Edmunds said a record 25.5% of financed new-vehicle purchases carried terms of at least 84 months in Q3 2026, while CNBC reported faster dealer turnover from Q1 to Q3 for vehicles priced $20,000-$49,999.
Edmunds put the average monthly payment on financed new vehicles at $787 in Q3. The figures show buyers taking on long repayment commitments while facing high monthly bills.
Kelley Blue Book, Cox Automotive’s vehicle pricing brand, reported an average new-vehicle transaction price of $50,562 in September 2026, 0.7% above a year earlier and $52 below the record set in December 2025. Cox Automotive’s vAuto data put the average listing price at $49,726; the two figures measure different things. Kelley Blue Book said stronger sales of more affordable segments and the slow arrival of next-model-year vehicles both helped moderate September’s price gains.
CNBC reported, citing Edmunds data, that dealer days-to-turn declined from Q1 to Q3 2026 by 20% for vehicles priced at $20,000-$29,999, about 18% for those at $30,000-$39,999 and nearly 12% for those at $40,000-$49,999. Days-to-turn measures how long inventory stays at a dealership before a sale; it does not measure total sales by itself.
CNBC separately reported, citing Cox Automotive figures, that compact-car sales were down roughly 4% and compact-SUV sales nearly 8% since the start of 2026. Cox Automotive Executive Analyst Erin Keating said, “Affordability pressures are pushing more buyers toward lower-priced vehicles and segments.” EconoTimes previously covered younger drivers shifting toward older cars amid high new-car costs.
Mark Strand, Cox Automotive’s deputy chief economist, told CNBC that supply conditions could be shaping results at the lower end of the market. He said Q4 2026 data would help assess the trend.
