New-Vehicle Sales Expected Up This Month
Incentives drive streak as dealer profits keep falling from pandemic-era highs.

The forecast predicts dealer profit to be down about 12% year-over-year this month to $2,171.
Pexels/Vadutskevich
New-vehicle sales are on track to jump 8% this month as consumers take advantage of incentives, though deliveries still aren’t at prepandemic levels.
Retail sales are forecast to rise 8% year-over-year to a little more than a million units, when accounting for one fewer selling day than last year, according to a J.D. Power forecast. Without the adjustment, it sees about a 4% bump.
It will be the fifth straight month of sales increases, J.D. Power observed.
Automakers have continued to raise incentives as they jockey for consumers due to affordability concerns and accumulating inventory at dealerships. The average per-vehicle spend is predicted to be up 23% this month from a year ago to $3,227, or about 7% of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
To do so, they’re pulling back on incentives to fleet customers, and fleet sales are consequently forecast to fall about 13% this month.
“Nevertheless, the fleet market remains a significant opportunity to increase sales this year for manufacturers willing to offer more compelling discounts,” said President of J.D. Power’s Data and Analytics Division Thomas King in a press release on the forecast.
Despite the incentives, affordability for consumers still challenges the industry and keeps the sale rate below the pre-2020 pace, J.D. Power said. The expected average transaction price for the month is $44,619, about flat year-over-year.
It expects dealer profit per unit to be down about 12% year-over-year this month to $2,171 for a 10% industrywide decline to a total of $2.1 billion in profit. That includes finance-and-insurance revenue.
More Showroom

Affordable, Safe Cars for Teen Drivers
Families looking to balance affordability and safety in vehicles for their teen drivers can look to the updated list of recommended vehicles by IIHS and Consumer Reports.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
Holman Opens Porsche Dealership in Miami
The North Miami store features the brand’s signature Destination Porsche design concept, combining contemporary architecture and technology to create what the auto group calls an ultra-luxury experience.
Read More →
Chicago to Gain Cadillac Rooftop in 2027
The two-story Cadillac dealership is being constructed at the former Lincoln Yards site, owned and operated by Canada-based Jack Carter Auto Group.
Read More →
Mid-Atlantic Ford Store Has New Owner
A growing Maryland automotive group is only the 93-year-old dealership’s third owner after its longtime proprietors retired.
Read More →
Porsche Dealership Breaks Ground in Illinois
Barrington Porsche will be the new location for Murgado Automotive Group’s existing Porsche dealership currently in the Motor Werks of Barrington auto mall.
Read More →
Michigan Auto Group Acquires Ohio Rooftops
Feldman Automotive Group added two new brands, Honda and Toyota, to its portfolio with its latest acquisition of four Fireside dealerships in Ohio.
Read More →
California VW Dealers Go After Scout
The franchisees’ state-level actions follow a California auto dealers trade group lawsuit against the VW affiliate last year, both efforts to stop the EV maker’s plan to sell direct to consumers.
Read More →
EVs Gain Traction in Europe
First-quarter auto sales increased as more consumers took advantage of government incentives. Hybrid deliveries are leading the way on the electrifieds boom.
Read More →
California Holds EV Lead Despite Annual Decline
At nearly 14%, California had the lowest zero-emission vehicle market share in the first quarter since the fourth quarter of 2021, according to the California New Car Dealers Association.
Read More →