New-Car Transaction Prices Jump More Than 3 Percent Year-Over-Year In May 2016, According To Kelley Blue Book

Domestic Automakers Show Greatest Strength on Trucks, Utilities; Toyota, Volkswagen Among Best-Performing Import Brands

News provided by

Jun 01, 2016, 05:00 ET

IRVINE, Calif., June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The analysts at Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, today report the estimated average transaction price (ATP) for light vehicles in the United States was $33,845 in May 2016. New-car prices have increased by $1,139 (up 3.5 percent) from May 2015, while decreasing $116 (down 0.3 percent) from last month.

"Continuously growing demand for SUVs and trucks helped push overall average transaction prices up this month," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "The overall share of light trucks in May 2016 should be around 60 percent, up from 55 percent in May 2015. The Detroit automakers are benefitting most from this trend, as their transaction prices are up between 4-6 percent. Manufacturers focusing on car-heavy lineups are still seeing year-over-year strength, but at a much more modest level."

Manufacturer	May 2016 Transaction Price (Avg.)*	April 2016 Transaction Price (Avg.)*	May 2015 Transaction Price (Avg.)*	Percent Change April 2016 to May 2016*	Percent Change May 2015 to May 2016*
American Honda (Acura, Honda)	$27,302	$27,387	$26,723	-0.3%	2.2%
Fiat Chrysler (Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, RAM)	$35,129	$35,087	$33,704	0.1%	4.2%
Ford Motor Company (Ford, Lincoln)	$36,900	$37,507	$35,109	-1.6%	5.1%
General Motors (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC)	$38,654	$38,633	$36,628	0.1%	5.5%
Hyundai-Kia	$24,400	$24,328	$24,324	0.3%	0.3%
Nissan North America (Nissan, Infiniti)	$27,439	$27,608	$27,184	-0.6%	0.9%
Subaru	$28,068	$28,164	$27,532	-0.3%	1.9%
Toyota Motor Company (Lexus, Scion, Toyota)	$31,070	$31,112	$29,878	-0.1%	4.0%
Volkswagen Group (Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche)	$39,670	$40,336	$38,272	-1.7%	3.7%
Industry	$33,845	$33,961	$32,706	-0.3%	3.5%
*Kelley Blue Book Average Transaction Prices do not include applied consumer incentives

While the domestic automakers are seeing the greatest strength on their utility and truck lineups, Toyota Motor Company also shows significant growth in its average transaction prices, increasing 4 percent year-over-year. The Toyota brand rose 5.2 percent, with all models showing improvement. The Tacoma revealed the biggest jump at 12 percent, while the refreshed RAV4 is up 6 percent.

Volkswagen Group is up 3.7 percent on a higher share of sales for its Audi and Porsche brands. The more mainstream Volkswagen brand declined 6 percent, with nearly all models transacting lower year-over-year. The lone bright spot in its lineup is the Golf, which rose 4 percent on a higher mix of the Golf R, the performance variant.

Segment	May 2016 Transaction Price (Avg.)*	April 2016 Transaction Price (Avg.)*	May 2015 Transaction Price (Avg.)*	Percent Change April 2016 to May 2016*	Percent Change May 2015 to May 2016*
Compact Car	$20,146	$20,135	$20,317	0.1%	-0.8%
Compact SUV/Crossover	$27,628	$27,655	$27,070	-0.1%	2.1%
Electric Vehicle	$38,492	$41,098	$37,683	-6.3%	2.1%
Entry-level Luxury Car	$40,420	$40,476	$40,777	-0.1%	-0.9%
Full-size Car	$34,640	$34,350	$33,481	0.8%	3.5%
Full-size Pickup Truck	$46,878	$46,680	$45,175	0.4%	3.8%
Full-Size SUV/Crossover	$59,443	$59,540	$58,650	-0.2%	1.4%
High Performance Car	$93,894	$94,171	$91,710	-0.3%	2.4%
High-end Luxury Car	$95,926	$95,934	$91,098	0.0%	5.3%
Hybrid/Alternative Energy Car	$26,375	$26,395	$25,118	-0.1%	5.0%
Luxury Car	$56,884	$56,545	$56,012	0.6%	1.6%
Luxury Compact SUV/Crossover	$41,048	$41,031	$41,067	0.0%	0.0%
Luxury Full-size SUV/Crossover	$84,585	$83,605	$83,586	1.2%	1.2%
Luxury Mid-size SUV/Crossover	$54,753	$55,248	$53,488	-0.9%	2.4%
Mid-size Car	$25,100	$25,084	$25,043	0.1%	0.2%
Mid-size Pickup Truck	$31,933	$31,685	$29,571	0.8%	8.0%
Mid-size SUV/Crossover	$37,247	$37,278	$36,427	-0.1%	2.2%
Minivan	$32,659	$32,329	$32,383	1.0%	0.9%
Sports Car	$35,296	$35,403	$33,248	-0.3%	6.2%
Subcompact Car	$15,419	$15,371	$15,634	0.3%	-1.4%
Subcompact SUV/Crossover	$24,696	$24,921	$24,524	-0.9%	0.7%
Van	$32,942	$32,568	$32,517	1.1%	1.3%
Grand Total	$33,845	$33,961	$32,706	-0.3%	3.5%
*Kelley Blue Book Average Transaction Prices do not include applied consumer incentives

To discuss this topic, or any other automotive-related information, with a Kelley Blue Book analyst on-camera via the company's on-site studio, please contact a member of the Public Relations team to book an interview.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb, and get updates on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/+kbb.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity by the 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend^® study and has been named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year for four consecutive years. Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. is a Cox Automotive™ brand.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader®, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, vAuto®, Xtime® and a host of other brands. The global company has nearly 30,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121108/LA08161LOGO

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book