1-30-2026 Auto Market Report

Economy

Personal income grew a meager 0.3% in November, and consumer spending rose by a healthy 0.3%, bringing year-over-year spending growth to 2.6%.
Consumer spending supported by wages and housing pressures softening
Yet the consumer confidence index fell
Affordability pressure continues as the average used loan is still approximately 10.6%

Wholesale Market:

Used Vehicle Value Index is up 1.8% in the first half of January versus December, and up 1.7% year over year
Lane Efficiency: 3-year-old units down to 65%, 6-year-old units down to 60%; both are higher than normal.

Used Car:

Retail used sales projected ~20.3M in 2026, slightly down from 2025
Supply will remain tight with fewer off‑lease units, elevated prices, and constrained inventory
Cox is expecting a 2% YOY used car value increase in 2026; we expect that to double.

Dealer Takeaways

Protect ACV discipline and focus on recon speed impacting frontline readiness
Lead with payments in making as monthly cost and affordability still lead
Increase closing rates with equity checks early to secure the right deal path
Refund acceptance opened on Monday, and the first round of refunds are expected to show up around the the 21^st,
Begin to stock affordable units paying attention to your demographic and common payment thresholds

Agile Auto, helping dealers execute today for tomorrow!

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