There are lots of ways to slice and dice automotive sales and production data in search of trends that signal a shift from month to month, quarter to quarter, or year to year. Clump together 10 or 20 years of data and you start to see the big picture.
That’s one way that Experian, the credit reporting agency, looks at US sales trends, with a unique focus on “vehicles in operation,” or VIO. Experian’s data goes back decades, which explains how the company can account for the 298 million vehicles on American roads today, up from 293.5 million in the first quarter of 2025.
A few fun facts from Experian: 11.3 million light vehicles “went out of service” in the US, as some headed off to the crusher, while 39.7 million used vehicles found new owners, all in the first quarter of 2026. And here’s a very interesting emerging trend: More and more shoppers are crossing state lines to find their next new or used car, thanks to digital retailing, online shopping, and services like Carvana delivering cars right to your driveway.
Buyers Are Hungrier Than Ever To Find The Absolute Best Deal
Experian reports 13.1% of shoppers (see chart below) for exotic and luxury cars crossed state lines for their latest purchase in Q1, up from 10.4% five years ago. Mainstream shoppers are doing it, too, with 9.3% of them purchasing in other states in Q1, compared to 7% in 2021. In the struggle to find affordable cars, consumers are having to shop wherever necessary.
Moreover, buyers have more tools than ever to search for the best deals. Aside from simply shopping dealership websites, there are numerous resources that search far and wide, across makes and models and vehicles with specific options. CarBuzz has its own Marketplace hub which serves readers with available vehicles within 50 miles, or anywhere in the US.
In short, simply being the “local” dealer doesn’t mean buyers will accept higher prices, even if local competition is slim. Experian’s deep dive confirms that more buyers than ever are expanding their searches for good deals, and that goes for new or used cars, mainstream vehicles, luxury cars, and exotics.
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
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