In this Q2 2026 episode of vAuto Quick Takes, host Lance Helgeson sits down with Bethany Johnson, Director of Strategic Planning for vAuto, to unpack the quarter’s biggest dealership trends. Topics include:
- Inventory levels: New and used vehicle supply reached 1.46 million units in June, with market day supply creeping up on both sides — a signal for dealers to watch aging inventory closely.
- Pricing & affordability: New vehicle transaction prices hit an all-time high near $50,000, while used car pricing averaged around $26,000, keeping affordability top of mind for shoppers.
- Equity trends: Negative equity rose to 29% in June, but that still leaves roughly 70% of shoppers in positive equity — an opportunity for dealers proactively mining their CRM.
- Service-to-sales strategy: Dealers leveraging service lane conversions are seeing strong profitability and uncovering affordable, sub-$25K used vehicles that rarely surface at auction.
- Profitability: New vehicle profits held steady around $2,500 per unit in June, driven by smarter stocking strategies on both new allocation and used acquisition.
Tune in for actionable strategies on inventory management, equity mining, and service-to-sales conversion to keep your dealership ahead of Q2 2026 market shifts.
