Monthly Update: Vehicle Sales

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Houston-area dealers sold 380,781 new cars, trucks, and SUVs in the 12 months ending March ‘25, according to TexAuto Facts, published by InfoNation Inc. This represents an 8.3 percent increase in sales over the same period last year. Truck and SUV sales were up 10.3 percent, and car sales were up 1.1 percent.

March had the highest single-month sales on record with 44,581 total vehicles sold. Car and truck/SUV sales increased by over 70 percent each, indicating strong growth in both sectors of the market. The high numbers of sales could stem from consumers’ expectations around the impact of tariffs with a push to buy before any anticipated price increases. 

While trucks and SUVs still account for over 75 percent of vehicles sold, cars have increased their market share over the first three months of ’25, from 19.2 percent in January to 20.8 percent in March. This may indicate that budget-constrained Houstonians prefer lower-cost vehicles when considering the current landscape and uncertainty. Even so, the market share of cars is still down when compared to ‘24.

Prices across the market decreased year-over-year in March:

• The average retail price for all new vehicles was $51,271, down from $51,663 in March ’24. 
• The average retail price for a new truck/SUV was $53,888, down from $54,326 in March ‘24. 
• The average retail price for a new car was $40,489, down from $42,998 in March ’24.

Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research 

Clara Richardson
Research Analyst
crichardson@houston.org

Colin Baker
Manager of Economic Research
bakerc@houston.org