SANTA MONICA, CA — May 23, 2018 — Edmunds forecasts that 1,565,683 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in May for an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.7 million. This reflects a 16 percent increase in sales from April 2018 and a 3.5 percent increase from May 2017.
"The summer selling season is off to a healthy start," said Jeremy Acevedo, Edmunds manager of industry analysis. "Despite rising gas prices, shoppers are clearly demonstrating their confidence in the strength of the economy as they continue to seek out larger, more expensive vehicles."
Edmunds experts note that Memorial Day sales events could contribute to this lift as well.
"Inventories of in-demand vehicles such as light trucks are still running high, so automakers are motivated to make this holiday weekend sales event count," Acevedo said. "Depending on how shoppers respond, this could set the trend for even sweeter deals as we head deeper into the year."
| Sales Volume | May 2018 Forecast | May 2017 | April 2018 | Change from May 2017 | Change from April 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM* | 268,648 | 237,364 | 237,464 | 13.2% | 13.1% |
| Ford | 235,602 | 240,250 | 203,856 | -1.9% | 15.6% |
| Toyota | 216,947 | 218,248 | 192,348 | -0.6% | 12.8% |
| Fiat Chrysler | 210,225 | 193,040 | 184,149 | 8.9% | 14.2% |
| Honda | 152,645 | 148,414 | 125,701 | 2.9% | 21.4% |
| Nissan | 125,298 | 137,471 | 87,764 | -8.9% | 42.8% |
| Hyundai/Kia | 118,574 | 118,518 | 106,648 | 0% | 11.2% |
| VW/Audi | 52,112 | 49,211 | 47,898 | 5.9% | 8.8% |
| Industry | 1,565,683 | 1,513,415 | 1,349,746 | 3.5% | 16.0% |
Edmunds estimates that retail SAAR will come in at 13.6 million vehicles in May 2018, with fleet transactions accounting for 18.5 percent of total sales. An estimated 3.4 million used vehicles will be sold in May 2018, for a SAAR of 39.3 million (compared to 3.5 million — or a SAAR of 39.2 million — in April).
| Market Share | May 2018 Forecast | May 2017 | April 2018 | Change from May 2017 | Change from April 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | 17.8% | 17.2% | 18.0% | 0.6% | -0.2% |
| Ford | 15.2% | 15.0% | 14.7% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Toyota | 14.0% | 14.2% | 13.5% | -0.2% | 0.5% |
| Fiat Chrysler | 12.7% | 12.4% | 13.1% | 0.3% | -0.4% |
| Honda | 9.5% | 9.7% | 8.6% | -0.2% | 0.9% |
| Nissan | 8.2% | 8.6% | 9.9% | -0.4% | -1.7% |
| Hyundai/Kia | 7.6% | 8.2% | 6.8% | -0.6% | 0.8% |
| VW/Audi | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.2% | 0% | 0.1% |
More insight into recent auto industry trends can be found in the Edmunds Industry Center at http://www.edmunds.com/industry/.
About Edmunds
Edmunds is the leading car information and shopping platform, helping millions of visitors each month find their perfect car. With products such as Edmunds Your Price, Your Lease and Used+, shoppers can buy smarter with instant, upfront prices for cars and trucks currently for sale at more than 13,000 dealer franchises across the U.S. Edmunds' in-house team of unbiased car-shopping experts provide industry-leading vehicle reviews and shopping tips, and the company also has a 20-year-old forums community of car shoppers and enthusiasts, where members can get shopping advice and learn what others are buying and leasing cars for. The company is regarded as one of America's best workplaces by Fortune and Great Place to Work. Edmunds is based in Santa Monica, California, and has a satellite office in downtown Detroit, Michigan.
