A Wild Ride to Close 2025 in the Auto Industry

New York, cars, and the unpredictable roller-coaster of the market—what more can a New Yorker ask for when closing out 2025? According to J.D. Power and GlobalData, the year ended on a softer note for new-vehicle retail sales, yet dealers still saw the silver lining.

What They’re Saying

Thomas King, J.D. Power’s top dog for OEM solutions, described 2025 as a “sales roller coaster.” It was all thanks to import tariffs and EV tax-credit shake-ups, whipping demand back and forth. Those tariffs sure had everyone edgy, eh?

By the Numbers

Here, let’s break it down for ya:

Retail sales dipped 7.4% year-on-year in December with 1.22 million units.
Full-year retail volume? Up 4% to 13.6 million units. Not bad, huh?
Total sales, fleets included, hit 1.45 million for December, down 7.5% from last year.
EVs? They’re struggling a bit, down to 6.6% of December’s retail sales from 11.2% the previous December.

Zooming In

Now, folks feared massive price hikes, but boy, were the spikes muted! Average transaction prices climbed to $47,104 for December—up just 1.5%. Surprisingly, monthly finance payments soared to a record $776.

The Reason

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty: buyers are stretching those loan terms more than ever. Think 84-month loans—not common, but they’re catching on, making up 10.1% of finance sales. It’s the second-highest December record after 2021. Yikes!

Trade-in equity? Down by $327 to $7,903.
Negative equity trade-ins? Expected to hit 26.9%, a jump from last year.

The Intrigue

EVs discounts, once essential to boost sales, are easing off. This shift? It’s slowing the decline in retailer profits per unit, setting a new tone for the market. King spills the beans, predicting a full-blown impact in 2026.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next?

Hold onto your hats. King’s calling lower interest rates, more lease returns, and OEMs adjusting to trade realities as key 2026 players. But affordability is on the fritz, an issue getting addressed in upcoming Senate chatter.

“In sum, these dynamics set the stage for a more balanced and potentially stronger performance as 2026 progresses,” King said. We’ll hold him to it.

New Year. More Dreams.

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And there you have it—your whirlwind into 2025’s auto market, New York style. Keep your eyes peeled; because 2026 might just be the year of surprises!