Peak SUV: Red-Hot Segment Poised for Slowdown
After five straight years of market-share gains, the SUV segment may be poised for a slowdown, according to a new analysis from Edmunds.

Sketch via Pixelbay.

Sketch via Pixelbay.
After five straight years of market-share gains, the SUV segment may be poised for a slowdown, according to a new analysis from Edmunds.
While incentive spending overall is up 23% so far in 2017 compared to 2016, incentives on SUVs are up as much as 47%. And despite these attractive offers and relatively strong demand, SUVs are now starting to linger longer in the showroom. Between January and May of 2017, an SUV sat for an average of 61 days on the dealer lot before it was sold, compared to 56 days for the same time period in 2016.
“For the last few years, SUVs almost seemed to sell themselves. But as the market starts to level off, automakers are having to work a little harder and make the deals a little bit sweeter to hit their sales targets,” said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ executive director of industry analysis. “The silver lining is that SUV demand isn’t completely hitting the wall, but even this hot segment isn’t immune to the dip the entire market is experiencing this year.”
Even though the auto sales are softening, Edmunds expects that strong economic conditions and enticing deals will be enough to rally sales in the back half of the year. The firm's analysts maintain their sales forecast of 17.2 million vehicles for 2017, representing a 2% decline from 2016’s record high and the fourth-best auto sales year in U.S. history.
Edmunds forecasts that 1,479,042 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in June for an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.6 million. This reflects a 2.3% decrease in sales from May 2017 and a 2.3% decrease from June 2016.
“While six straight months of sales declines sounds troubling, June is sandwiched between two major holiday sales events, which makes it a bit of a gloomy month historically,” Caldwell said. “Car shoppers are savvy enough to know automakers push the deals on holiday weekends and are willing to hold off on buying until they know they’re getting a hot bargain.”
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
More Operations

Fleet Sales Hold Steady as Commercial Gains Offset Rental Decline
Commercial and government fleet sales increased through July 2026, offsetting most of the decline in rental volume and leaving combined comparable fleet sales 0.5% above the same period last year.
Read More →
Personnel Update: BrickHouse GPS, PRO-VISION, Auto Driveaway, and Proaction
Check out the latest must-know fleet personnel updates from the last couple of months.
Read More →
What Comes Next for Auto Driveaway?
A new Auto Driveaway feature called Arrive provides recipients with live location updates and ETAs during the final hour of a vehicle move, while fleet customers continue to have end-to-end shipment visibility through the company's customer portal.
Read More →
Manheim Index Shows Used-Vehicle Wholesale Prices Up 2.1% in June
The market is seeing stronger appreciation in older used vehicles this year, and the most affordable segments have been among the year’s best performers.
Read More →
Commercial Fleet Sales Contribute To June, YTD Gains
The fleet sector has boosted its vehicle purchases at a reliable pace in the first half of this year compared with 1H 2025.
Read More →
Stop Remarketing Electric Vehicles Like Gas Cars
The advantages and attributes of electric vehicles are upending the traditional remarketing cycle, requiring fleet sellers to rely on new factors and approaches detailed below.
Read More →
AP Fleet Management Expands Remarketing Program for Commercial Work Trucks
AP Fleet Management expanded its commercial vehicle remarketing program with dedicated resale services and an online marketplace for used work trucks.
Read More →
Used EVs Strengthen Overall Electric Vehicle Market
The latest sales data point to several reasons for the divergent trends in new and used EVs that can factor into fleet cycling decisions.
Read More →
The Data-Driven Haul: 5 Ways AI is Leveling the Playing Field in Auto Transport
Large and small transport fleets are becoming more competitive as predictive analytics and real-time data inform the logistics decision chain.
Read More →
2026 CAR Awards Celebrate Industry Excellence
CAR’s annual Fleet Remarketing Awards opened a reimagined 2026 conference designed to bridge the worlds of fleet management and automotive remarketing.
Read More →