UCDA/DesRosiers Survey Results

In partnership with DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC), the UCDA reached out to hundreds of members to get a better understanding of trends in the automotive industry. Here is a snap shot of the first half of 2025.

Vehicle Sales in 2024 and Anticipated Sales in 2025

Overall, franchised dealers expect to sell slightly more used cars in 2025 than they did in 2024 while independent dealers, expect to sell slightly less.

Sourcing Vehicles

New and used car dealers continue to find it difficult to source used vehicles, even more so than the last 6 months of 2024.

Most franchised new dealers source their used vehicles from customer sales or trade-ins, while most independent used car dealers buy their vehicles at auctions or wholesale.

Paying for Used Vehicles

Most customers are approaching independent used car dealers with cash in hand or funding from their own sources. Customers of new car dealers are purchasing used vehicles through loans arranged at the dealership.

Prices

For both new and independent dealers, there seems to be some softening in prices for used vehicles, particularly cars. This was expected due to the tariff effect.

Interest in Used Electric Vehicles (BEVs and PHEVs)

Consumers continue to be slow to buy used electric vehicles. Franchised dealers sold more hybrids (PHEV) than full electric (BEV), while independent dealers moved few of either.

Tariffs

One of the more interesting take-aways from the survey is that tariffs have yet to really bite into exports to the U.S., with independent dealers even more bullish than franchised dealers in this area. There has been some weakening, but nothing like what was expected early on. This may have to do with the fact that the U.S. have not really started assessing non-U.S. parts in used vehicle exports at the border as of yet.

You can read the full survey here: