Market Insights

US used car retail, by the numbers

Statistics and trends shaping the US used-vehicle dealership market in 2025–2026 — plus in-depth, regularly-updated breakdowns of the metrics that matter. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Last updated: 2026-06-22

Live market indicators

Pulled automatically from FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and updated monthly. Last refreshed 2026-06-22.

US Used Cars & Trucks · Consumer Price Index
180.005▼ 2% YoY
index (1982–84 = 100)
MoM +0.1% · 8.9% below 3-yr high
Latest: May '26 · Source: FRED · updated 2026-06-22
US New Vehicles · Consumer Price Index
178.712▲ 0.2% YoY
index (1982–84 = 100)
MoM -0.3% · 0.4% below 3-yr high
Latest: May '26 · Source: FRED · updated 2026-06-22
US Total Vehicle Sales
16.485▲ 2.8% YoY
million units (SAAR)
MoM +0.5% · 10.2% below 3-yr high
Latest: May '26 · Source: FRED · updated 2026-06-22

In-depth insights

Deeper, regularly-updated breakdowns of the data dealers actually act on.

AI Overviews compressing organic search clicks above dealership website results

AI & Dealer Search

AI Search Is Changing How Buyers Find Dealers

AI Overviews are compressing organic clicks while sending dealers almost no direct traffic. The real shift is in how buyers research — and which sites AI cites.

Read insight →
Affordable used vehicles selling faster than the broader market — 33 vs 45 days' supply

Inventory & Affordability

Affordable Used Inventory Is Getting Tighter

Lower-priced used cars are moving faster than the broader market. For dealers, that makes inventory accuracy, lead speed, and online trust more important than ever.

Read insight →
Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index trend chart for the US used-car market

Used Vehicle Values

Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index

Where wholesale used-vehicle values stand right now, how the trend is moving, and what it means for dealer acquisition, pricing, and trade-ins.

+2.6% YoYRead insight →

The market at a glance

~38.6M
used vehicles sold in the US in 2025
Cox Automotive / NIADA
~2.3×
bigger than the new-car market by units (16.4M new)
CarPro 2025 Auto Sales Report
148,599
used car dealers in the US — up 1.7% YoY
IBISWorld, 2025
95%
of buyers research online before purchase
Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey

Where dealer websites fall short

Demand has moved online — but most dealership sites aren't keeping up. That gap is the opportunity.

99.6%
of dealership sites failed Google's Core Web Vitals on at least one platform
Auto Remarketing report
78%
of buyers choose the first dealer to respond to their inquiry
Industry research
#1
shopper frustration: vehicles listed online that are no longer available
Auto Remarketing

The takeaway for dealers: speed, accurate inventory, and fast lead follow-up decide who wins the buyer. We dig into the how in our blog, including automated inventory feeds and lead flow into your CRM/DMS.

Want your website on the right side of these numbers?

We build fast, custom dealership sites with automated inventory and CRM-ready lead infrastructure.

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