agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

New-Vehicle Price Inflation Disappearing

Pandemic-induced ATPs receding as inventories, incentives ascend.

August 10, 2023
New-Vehicle Price Inflation Disappearing

Automaker incentive spending rose in July for the 10th month in a row to its greatest since October 2021.

IMAGE: Pixabay/Andreas 160578

2 min to read


The upward pandemic-era pressure on new-vehicle prices appears to have finally subsided, as July’s year-over-year average price increase was the smallest in a decade, Kelley Blue Book says.

It found further confirmation of the milestone in the January-through-July transaction price decrease of 2.7%, which it said it the biggest fall of that period in a decade.

Ad Loading...

July’s average new-vehicle transaction price was $48,334, down 0.7% month-over-month and up $199 from a year earlier, the Cox Automotive company said.

Inventories that have steadily increased this year from pandemic-era lows, along with rising incentives, are affecting the rebalancing. Automaker incentive spending rose in July for the 10th month in a row to its greatest since October 2021 for a $2,148 average, or 4.4% of the ATP. That’s up from 2.4% year-over-year.

“New-vehicle price inflation has all but disappeared in 2023,” said Cox Automotive Research Manager Rebecca Rydzewski. “New-vehicle prices, primarily driven by cuts in luxury and electric vehicles, are decreasing as inventory is steadily improving.”

Average nonluxury new-vehicle prices alone fell nearly $500 month-over-month in July to $44,700, up just 0.5% year-over-year, though they’ve held steady since January. Just one model was selling for less than $20,000, though, unlike before the pandemic: the Mitsubishi Mirage, Kelley Blue Book said.

Meanwhile, average luxury prices fell $192 month-over-month to $63,552, a nearly 3% year-over-year decrease and down by more than 5% since the year started. The decline was helped along by more than 19% cuts in prices at Tesla, which Cox considers the luxury market leader.

Ad Loading...

Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today

More Industry

Group photo of men outside storefront.
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 28, 2026

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers

The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.

Read More →
Hallway with lockered wiring and computer
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 28, 2026

Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs

U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.

Read More →
Gray-scale photo of a line of Mini cars in a dealership parking lot
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 27, 2026

Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great

A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Closeup photo of the front of a white car
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 21, 2026

New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative

A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.

Read More →
Nissan logo on front of building
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 21, 2026

Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop

Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.

Read More →
Couple talking with auto salesman next to new car inside dealership
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 20, 2026

April Less Affordable

Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Wooden people figures of different colors in a row, similar to board game pieces
IndustryMay 20, 2026

Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency

Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.

Read More →
Ingredient card, policies and procedures, fixed operations, variable operations, data security, audit
Industryby Jim GantherMay 19, 2026

Recipe for Compliance

The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.

Read More →
Photo of new Chevrolet Bolt parked on a beach
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 14, 2026

EVs Getting More Attractive

A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Benchmark bar graph showing April 2026 EV Sales
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 14, 2026

EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge

North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.

Read More →