ZEROSUM "STATE OF THE DEALER": NEW AND USED VEHICLE MOVEMENT SPIKE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH AS CONSUMERS ANTICIPATE TARIFF IMPACT

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May 05, 2025, 14:02 ET

April New Vehicle Movement Is Up 19% Year-over-Year, Pull-Ahead Sales Tally 341,000 in Past Two Months; Used Vehicle Movement Up 12% Year-over-Year

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New-vehicle movement jumped 19% year-over-year to 1.27 million units in April, as tariff-related fears drove pull-ahead vehicle demand according to ZeroSum's May 2025 "State of the Dealer" report. In the past two months, tariff fears have driven 341,000 units in accelerated new vehicle sales as consumers move to stay ahead of anticipated price hikes.

Average new vehicle price hit more than $50k on April 14.

Used vehicles, though down 100,000 units to 1.37 million month-over-month, remained higher than normal, as they were up 12% compared to April of 2024. The spike in used-vehicle movement is also being affected by tariff dynamics as some consumers are gravitating to lower cost alternatives when they are at dealership lots.

"While the tariff picture is still coming into focus, the 341,000 pull-ahead sales that have occurred in the past two months will almost inevitably act as a drag on upcoming sales particularly if the expected price increases that drove those purchases in the first place become the new reality in the marketplace," said Josh Stoll, Vice President of Dealer Success at ZeroSum.

Vehicle prices continued a steady climb in April, with Average Marketed Price for new vehicles up $1,200 from February levels. The average new vehicle price moved above $50,000 on April 14 for the first time since December 2024 and remained above that milestone for the remainder of the month. Average Marketed Used vehicle prices leveled off month-over-month at $26,200, but are up $900 since February.

"Although Used Vehicle movement is pulling back from record highs that were previously seen in March, they are still elevated compared to historical standards," said Stoll. "It is apparent that this sector is already benefitting from high New Vehicle values among consumers who are getting priced out of the market or just searching for a better deal. And with tariff effects just getting started, used vehicles will be an increasingly important safe haven for consumers and dealers alike."

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: