The Cox Automotive/Moody’s Analytics Vehicle Affordability Index decreased by 1.6% in April after hitting a 45-month high in March. Analysts blame tariffs for rising prices and payments despite strong economic indicators. +

Lotlinx’s Len Short digs beneath the headlines to review a litany of first quarter auto retail and finance reports and distill them into four key points in his latest contribution to DealerELITE. +

Kelley Blue Book reports U.S. average transaction prices increased by 2.5% for new vehicles between March and April while Carfax finds used units enjoyed an unusually large “spring bounce.” +

The United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to a new trade deal that will lower U.S. import taxes on up to 100,000 U.K.-built vehicles per year from 25% to 10%. +

Citing import tariffs, Ford has informed its U.S. dealers that MSRPs will increase by up to $2,000 per vehicle, effective May 2. The first affected units are expected to be delivered in June. +

Lotlinx’s Lance Schafer attributes increased adoption of machine learning and predictive modeling to a growing desire for “better, faster business decisions” that affect inventory management and pricing. +

In a memo to Nissan dealers, factory executives say they will not raise new vehicle prices to compensate for new tariffs on imported vehicles and plan to utilize idle U.S. capacity. +

Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book report March was a good month for new vehicle affordability as sales surged, income growth improved and transaction prices and payments declined. +

Lotlinx’s latest VIN-based Quarterly Vincensus Report finds that, despite a March sales surge for new and used vehicles, aging inventory undermined profitability over the course of the first quarter. +

Kelley Blue Book reports the average cost of a U.S.-sold new vehicle increased by 1% year-over-year to $48,039 in February but declined by 1.3% from the prior month. +