From inflation reading timing and consumer income dynamics to tightening used supply and disciplined OEM strategies, this episode unpacks why rising uncertainty has not yet translated into market disruption and what that means as the industry moves deeper into the second quarter of the year:

Inflation signals, timing, and economic context:
Recent CPI and PCE data point to ongoing inflation pressure, but differences in timing and composition matter. Erin Keating and Jeremy Robb explain why headline inflation can feel more alarming than the underlying trend, and how consumers and markets are still adjusting rather than reacting.

Consumer behavior, credit access, and market resilience:
Despite softer income growth and economic strain, vehicle demand remains relatively steady. The discussion explores how tax refunds, seasonal sales patterns, and improving credit availability are supporting transaction activity, even as affordability challenges persist.

OEM discipline, inventory dynamics, and industry strategy:
Tight used‑vehicle supply, firm wholesale pricing, and measured incentive activity signal an industry recalibrating around margin discipline and realistic growth. Insights from New York Auto Forum and the New York Auto Show reinforce how automakers are prioritizing affordability, hybrid momentum, and disciplined capital deployment in an uncertain policy and cost environment.

The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.

The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.

In this conversation, Erin Keating is joined by Michelle Clark, Director of Editorial for Cox Automotive’s consumer brands, to explore these shifts in behavior and what it means for the future of automotive storytelling:

Validation over linear research:
Today’s consumers continuously validate what they see and hear, seeking multiple perspectives, real experiences, and trusted sources throughout the entire shopping journey, not just at the point of purchase.

Creator-led content builds trust:
Short-form video and creator perspectives are resonating because they feel personal and authentic, helping shoppers assess vehicle features, technology, and ownership considerations through real-world lenses.

Content closer to the transaction:
Automotive advice content is moving beyond awareness into decision-support, with tools and information like gas price tracking and insurance guidance playing a more direct role in purchase confidence.

AI as an enabler, not a storyteller:
Editorial teams are using AI to scale and adapt storytelling across formats, empowering journalists to become multi‑format generalists while keeping human expertise at the center of the content.

The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.

The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.

From fuel price volatility and interest rate pressure to evolving consumer shopping behavior and industry cost complexities, this episode unpacks the dynamics shaping demand, market resilience, and decision-making across the automotive landscape as we step into the second quarter of the year:

Fuel prices, sentiment, and near-term demand signals:
Oil price increases tied to global conflict are lifting fuel costs and weighing on sentiment, with national averages inching closer to critical thresholds. Despite this, the market has not yet seen a sharp sales slowdown, with regional differences, income dynamics, and timing effects likely influencing consumer behavior.

Consumer shopping behavior and market resilience:
Despite economic pressure, new and used vehicle sales remain relatively strong. Erin Keating and Jeremy Robb discuss tax refunds, the spring sales tailwind, and rising online interest in hybrids and EVs as consumers adjust rather than retreat in response to higher operating costs.

Rates, tariffs, and industry pressures:
With benchmark rates moving higher and tariff impacts lingering, the conversation explores how financing conditions, wholesale market signals, production decisions, ADAS repair complexity, and autonomous vehicle investment are reshaping cost structures and strategic planning across the industry.

The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.

The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.

From geopolitical risk and fuel costs to strengthening used EV performance and growing macro uncertainty, this episode breaks down the forces reshaping demand, pricing power, and strategy across the automotive market as the year unfolds:

• Consumer sentiment, gas prices, and economic uncertainty: Rising oil prices stemming from Middle East tensions and shipping disruptions are pressuring sentiment and inflation expectations. We explore how volatility in headlines, consumer sentiment, and fuel costs could influence purchasing behavior in the months ahead.
• Used EV momentum and wholesale pricing signals: Off-lease EV supply is rising, with used EV sales and values showing notable strength in the wholesale market. We unpack what this momentum signals for dealers navigating affordability constraints, inventory decisions, and shifting consumer preferences amid uncertainty around fuel prices.
• Federal Reserve outlook and market volatility: With no near-term rate cuts expected, the Fed remains constrained by inflation risks tied to energy prices and global conflict. We explore how interest-rate uncertainty, GDP revisions, and recession concerns are shaping planning assumptions for 2026.

