Affordability Squeeze Drives a Dealer Reset
Today’s car buyers are entering the market with a monthly payment in mind, as rising vehicle prices, higher interest rates, and cost-of-living pressures continue to impact purchasing decisions.
From longer loan terms to increased reliance on financing and growing demand for used vehicles, affordability is redefining how customers shop and how dealerships must respond to stay competitive.
In this new report from Dave Cantin Group, get a clear breakdown of how these shifts are impacting buyer behavior in 2026 — and where dealers can adjust to capture new opportunities and protect margins.
Key takeaways from the report include:
- Payment-first mindset: Why more buyers are prioritizing monthly payments over total vehicle cost
- Financing trends: How longer loan terms and rising debt levels are reshaping strategies
- New vs. used shift: What is driving increased demand for used vehicles
- Brand switching: How declining loyalty is creating new conquest opportunities
- Dealer strategy: Why flexibility across pricing, financing, and inventory is critical
Download the full report to see the data and insights shaping today’s automotive market.
About Dave Cantin Group
Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory firm specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, platform management, business evaluations, and other corporate development services. The new retail reality requires automotive dealers to seek DCG’s collective best thinking, deep experience and extensive industry relationships to effectively leverage M&A as a core business strategy.
Clients choose DCG because we are a trusted advisor focusing on long-term relationships, investing in data and research, and engaging our entire team on every client project. Clients benefit from our industry-leading market intelligence – our Market Outlook Report – and JumpIQ, our proprietary AI-enabled platform delivering unprecedented visibility into automotive retail.
Our nonprofit initiative, DCG Giving, funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment across the United States and supports other charitable causes important to the automotive retail community. To learn more, visit davecantingroup.com.