U.S. New Car Buyers Drop by Over 1 Million as Sales Stall Near 16 Million
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · May 30
U.S. New Car Buyers Drop by Over 1 Million as Sales Stall Near 16 Million
4 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · May 30
More than 1 million U.S. new-car buyers have disappeared since 2020 even as the population grew by nearly 10 million, with 2026 sales projected to top out around 16 million.
High prices and inflation are driving the pullback: average new-car prices remain near $50,000, while automakers have favored higher-margin luxury pickups and SUVs over cheaper models.
17 million annual sales before the pandemic are now not expected to return until at least 2030, according to analyst forecasts cited by the Wall Street Journal.
Ford and other Detroit automakers have signaled renewed interest in sedans after abandoning low-cost passenger cars, underscoring how profitability has overtaken volume in the U.S. market.
The decline fits a broader consumer squeeze, with Americans keeping cars longer and the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index at a record low.
As automakers chase six-figure profits on luxury trucks, is the era of the affordable American family car officially over?
Will 'SUV fatigue' and rising costs actually fuel a sedan comeback, or are large vehicles here to stay?
How has a 60-year-old tariff on foreign trucks secretly shaped what every American drives on the road today?