ZEROSUM "STATE OF THE DEALER": AUTO INDUSTRY "HANGOVER" EXPECTED AS PULL-AHEAD SALES SLOW; MOST NEW VEHICLE MODEL PRICES RISE AS TARIFFS START TO MAKE AN IMPACT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After nearly three months of robust sales due to tariff-related pull-ahead demand, the auto industry likely faces a "hangover" as prices rise and new vehicle sales remain flat. As a result, dealers will need to focus more on Used and Certified Used vehicles to find profits in July, according to ZeroSum's July 2025 "State of the Dealer" report.

The auto industry saw nearly 500,000 pull-ahead new vehicle sales from March to June as consumers bought new vehicles to beat anticipated tariff-related price increases. This pull-ahead demand is likely to curb current and upcoming sales, especially as nearly two-thirds of all New vehicle models rose in price in June. New vehicle movement was 1.155 million units in June and is projected to remain at a similar level in July.

The Average Marketed Price (AMP) for Used vehicles was up from $26,258 in May to $26,681 in June—an increase of $423 month-over-month. Meanwhile, average Certified Used vehicle prices jumped from $37,716 in May to $38,036 in June. Price hikes appear to be reflective of increased demand for these vehicles as tariffs continue to roil the new vehicle sector.

"June proved to be a continuation of recent trends, with reduced inventories, elevated vehicle movement and turn rates, and higher pricing," said Josh Stoll, Vice President of Dealer Success at ZeroSum. "But with half a million pull-ahead sales and tariffs a continuing reality, we are expecting the summer months to exhibit some 'hangover' effects that will make new vehicle sales more challenging going forward."

The AMP for New vehicles was flat month-over-month at $49,614, but this masked retail price increases on two of every three models in the marketplace. To counter these increases, manufacturers focused on building more vehicles in lower priced segments. For example, the top two fastest growing segments both feature vehicles with AMPs under $40,000. Mid-Size SUV (AMP of $38,573) added 19,368 units, while Small SUV (AMP of $32,363) added 17,742 units. Full size trucks (AMP of $58,310) and XL SUVs (AMP of $79,196), meanwhile, saw inventory decreases in June.

"The recent shift towards lower priced segments on the part of OEMs gives consumers some more affordable alternatives to choose from," Stoll said, "but that is not likely to overcome the bigger macro-trends that will play out in the next 30 to 90 days."

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:

• Condé Nast
• Advance Local
• Stage Entertainment
• The IRONMAN Group
• ACBJ
• Leaders Group
• Turnitin
• POP

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SOURCE ZeroSum