The valuation analysts at Kelley Blue Book today reported the estimated average transaction price for a light vehicle in the United States was $38,948 in December 2019. New-vehicle prices increased $656 (up 1.7%) from December 2018, while falling $80 (down 0.2%) from last month.
“New-vehicle transaction prices finished the year on a high note, with the average rising nearly 2% and approaching the record set in November 2019,” said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “However, as retail demand fell in 2019, dealer discounts grew, approaching 7% of MSRP in December – the highest since July 2009. On a positive note, the discounts appear to be working as the average days in inventory fell by two days from the previous month. With sales expected to be down in 2020, anticipate the pressure to continue on new-car prices and incentives.”
| Manufacturer | December
2019 Transaction Price (Avg.)* |
November
2019 Transaction Price (Avg.)* |
December
2018 Transaction Price (Avg.)* |
Percent Change November 2019 to December 2019* | Percent Change December 2018 to
December 2019* |
| American Honda (Acura, Honda) | $29,152 | $28,990 | $29,661 | 0.6% | -1.7% |
| Fiat Chrysler (Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, RAM) | $41,513 | $41,826 | $40,561 | -0.7% | 2.3% |
| Ford Motor Company (Ford, Lincoln) | $44,989 | $45,006 | $42,234 | 0.0% | 6.5% |
| General Motors (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) | $42,141 | $42,302 | $41,621 | -0.4% | 1.2% |
| Hyundai Kia | $28,694 | $28,695 | $26,307 | 0.0% | 9.1% |
| Nissan North America (Nissan, INFINITI) | $30,985 | $30,645 | $30,714 | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Subaru | $30,936 | $30,903 | $30,128 | 0.1% | 2.7% |
| Toyota Motor Company (Lexus, Toyota) | $34,997 | $34,685 | $34,116 | 0.9% | 2.6% |
| Volkswagen Group (Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche) | $44,329 | $44,917 | $43,345 | -1.3% | 2.3% |
| Industry | $38,948 | $39,028 | $38,292 | -0.2% | 1.7% |
| *Kelley Blue Book average transaction prices do not include applied consumer incentives | |||||
Among the top performers, Ford Motor Company had another strong month with its average prices increasing more than 6%. The Mustang saw the biggest gains at 11%, boosted by the Shelby GT350 and GT500 variants, while the new Explorer is still putting up big numbers, rising 9%. The Lincoln brand continues to rise with several new models in the showroom, helping prices climb 8%. The Corsair saw the largest improvement at 8%, while pricing for the new Aviator strengthened in December, transacting in the high-$60,000 range.
Nissan North America rose about 1% in December 2019, with Infiniti down 3% and Nissan up 2%. At Infiniti, the QX50 fell the most at 8% and the aging QX60 also fell 5%. Nissan was led by its cars, as the redesigned Versa climbed 15% and the LEAF was up 9%. Nissan’s top sellers, Rogue and Altima, were both up 2%.
| Segment
|
December
2019 Transaction Price (Avg.)* |
November
2019 Transaction Price (Avg.)* |
December
2018 Transaction Price (Avg.)* |
Percent Change November 2019 to December 2019* | Percent Change December 2018 to
December 2019* |
| Compact Car | $20,972 | $20,998 | $20,461 | -0.1% | 2.5% |
| Compact SUV/Crossover | $29,758 | $29,698 | $28,913 | 0.2% | 2.9% |
| Electric Vehicle | $54,380 | $54,245 | $63,883 | 0.2% | -14.9% |
| Entry-level Luxury Car | $42,343 | $42,716 | $42,273 | -0.9% | 0.2% |
| Full-size Car | $35,016 | $35,215 | $35,216 | -0.6% | -0.6% |
| Full-size Pickup Truck | $50,471 | $51,034 | $49,451 | -1.1% | 2.1% |
| Full-size SUV/Crossover | $63,625 | $63,852 | $63,488 | -0.4% | 0.2% |
| High Performance Car | $117,724 | $119,982 | $114,621 | -1.9% | 2.7% |
| High-end Luxury Car | $96,897 | $98,355 | $96,694 | -1.5% | 0.2% |
| Hybrid/Alternative Energy Car | $28,079 | $27,814 | $28,659 | 1.0% | -2.0% |
| Luxury Car | $58,379 | $59,532 | $59,828 | -1.9% | -2.4% |
| Luxury Compact SUV/Crossover | $46,448 | $46,692 | $46,188 | -0.5% | 0.6% |
| Luxury Full-size SUV/Crossover | $88,789 | $88,155 | $88,426 | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| Luxury Mid-size SUV/Crossover | $58,490 | $59,563 | $57,669 | -1.8% | 1.4% |
| Luxury Subcompact SUV/Crossover | $39,380 | $39,558 | $39,255 | -0.4% | 0.3% |
| Mid-size Car | $26,104 | $26,108 | $25,872 | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| Mid-size Pickup Truck | $35,407 | $36,064 | $33,422 | -1.8% | 5.9% |
| Mid-size SUV/Crossover | $39,878 | $39,988 | $39,030 | -0.3% | 2.2% |
| Minivan | $35,877 | $36,125 | $35,801 | -0.7% | 0.2% |
| Sports Car | $35,973 | $36,757 | $35,234 | -2.1% | 2.1% |
| Subcompact Car | $16,898 | $16,931 | $16,330 | -0.2% | 3.5% |
| Subcompact SUV/Crossover | $24,551 | $24,652 | $24,343 | -0.4% | 0.9% |
| Van | $35,385 | $35,530 | $34,761 | -0.4% | 1.8% |
| Grand Total | $38,948 | $39,028 | $38,292 | -0.2% | 1.7% |
| *Kelley Blue Book average transaction prices do not include applied consumer incentives | |||||
SOURCE: Kelley Blue Book
