We're now in the back half of 2026, which means one month closer to the "late 2020s." Feeling old yet? As the year progresses, consumers continue to put their money down on new vehicles, with the latest sales results showing clear trends, signaling a major shift in the market.
With gas prices still unpredictably high, and the average cost of a new car continuing to hover around $50,000, consumers are seeking cheaper vehicles. Affordable models across the industry saw big increases in sales last month compared to the year before, including older offerings, like the Mazda3.
Hybrids were also quite popular last month as consumers sought ways to lower their prices at the pump, and brands that lack them suffered. Battery-electric vehicles also took a beating, with several models down by significant margins.
Unlike quarterly results, only a handful of automakers release a monthly sales report. We have data from Ford, Hyundai, Mazda, and a few others. Here are the July auto sales winners and losers.
Winners: Cheap Cars Are Having Their Moment
