Latest news with #JessicaCaldwell
Auto Blog
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
This Type of Vehicle is Shockingly on the Rise in the U.S.
Once written off as relics of the past, family haulers are rebounding thanks to hybrids, refreshes, and price-conscious buyers. A surprising start to 2025 It's not often that the minivan earns a headline, but 2025 is shaping up to be a turning point. Sales of several top models, including the Kia Carnival, Toyota Sienna, and Honda Odyssey, are up significantly through April, signaling a comeback few expected. While SUVs still dominate American driveways, minivans are quietly carving out more space on the sales charts. The Kia Carnival has been the biggest mover so far, up 60% year-to-date compared to the same period in 2024. A massive April helped fuel the surge, with Carnival sales jumping 87% over April of last year. Part of that momentum may be tied to the introduction of a new hybrid version, which removes a key disadvantage the Carnival had against rivals like the Sienna and Pacifica Hybrid. Minivans make a strong case for practicality According to Edmunds' head of insights, Jessica Caldwell, the current sales rally could be tied to both product improvements and market forces. 'Buyers in this segment are planners, and with tariffs in the conversation, some may be pulling the trigger early — helping fuel the Q1 sales surge,' Caldwell told Road & Track. 'Minivans might not stir the soul, but in 2025, they're making a strong case for themselves.' 2025 Kia Carnival — Source: Kia That case is being made with improved fuel efficiency, added tech features, and refreshed designs. The Toyota Sienna, which was refreshed for 2025, saw a 54% boost in sales through April. The Sienna's steady rise — from just over 6,400 sales in January to more than 10,000 in April — shows growing consumer interest in efficient and spacious family vehicles. Honda Odyssey keeps pace, Pacifica stays steady The Honda Odyssey isn't quite keeping up with the Carnival and Sienna, but it's still having a solid year. Sales are up 29% through April, totaling nearly 32,000 units. That's on pace with Toyota's numbers and shows that minivan shoppers are still loyal to the long-running Honda. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. 2025 Honda Odyssey — Source: Honda The Chrysler Pacifica, on the other hand, is the only mainstream minivan not riding the 2025 wave — at least not yet. First-quarter sales dropped slightly by 2% compared to Q1 2024, though total volume remained strong at more than 32,000 units. Chrysler reports sales quarterly, but assuming April followed the upward trend seen across the rest of the market, the Pacifica could still end up as the year's top-selling minivan. Final thoughts Despite the segment's surge, minivans aren't overtaking SUVs anytime soon. Three-row crossovers like the Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Grand Highlander continue to post strong sales, appealing to buyers who want the look and feel of an SUV with similar levels of interior space. What's changed in 2025, however, is that minivans are no longer the obvious second choice. 2025 Chrysler Pacifica — Source: Stellantis Thanks to new hybrid options, refreshed designs, and rising awareness around value and practicality, today's minivan is shedding some of its old stigma. For growing families, road-trippers, or anyone who just wants sliding doors and a ton of space, the current crop of vans is more appealing than it's been in years. If trends continue, 2025 could mark the start of a long-overdue minivan revival.
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
This Type of Vehicle is Shockingly on the Rise in the U.S.
