ZEROSUM "STATE OF THE DEALER" - NEW AND USED VEHICLE MOVEMENT SPIKES IN MARCH AS CONSUMERS ANTICIPATE COMING TARIFF EFFECTS

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Apr 04, 2025, 09:12 ET

New Vehicle Movement Jumps 38%, Used up 32% Month-over-Month Even with Retail Pricing Already Up Almost $1,000

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New vehicle movement jumped 38% month-over-month fueled by a combination of more selling days, seasonal increases (tax refunds), and most notably, pull-ahead sales related to consumer tariff concerns, according to ZeroSum's March 2025 "State of the Dealer" report.

Tariff concerns alone added 153,000 sales to March's vehicle count.

New vehicle movement jumped 38% month-over-month in March, driven partly by pull-ahead demand from shoppers anticipating tariffs.

Used vehicle movement rose by 32% month-over-month in March to 1.53 million units. It was the highest used vehicle monthly total since ZeroSum started collecting data seven years ago.

"The tariff-related sentiment among consumers appears to have gone from a looming concern to an imminent reality, which is accelerating purchases among in-market shoppers," said Josh Stoll, Vice President of Dealer Success at ZeroSum. "While the scope and duration of those vehicle and parts tariffs are an unknown at this point, they certainly have roiled the waters in the industry. Dealers that closely monitor the supply, demand, and pricing cross-currents—and that can quickly and effectively act upon these market dynamics—will be better positioned to thrive in this market."

Vehicle prices are already beginning to rise. Average Marketed Prices for new vehicles rose for the first time in five months, moving from $48,635 at the end of February to $49,579 on March 31—an increase of $944. One factor in that increase is that discounts and incentives fell. March 31 Market Adjustments were $432 less aggressive compared to February 28.

The sharp rise in used vehicle demand is also causing corresponding price increases. After steadily falling the past four months, used vehicle Average Marketed Prices moved up sharply. March 31 vs. February 28 prices rose by $988.

"The historically high used vehicle movement numbers this month point to this market sector acting as a safe haven plan B for a consumer base that has been struggling with high new vehicle prices," said Stoll. "And with those new vehicle prices already heading upward and potentially about to go much higher, used vehicles should be an important part of every dealer's priorities. Promoting and highlighting that inventory and pricing it competitively in the local market will be more important than ever given the broader marketplace dynamics that are currently in place and potentially in flux."

ZeroSum provides cutting-edge inventory-based market intelligence and digital advertising solutions tailored to dealers. The State of the Dealer report is the first and premier data source for the new, used, and certified pre-owned automotive markets.

Click here to download ZeroSum's entire State of the Dealer Report, including vehicle movement, turn rate, days-to-move, inventory, and pricing trends for new, used, and certified vehicles.

About ZeroSum

ZeroSum, an Advance Automotive company, is an industry leader in software, digital advertising, and market intelligence data. Powered by its SaaS platform, MarketAI, ZeroSum is simplifying and modernizing automotive marketing by leveraging artificial intelligence, market data, and scalability to acquire new customers. ZeroSum is the first and only company that matches consumer demand with automotive data in real-time for dealer marketing efficiency. For more information, visit www.zerosum.ai

About Advance Automotive

Created in 2017, Advance Automotive is a portfolio of automotive, technology, marketing, data, and software businesses providing AI-driven marketing solutions in the automotive industry. Advance Automotive includes independently operated agencies, ZeroSum, Adpearance, and Search Optics, as well as affiliate solutions from Cloud Theory and Hoot Interactive. Advance Automotive is part of Advance Local, a key unit of Advance, a privately held company founded in 1922.

Advance's portfolio of exceptional companies includes: