SANTA MONICA, Calif. –TrueCar.com estimated today that the average transaction price for light vehicles in the United States was $30,282 in September 2012, up $264 (0.9 percent) from September 2011 and up $8 (0.0 percent) from August 2012.
“Transaction prices in September are as stable as the sales rate, while still being the highest in years,” said Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Market Intelligence at TrueCar.com. “This stability is another indication of consumer demand; the data this month indicates that the automotive marketplace has found a new equilibrium that is sustainable and growing at a healthy pace.”
| Manufacturer | September 2012 Transaction Price | August 2012 Transaction Price | September 2011 Transaction Price | Percent Change September 2011 to September 2012 | Percent Change August 2012 to September 2012 | |
| Chrysler (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) |
$29,577 |
$29,596 |
$28,873 |
2.4% |
-0.1% |
|
| Ford (Ford, Lincoln) |
$32,048 |
$32,196 |
$31,793 |
0.8% |
-0.5% |
|
| GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) |
$32,274 |
$32,391 |
$32,512 |
-0.7% |
-0.4% |
|
| Honda (Acura, Honda) |
$26,760 |
$26,767 |
$26,551 |
0.8% |
0.0% |
|
| Hyundai/Kia |
$22,345 |
$22,378 |
$21,122 |
5.8% |
-0.1% |
|
| Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) |
$27,564 |
$27,708 |
$27,155 |
1.5% |
-0.5% |
|
| Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) |
$27,701 |
$27,845 |
$27,183 |
1.9% |
-0.5% |
|
| Volkswagen (Audi, Volkswagen) |
$33,024 |
$33,207 |
$32,812 |
0.6% |
-0.6% |
|
| Industry |
$30,282 |
$30,274 |
$30,018 |
0.9% |
0.0% |
|
In addition, TrueCar.com estimated that the average incentive for light-vehicles was $2,468 in September 2012, down $176 (6.7 percent) from September 2011 and down $31 (1.2 percent) from August 2012.
Toprak continues, “Market conditions continue to be ideal for automakers with lower incentive spending, high average transaction rates and double digit sales growth.”
| Manufacturer | September 2012 Incentives | August 2012 Incentives | September 2011 Incentives | Percent Change September 2011 to September 2012 | Percent Change August 2012 to September 2012 |
| Chrysler (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) |
$3,256 |
$3,228 |
$3,360 |
-3.1% |
0.9% |
| Ford (Ford, Lincoln) |
$2,622 |
$2,671 |
$2,845 |
-7.8% |
-1.9% |
| GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) |
$3,008 |
$3,094 |
$3,224 |
-6.7% |
-2.8% |
| Honda (Acura, Honda) |
$2,270 |
$2,419 |
$2,337 |
-2.9% |
-6.2% |
| Hyundai/Kia |
$1,294 |
$1,188 |
$1,212 |
6.8% |
8.9% |
| Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) |
$2,777 |
$2,890 |
$2,748 |
1.1% |
-3.9% |
| Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) |
$1,930 |
$1,908 |
$2,238 |
-13.7% |
1.2% |
| Volkswagen (Audi, Volkswagen) |
$2,462 |
$2,499 |
$1,906 |
29.2% |
-1.5% |
| Industry |
$2,468 |
$2,499 |
$2,645 |
-6.7% |
-1.2% |
TrueCar.com estimated that the ratio of incentives to average transaction price for light-vehicles was 7.5 percent in September 2012, down from 8.2 percent in September 2011 and up from 6.9 percent in August 2012.
| Manufacturer | September 2012 Incentives/Avg. Transaction Price | August 2012 Incentives/Avg. Transaction Price | September 2011 Incentives/ Avg. Transaction Price | Percent Change September 2011 to September 2012 | Percent Change August 2012 to September 2012 |
| Chrysler (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat) |
11.0% |
10.9% |
11.6% |
-0.6% |
0.1% |
| Ford (Ford, Lincoln) |
8.2% |
8.3% |
8.9% |
-0.8% |
-0.1% |
| GM (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC) |
9.3% |
9.6% |
9.9% |
-0.6% |
-0.2% |
| Honda (Acura, Honda) |
8.5% |
9.0% |
8.8% |
-0.3% |
-0.6% |
| Hyundai/Kia |
5.8% |
5.3% |
5.7% |
0.1% |
0.5% |
| Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti) |
10.1% |
10.4% |
10.1% |
0.0% |
-0.4% |
| Toyota (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) |
7.0% |
6.9% |
8.2% |
-1.3% |
0.1% |
| Volkswagen (Audi, Volkswagen) |
7.5% |
7.5% |
5.8% |
1.6% |
-0.1% |
| Industry |
8.2% |
8.3% |
8.8% |
-0.7% |
-0.1% |
About TrueCar, Inc.
TrueCar, Inc., headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., with offices in Santa Barbara, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., and Austin, Texas, is an automotive pricing information and analysis company that creates a better buying experience for dealers and consumers. As an online publisher of unbiased new and used car transaction data, TrueCar.com provides price reports that empower dealers and consumers to agree on the parameters of a fair deal by supplying a transparent, simple understanding of what others recently paid for identically-equipped new cars in their geographic area. ALG, a subsidiary of TrueCar, is the benchmark for vehicle value information to the automotive industry and has been forecasting residual values for nearly 50 years in both the U.S. and Canadian markets.
TrueCar is a data-driven company that sources and compiles car-buying information unlike anybody in the industry. This is why, since its founding in 2005, TrueCar dealer partners have sold over 600,000 vehicles across the country. Its national network of more than 4,700 Certified Dealers is committed to provide no-hassle pricing for some of the country’s largest membership and service organizations, including American Express, AAA, USAA and Consumer Reports that collectively represent more than one million monthly in-market customers.
You can follow TrueCar on Twitter and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook.
