Tag: Q4 2023

  As the evolution of the automotive industry continues to unfold, certain vehicles retain their prominence, offering not only versatility but adaptability. In particular, vans have long embodied myriad lifestyles and needs—painting an intriguing picture of consumer preferences and economic trends. For instance, data from Experian’s Automotive Consumer Trends Report: Q4 2023 found there are currently more than 18 million vans in operation in the United States. Furthermore, there were over 245,000 new van retail registrations in the last 12 months—with mini vans such as the Honda Odyssey accounting for 79.4% of new van retail registrations and full-size vans including the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter making up the remaining 20.5%. Diving into the details, Honda comprised 27.3% of the market share by make in Q4 2023, followed by Toyota (19.3%), KIA (16.7%), Chrysler (13.7%), and Mercedes-Benz (9.0%). When looking at the most sought after vans, the Honda Odyssey led the market share by model this quarter—coming in at 27.3%. The Toyota Sienna trailed behind at 19.3%, followed by KIA Carnival at 16.7%, Chrysler Pacifica (13.5%), and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (9.3%). While understanding the broader trends in van registrations is important for automotive professionals, exploring the demographics more in depth will help tailor marketing strategies effectively and personalize guidance to those who are in the market for a vehicle. For example, Gen X made up the largest portion of retail van registrations in Q4 2023 at 36.0%, followed by Millennials at 27.6%, Boomers (25.3%), Gen Z (7.5%), and Silent (3.3%). In order to align their strategies with the needs and preferences of van buyers, professionals throughout the automotive industry should delve into the nuances of who is buying and the models they’re interested in. This will also enable them to sustain the foundation for success in the dynamic automotive landscape. To learn more about vans, view the full Automotive Consumer Trends Report: Q4 2023 presentation.

From consumers seeking versatility and additional cargo space to more models becoming available—a discernible trend the automotive industry has seen in recent years is the shift towards utility vehicles such as SUVs and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs). In fact, Experian’s Automotive Market Trends Report: Q4 2023 found that utility vehicles were a significant driver in new vehicle registrations, coming in at 57.3%, up from 56.2% through Q4 2022. Meanwhile, pickup trucks declined from 18.5% last year to 17.2% this quarter and sedans went from 17.1% to 16.5% in the same time frame. Optimizing vehicle maintenance post-manufacturer warranty Despite utility vehicles making up the majority of new vehicle registrations through Q4 2023, passenger vehicles (85.1%) and light trucks (82.7%) had the most vehicles that were outside of the general manufacturer warranty this quarter—mostly due to a high volume of registrations in previous years. By comparison, 67.1% of all utility vehicles were outside the general manufacturer warranty. Understanding the current status of these vehicles enables aftermarket professionals to tailor their service recommendations accordingly. Furthermore, it will be important to monitor this trend over the next few years as the vehicles that are currently under manufacturer warranty will likely need maintenance after it expires. !function(e,n,i,s){var d="InfogramEmbeds";var o=e.getElementsByTagName(n)[0];if(window[d]&&window[d].initialized)window[d].process&&window[d].process();else if(!e.getElementById(i)){var r=e.createElement(n);r.async=1,r.id=i,r.src=s,o.parentNode.insertBefore(r,o)}}(document,"script","infogram-async","https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js"); Vehicle registrations and aftermarket sweet spot When looking at overall registration trends, new vehicles increased 12.5% from last year—reaching 15.3 million through Q4 2023 and used vehicles declined 1.5% year-over-year to 38.2 million this quarter. While monitoring vehicle registration trends helps aftermarket professionals properly assist consumers now and in the future, identifying and understanding the aftermarket “sweet spot” allows them to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to changes as the market continues to evolve. Vehicles in the sweet spot are generally between six- to 12-model-years-old and have aged out of general OEM manufacturer warranties for any repairs. Through Q4 2023, 35.5% of all vehicles in operation landed in the sweet spot, marking a 3.6% year-over-year increase. Though, the aftermarket sweet spot volume is expected to hit its peak in the next few months at nearly 116 million vehicles—considering the record high was 104 million through 2011 and the sweet spot volume reached 102.4 million through Q4 2023. As aftermarket professionals look for ways to reach the right audience, leveraging registration data and the types of vehicles entering the market enables them to adjust their marketing strategies accordingly and plan their services effectively. To learn more about vehicle market trends, view the full Automotive Market Trends Report: Q4 2023 presentation on demand.

According to Experian’s State of the Automotive Finance Market Report: Q4 2023, EVs comprised 8.6% of total new retail transactions, an increase from 7.1% in Q4 2022.