurt Long-Term Program Performance

For dealer-owned reinsurance entities, avoiding volatility entirely can mean falling behind inflation and missing market rebounds that drive long term surplus growth. Missing just a handful of strong market days can materially impact cumulative returns—an important reminder for long horizon trust and investment strategies.