It's not often that the minivan earns a headline, but 2025 is shaping up to be a turning point. Sales of several top models, including the Kia Carnival, Toyota Sienna, and Honda Odyssey, are up significantly through April, signaling a comeback few expected. While SUVs still dominate American driveways, minivans are quietly carving out more space on the sales charts. The Kia Carnival has been the biggest mover so far, up 60% year-to-date compared to the same period in 2024. A massive April helped fuel the surge, with Carnival sales jumping 87% over April of last year. Part of that momentum may be tied to the introduction of a new hybrid version, which removes a key disadvantage the Carnival had against rivals like the Sienna and Pacifica Hybrid. According to Edmunds' head of insights, Jessica Caldwell, the current sales rally could be tied to both product improvements and market forces. "Buyers in this segment are planners, and with tariffs in the conversation, some may be pulling the trigger early - helping fuel the Q1 sales surge," Caldwell told Road & Track. "Minivans might not stir the soul, but in 2025, they're making a strong case for themselves." That case is being made with improved fuel efficiency, added tech features, and refreshed designs. The Toyota Sienna, which was refreshed for 2025, saw a 54% boost in sales through April. The Sienna's steady rise - from just over 6,400 sales in January to more than 10,000 in April - shows growing consumer interest in efficient and spacious family vehicles. The Honda Odyssey isn't quite keeping up with the Carnival and Sienna, but it's still having a solid year. Sales are up 29% through April, totaling nearly 32,000 units. That's on pace with Toyota's numbers and shows that minivan shoppers are still loyal to the long-running Honda. The Chrysler Pacifica, on the other hand, is the only mainstream minivan not riding the 2025 wave - at least not yet. First-quarter sales dropped slightly by 2% compared to Q1 2024, though total volume remained strong at more than 32,000 units. Chrysler reports sales quarterly, but assuming April followed the upward trend seen across the rest of the market, the Pacifica could still end up as the year's top-selling minivan. Despite the segment's surge, minivans aren't overtaking SUVs anytime soon. Three-row crossovers like the Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Grand Highlander continue to post strong sales, appealing to buyers who want the look and feel of an SUV with similar levels of interior space. What's changed in 2025, however, is that minivans are no longer the obvious second choice. Thanks to new hybrid options, refreshed designs, and rising awareness around value and practicality, today's minivan is shedding some of its old stigma. For growing families, road-trippers, or anyone who just wants sliding doors and a ton of space, the current crop of vans is more appealing than it's been in years. If trends continue, 2025 could mark the start of a long-overdue minivan revival. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Wall Street Journal
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Wall Street Journal
Cars Were Already Unaffordable Before Tariffs
President Trump's auto tariffs are about to give another boost to car prices that have already surged over the past four years. That will be an additional burden on household budgets. One common but rough financial guideline is that the monthly payment on an auto loan should be no more than 10% of one's take-home pay. But even the average used-car payment is right around that threshold for an average American, and a new car payment is already beyond it. If tariffs raise car prices according to going estimates, a new car payment might eat up 15% of a monthly budget. The 25% tariffs, which start getting collected Thursday, apply to foreign-made vehicles. Trump also plans to extend the tariffs to cover car parts, which stands to drive up the cost of repairs and insurance as well. 'People are at the brink of affordability,' said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst at Edmunds, an online car-shopping guide. Some car shoppers say the tariffs are complicating their decisions at the dealership. Atlanta resident Mike Petchenik, a 45-year-old media consultant, intensified his search for a midsize SUV under $50,000 after learning about potential tariffs. Looking to replace his aging 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe, Petchenik and his wife spent recent weekends test-driving and negotiating with dealers. One salesperson texted him the day after he left a dealership, writing 'with the impending tariffs, we know prices will start to increase.' Despite the pressure, the Petcheniks are holding off as they wait for more clarity on what's to come. Other shoppers, meanwhile, have gone ahead with purchases to try to get ahead of potential price increases. 'Are there going to be 25% tariffs forever? Are there going to be 25% tariffs for three more weeks?' said Bronson Argyle, a finance professor at Brigham Young University. 'That kind of uncertainty makes it very difficult for households to move forward.' Argyle said big jumps in the cost of used cars in particular can affect many people's ability to satisfy basic needs such as getting to work. More borrowers also have been falling behind on loan payments for cars they purchased over the past few years. It is difficult to precisely predict the tariffs' future effects on household budgets. There is uncertainty around how long they will last and how automakers will distribute their costs. But ballpark calculations based on an approximation of an average American's income show that price increases would stretch the commonly recommended 10% budget threshold for monthly car payments. The average monthly payment on a used car was $552 in February, according to Edmunds. That works out to roughly 10% of the Bureau of Economic Analysis's February figure for annual per capita after-tax income, $65,285, divided by 12 months. The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates that Trump's auto tariffs will raise new and used vehicle prices by 13.5% on average. A jump of that size under similar loan terms would bring the average monthly payment to about $630, or approximately 11.5% of posttax income. For new vehicles, the tariffs would take that share from about 13.5% to just over 15%. Price increases might not materialize immediately, since dealers stock a couple months' supply of new cars. Although certain models are more vulnerable to tariffs based on where they and their parts are made, Caldwell said automakers would likely spread cost increases across their lineups. 