Santa Monica, CA – TrueCar, Inc. the authority on car pricing information, trends and forecasts, estimated today that the average transaction price for light vehicles in the United States was $30,812 in January 2013, up $300 (1.0 percent) from January 2012 and down $416 (1.3 percent) from December 2012.
“Transaction prices continue to be at record levels as attractive leases and low cost financing options are enabling consumers to afford more expensive vehicles with rich content while keeping their monthly payments at about the same levels,” said Jesse Toprak, Senior Analyst for TrueCar. “Automakers are getting better at employing “smart incentives” that produce better returns vs. the one-size-fits-all programs of the pre-recession days.
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. TrueCar also owns ALG, 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, compiles, and analyses car-buying information unlike anybody in the industry. This is why, since its founding in 2005, TrueCar dealer partners have sold nearly 700,000 vehicles across the country. Its national network of more than 5,400 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.
