A softer year-ago comparison and a five-weekend selling month lifted the sales pace, but the year-to-date total remained below last year.
New light-vehicle sales reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.1 million units in May 2026, up 3.1% from May 2025, according to the latest National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Market Beat report authored by chief economist Patrick Manzi. The increase was the first year-over-year monthly gain after eight consecutive months of declines.
The new light-vehicle SAAR had fallen for eight straight months through April, when it slipped 7.1% against an April 2025 figure inflated by buyers rushing
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