Page 18 - BusinessWest May 26, 2025

Carla Cosenzi says March and April were much busier than
normal amid tariff and inventory concerns, and that trend is
continuing.
things up, adding that it is simply too soon to know what will hap-
pen in the months and years to come.
Cosenzi agreed, noting that, beyond prices, inventory will be
something to watch. Availability will likely become more limited,
she said, adding that the great unknowns are when and to what
degree this will happen.
“It’s too soon to really know, and it depends on the brand, but
we’re starting to see that slowdown with brands like Volvo and
VW,” she noted, adding that she doesn’t know if these cars are still
in Europe or at the dock waiting for the
smoke to clear. “It’s really complicated
right now, and it’s very gray, so it’s hard for
us to give consumers a clear picture.”
‘Fascinating.’ ‘Complicated.’ ‘Vola-
tile.’ ‘Gray.’ These are the adjectives that
describe the current state of the auto sales
market, and it appears they will prevail for
some time.
Driving Forces
March and April are traditionally not
big months in the auto industry, said those
we spoke with. They’re not bad months,
necessarily, but they’re not like February
(the real start of the sales season), end of
year, or even some summer months, when
there are usually deals to be had.
But this year was, of course, different.
With the coming of President Trump’s
Liberation Day and news reports of car
prices rising several thousand dollars as
a result of traiffs, consumers took the ini-
tiative and found not only locked-in prices, but some incentives as
well, said Cosenzi, adding that demand has been steady across the
board, brand-wise, with small to mid-sized SUVs still dominating
sales. Overall, the trend continues even as the rhetoric on tariffs
continues to soften.
Some of these buyers needed a new car, she said, but most were
trying to beat the clock when it comes to expected price hikes and
reduced availability.
“They may not necessarily be in the market for a new car, but
they’re saying, ‘I might as well take advantage of the market condi-
tions and upgrade sooner rather than later,” she explained, add-
ing that this surge speaks to still-high levels of confidence in the
economy.
“When you back it
up and look into
an industry like
ours with a truly
global supply
chain, it is nearly
impossible right
now to determine
all of the impacts.”
18 << AUTO SALES >>
MAY 26, 2025
Business W est