'Someone buying a $25,000 car can't absorb the majority that they pass along of that tariff,' she said. 'Someone's buying an Escalade, that may look a little different.' Some 13% of new cars cost less than $30,000 in the first quarter of 2025, down from 37% five years earlier, according to online marketplace CarGurus. A surge in the prices of new cars would lead many drivers to look at used vehicles, Caldwell said, though they may not find as many options as usual. A chip shortage led to fewer leases of new cars in 2022, which in turn means fewer used cars coming out of three-year leases today. 'We're already at a pretty low used-vehicle supply, and you add on the additional pressure of people shifting to this market unnaturally,' said Caldwell. 'I would expect prices to go up.' If and when car prices rise, lenders may respond by extending the duration of their loans, economists said. Consumers tend to focus more on the amount of the monthly payment than the number of months they will have to pay it, often to their financial detriment, Argyle's research has found. Lengthening auto-loan terms keeps monthly payments down. Automakers will also likely try to absorb the costs of tariffs by raising interest rates through their subsidiaries that extend loans, said Kristine Hankins, a finance professor at the University of Kentucky. Trump's 2018 tariffs on steel and aluminum led these captive lenders' interest rates to increase, according to a paper Hankins co-wrote. 'They're using the captive lending unit to transfer some of the costs to what we could call the less obvious price point of the financing costs,' Hankins said. Captive lenders issued about 48% of loans for new vehicles in the fourth quarter last year, according to the most recent data from credit bureau Experian. An interest rate from a captive lender may still turn out to be the lowest available, Hankins said, but she recommended shopping around for auto loans at banks and credit unions to get a point of comparison before heading to a dealership. Write to Joe Pinsker at and Veronica Dagher at
Asharq Al-Awsat
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Asharq Al-Awsat
US Auto Sales Set to Modestly Rise in First Quarter as Tariffs Signal Bumpy Ride
US auto sales likely inched higher in the first three months of the year on steady demand, data from the carmakers will show on Tuesday, as the industry braces for the fallout of President Donald Trump's latest tariffs. Market research firm Cox Automotive has estimated that US new-vehicle sales volume increased 0.6% to 3.79 million units in the first quarter from a year earlier. "Automotive tariffs — now set to take effect on April 2 — might have pulled ahead some vehicle purchases in Q1," said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at automotive data provider Edmunds. General Motors pickup trucks and SUVs are expected to help it retain its top spot in the quarter, followed by Toyota Motor's North America unit and Ford, according to Cox, Reuters reported. Electric-vehicle maker Tesla is also forecast to report a drop in first-quarter vehicle deliveries on Wednesday. President Trump's move to levy tariffs on US auto imports is widely seen as weighing on consumer sentiment and forcing a rethink on purchases. The tariffs could also reduce the number of lower-cost imported vehicles on the market, such as Ford's compact Maverick pickup truck, further straining affordability as the average new-vehicle price nears $50,000. "The potential for higher inflation due to new tariffs at American borders will all potentially hold back new-vehicle sales in 2025," Cox said. Caldwell said tariffs would likely create challenges for the industry in the second quarter and beyond and expects discounts to be "harder to come by".
Reuters
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
US auto sales set to modestly rise in first quarter as tariffs signal bumpy ride
April 1 (Reuters) - U.S. auto sales likely inched higher in the first three months of the year on steady demand, data from the carmakers will show on Tuesday, as the industry braces for the fallout of President Donald Trump's latest tariffs. Market research firm Cox Automotive has estimated that U.S. new-vehicle sales volume increased 0.6% to 3.79 million units in the first quarter from a year earlier. Stay up to date with the latest news, trends and innovations that are driving the global automotive industry with the Reuters Auto File newsletter. Sign up here. "Automotive tariffs — now set to take effect on April 2 — might have pulled ahead some vehicle purchases in Q1," said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at automotive data provider Edmunds. General Motors (GM.N), opens new tab pickup trucks and SUVs are expected to help it retain its top spot in the quarter, followed by Toyota Motor's (7203.T), opens new tab North America unit and Ford (F.N), opens new tab, according to Cox. Electric-vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab is also forecast to report a drop in first-quarter vehicle deliveries on Wednesday. President Trump's move to levy tariffs on U.S. auto imports is widely seen as weighing on consumer sentiment and forcing a rethink on purchases. The tariffs could also reduce the number of lower-cost imported vehicles on the market, such as Ford's compact Maverick pickup truck, further straining affordability as the average new-vehicle price nears $50,000. "The potential for higher inflation due to new tariffs at American borders will all potentially hold back new-vehicle sales in 2025," Cox said. Caldwell said tariffs would likely create challenges for the industry in the second quarter and beyond and expects discounts to be "harder to come by".
