SANTA MONICA, CA — April 25, 2018 — Edmunds, the leading car shopping and information platform, forecasts that 1,335,313 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in April for an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.9 million. This reflects a 19 percent decrease in sales from March 2018 and a 6 percent decrease from April 2017. Analysts note that there were 24 selling days in April this year, compared to 26 last year.
"April's sales slip may seem disheartening, but the spike we saw in March was an anomaly considering our expectations for 2018," said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds executive director of industry analysis. "Overall, we expect April will still be a solid month and more of a true indicator of where sales are trending for the year as demand declines and interest rates continue to rise. Sales are still in a very healthy place, and we're seeing encouraging signs that automakers are continuing to improve their product mixes and inventory levels to match consumer demand."
| Sales Volume | April 2018 Forecast | April 2017 | March 2018 | Change from April 2017 | Change from March 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | 237,464 | 244,406 | 296,341 | -2.8% | -19.9% |
| Ford | 203,373 | 213,436 | 243,021 | -4.7% | -16.3% |
| Toyota | 187,466 | 201,926 | 222,782 | -7.2% | -15.9% |
| Fiat Chrysler | 169,706 | 176,176 | 216,063 | -3.7% | -21.5% |
| Honda | 126,923 | 138,386 | 142,392 | -8.3% | -10.9% |
| Nissan | 109,049 | 121,998 | 162,535 | -10.6% | -32.9% |
| Hyundai/Kia | 101,446 | 116,408 | 112,185 | -12.9% | -9.6% |
| VW/Audi | 43,821 | 46,268 | 52,638 | -5.3% | -16.8% |
| Industry | 1,335,313 | 1,420,602 | 1,648,239 | -6.0% | -19.0% |
Edmunds estimates that retail SAAR will come in at 13.5 million vehicles in April 2018, with fleet transactions accounting for 20.1 percent of total sales. An estimated 3.5 million used vehicles will be sold in April 2018, for a SAAR of 39.2 million (compared to 3.7 million — or a SAAR of 39.2 million — in March).
| Market Share | April 2018 Forecast | April 2017 | March 2018 | Change from April 2017 | Change from March 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% | 0.1% |
More insight into recent auto industry trends can be found in the Edmunds Industry Center at https://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.
