New Auto Sales Record Fourth-Best Year in 2018

New-car dealers sold 17.33 million cars and light trucks in 2018, according to Automotive Fleet. Despite a 13% decline in car sales, the year was the fourth-best year in history.

​Though car sales fell for their fifth straight year, sales of light trucks rose 7.7% in 2018. Sales were bolstered by strong holiday spending, which helped auto sales increase 2.2% in December.
 
The average transaction price in December increased $500 from the previous year to $35,577, according to Kelley Blue Book data. The average price dropped sequentially from November by 0.2%, or $93.
 
Year-over-year gains among mass-market manufacturers were led by Volvo (20.6%), Mitsubishi (13.9%), and Fiat Chrysler (8.5%). The top-selling vehicle in 2018 was Ford’s F-Series pickup, which retailed 909,330 units.