- New-vehicle transaction averages were slightly higher in June than the year before.
- Buyers are gravitating toward smaller, more affordable vehicle segments.
- Average EV transaction prices continued their downward trend.
Buyers paid an average of $49,758 for a new vehicle in June, slightly more than in May but below the more than $50,000 average in late 2025, according to Kelley Blue Book data. While those numbers remain high, the data show buyers shifting toward lower-priced segments in June, and electric vehicle (EV) prices continued their downward trend.
Cox Automotive Executive Analyst Erin Keating said, “One of the biggest shifts in today’s market is that consumers are no longer waiting for uncertainty to disappear. After several years of inflation, high interest rates, and policy volatility, many buyers have come to view uncertainty as the new normal.” Cox Automotive is the parent of Kelley Blue Book.
Keating said shoppers have adjusted their budgets and vehicle choices accordingly, as shown in the sales numbers. “The strength of midsize SUVs, with sales up more than 16% year over year, shows that consumers are gravitating toward the center of the market where value, utility, and affordability intersect. In 2026, ‘mid’ is in,” she noted.
Other more affordable segments followed that trend. Subcompact SUV sales jumped 23% year-over-year, while small/medium pickup sales climbed 12.3%. Expensive full-size truck sales only increased 2.5%.
While that shift toward lower-priced vehicles helped keep the overall average transaction price (ATP) below $50,000, ATPs across all vehicle segments were higher than in 2025. At the same time, EV prices fell compared to the year before, down 4.5% to $56,238. Incentives on new EV sales reached 13% in June, down slightly from 2025 but still almost double the industry-wide average of 7%.
If you’re in the market for a new vehicle and have budget concerns, it’s smart to shop between vehicle segments. The average subcompact SUV sold for $31,133 in June, while buyers paid an average of $27,978 for compact cars. Those are smaller vehicles, but if you can manage with the size limitations, there are still deals to be had in the market.