The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.

The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.

In this special bonus episode, we break down how the conflict involving Iran could show up in the market over the near term and what auto leaders should be paying attention to in the weeks ahead:

• Fuel prices and consumer behavior: Disruption to the flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz pushes oil and gas prices higher, which often changes how consumers think about driving, fueling up, and making near‑term spending decisions.
• Supply chains and cost pressure: Automotive’s global footprint means shipping lanes and petrochemical supply matter. Extended instability could impact logistics, materials like plastics and synthetic rubber, and overall input costs for automakers and suppliers.
• Interest in EVs vs. actual purchases: History shows fuel price spikes tend to drive short‑term interest in hybrids and EVs, but that interest doesn’t always turn into immediate sales, especially in an uncertain economy.
• More layers of uncertainty: Add in tariffs and broader policy questions, and automakers and dealers are navigating an increasingly complex planning environment that calls for flexibility and scenario thinking.

The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.

The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.

• Macro economy, inflation, and productivity: Fresh insights from the NABE Economic Policy Conference reveal how GDP growth slowed in Q4, inflation remains above the Fed’s target, and productivity gains driven by AI, infrastructure, and lag effects are reshaping expectations for growth, labor, and monetary policy.
• Consumer finances and demand signals: With the savings rate falling, debt levels rising, and tax refund season arriving stronger than expected, we unpack what consumer balance sheets, seasonal delinquencies, and early wholesale pricing signals mean for demand across new and used vehicle markets.
• OEM strategy, fixed ops, and electrification: Automakers navigate tariff pressure, regionalized dealer support, fixed ops as a profit engine, and diverging EV strategies, from Toyota’s steady electrification push to delays and franchise challenges facing newer entrants, highlighting why execution, not demand alone, will determine winners.

The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.

The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights

From labor market weakness and rising debt levels to disciplined incentives and inventory strain, this episode breaks down the forces reshaping demand, profitability, and strategy as we get further into the first quarter of the year:

• Labor, productivity, and economic risk: Job growth revisions reveal a cooling labor market, while productivity gains and wage growth complicate the outlook for consumer demand, GDP, and recession risk. Erin and Jeremy explore what the current “low hire, low fire” environment means for automotive retailing and long-term sales momentum.
• Credit availability and consumer pressure: Auto loan rates, APRs, and credit availability remain relatively stable, but rising subprime share, negative equity, and growing delinquencies (especially in student loans) signal increasing pressure on consumers and lenders heading into tax refund season.
• Automaker performance, pricing, and inventory: OEMs navigate tariff-driven cost increases, supply chain disruptions, and disciplined incentive strategies as MSRP, invoice, and average transaction prices compress. Inventory levels, days’ supply, and production decisions are setting the stage for an intense market-share battle across key segments.

The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.

The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.

In this episode:

• Where interest rates, APRs, and consumer credit ended 2025, and why it matters for buyers
• New-vehicle sales, pricing, incentives, and fleet trends shaping the market
• Job growth, wages, and consumer sentiment signals to watch
• Automakers that finished strong, from Toyota and GM to Hyundai and Kia
• CES 2026 highlights, including AI, software-defined vehicles, and emerging global competition

The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what’s happening now, and what’s coming next.

The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights

Each episode begins with a quick pulse check on the economy, then goes deeper, uncovering insights across inventory, retail, lending, fleet, and automaker performance. You’ll also hear timely perspectives from Cox Automotive experts and industry guests, delivering clear context, short‑term outlooks, and practical insight.

Whether you’re navigating new and used vehicle dynamics, monitoring consumer behavior, or planning for shifting market conditions, The Auto Market Brief is built to keep you informed, focused, and ahead.

 
The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights.