Over the past few years, the U.S. auto market has been shaped by powerful macroeconomic forces. From the pandemic and chip shortages to shifting tariffs and rising interest rates, each disruption has made automotive less predictable. Given the importance of the automotive industry on the U.S. economy, we added a new dashboard to our public data suite. The U.S. Auto Inventory and Demand Dashboard was built to help dealers, OEMs, and analysts track the trends shaping automotive sales before they appear in government reports. It is a free, interactive tool that combines inventory, pricing, discounting, demand, and shopping levels. 

If you’re not familiar with the terms or have questions about datasets, you’ve come to the right place.

New Inventory and Demand

The top section of the New Inventory dashboard connects supply-side trends (how many vehicles are on dealer lots and at what price) with demand-side signals (how actively shoppers are engaging with those vehicles online). 

This part of the dashboard is best for spotting the push and pull between supply and demand in real time. For example, if inventory levels rise while VDP views drop, it may signal softening consumer demand. If opportunities climb even as discounts hold steady, it can indicate strong buyer urgency.

Looking at a rolling 12-month period: 

    • The blue-gray line shows the average price and fluctuates to indicate the average discount (as a percentage)
    • The dotted black line shows the inventory size 
    • The teal line shows VDP views
    • The dotted purple line shows opportunities 

The quick reference boxes on the right side summarize how each metric compares between last week and the same period last year. You can instantly see whether supply is shrinking, pricing is softening or rising, discounting is holding steady, and if shopper demand is accelerating or cooling off while accounting for seasonal shifts.

If you’d prefer to compare this information week-over-week or look at a specific week within the month, simply hover over any week. A pop-up will show you the data associated with that specific week. 

If you’re only interested in a specific make or set of brands, use the make filter on the left side: 

    • To select one make, simply click
    • To select a range of brands, click the first make and hold down Shift when selecting the last brand in the range
    • To select specific brands, hold down Ctrl while clicking your selected makes

Note that when you filter by brand, it automatically updates the quick reference boxes on the right to only reflect your selected makes. 

Moving down the page, you’ll see the Average Leads per Sale section. This section highlights how many shopper leads, on average, it takes to close a vehicle sale,  broken out by brand. It’s designed to measure sales efficiency across the market. Dealers can benchmark their own performance against market averages, spotting whether they are more efficient or less efficient than competitors. Analysts and OEMs can use the view to understand brand-level demand dynamics.

The vertical colored bars indicate the brand and the single horizontal line indicates the average leads per sale for the month. A higher number means dealers typically need more leads to close, while a lower number indicates more efficient conversion. Looking at August 2025, for example, Dodge requires 6.7 leads for one sale, well above the market average of 4 leads per sale. 

You can use the filters in the top right of the graph to select a different months view or select the number of makes to display. The default of 20 shows the highest volume brands, sorted by lead averages. As you add makes, additional brands with lower volume will appear, but the sort will always show brands requiring the most leads per sale on the left. 

Used Inventory and Demand

While the New Inventory section tracks factory-fresh vehicles, the Used Inventory section shifts focus to the pre-owned market, where consumer affordability, lease returns, and dealer sourcing play a bigger role. Here, you’ll see how supply and pricing of used vehicles evolve alongside demand signals from shoppers.

Looking at a rolling 12-month period:

    • The blue-gray line shows the average list price of used vehicles
    • The dotted black line tracks total used inventory size
    • The teal line shows Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) views, a signal of shopper research and interest
    • The dotted purple line represents opportunities, or active leads generated by consumers

The quick reference boxes on the right summarize how current supply, pricing, VDP views, and opportunities compare between last week and the same period last year. These snapshots make it easy to see whether shoppers are responding to shifts in used inventory. For instance, if supply is growing faster than demand, or if higher prices are still being met with steady engagement.

If you’d like to analyze the data more closely, you can hover over any week to reveal specific values for each metric. 

For added insight, the Inventory Age filter on the left allows you to break down used inventory by vehicle age bands (from nearly new to 10+ years). This helps highlight how different age segments perform. For example, if dealers' inventory starts to grow for older vehicles, it may mean that they are seeing and responding to stronger demand for more affordable vehicles. 

The Inventory Age filter can be used in several ways: 

    • To select one age, simply click
    • To select a range of ages, click the first age of interest and hold down Shift when selecting the last age in the range
    • To select specific ages, hold down Ctrl while clicking your selected ages

This section is most useful for understanding the balance between affordability and demand in the used car market. Dealers can monitor whether rising prices are matched by continued consumer interest, while analysts and OEMs can track how used vehicle pricing and availability may be shaping new vehicle demand.

Toolbar

Running along the bottom of the dashboard, you should see a small toolbar with handy usability features: 

    • Undo my last action
    • Redo my last action
    • Reset view 
    • Refresh data in this view
    • Pause auto updates
    • Replay animation
    • Choose a format to download (Image, PDF, PowerPoint)
    • Full screen
    • Share

Glossary of dashboard terms

Here’s how Foureyes defines the key terms found in the U.S. Auto Inventory and Demand Dashboard. 

New Inventory: The total number of brand-new vehicles available for sale at U.S. new franchise dealerships.

Used Inventory: The total number of pre-owned vehicles available for sale at U.S. new franchise dealerships. Used includes certified pre-owned (CPO) inventory. 

Average Price: The mean advertised list price of vehicles in inventory. This reflects asking prices, not necessarily final transaction prices.

Average Discount: The average difference between the vehicle’s Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) and its advertised price, expressed as a percentage. Average Discount factors in manufacturer incentives only when dealerships merchandise the inventory with those incentives. 

Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) and VDP Views: A Vehicle Detail Page is a vehicle’s individual listing page on a dealership’s website. VDP views reports the number of times shoppers visited a vehicle’s listing page online. VDP views are a strong indicator of consumer interest.

Leads and Opportunities: Customer inquiries submitted to dealerships, including walk-ins, forms, chats, calls, or other contact methods expressing intent to purchase.

Leads Required per Sale: The average number of leads needed for a dealership to close one vehicle transaction. This metric reflects both demand strength and sales efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions about the U.S. Auto Inventory and Demand Dashboard

Q: How does used vehicle demand differ from new vehicle demand? 

A: Used vehicle demand is often more sensitive to affordability pressures like rising interest rates or limited new vehicle availability. By comparing new vs. used in the dashboard, you can see how consumers shift their shopping activity between segments over time.


Q: What can “leads required per sale” tell us about market efficiency? 

A: This metric shows how many shopper inquiries are needed for a dealer to close a sale. A rising ratio can signal weakening demand or more competition among dealers, while a lower ratio suggests stronger consumer intent and sales efficiency.


Q: How do rising interest rates affect auto inventory and demand? 

A: Many buyers consider their monthly payment above the total cost of the vehicle. That means higher borrowing costs reduce affordability, which often pushes shoppers toward used or older vehicles. Tracking pricing and VDP views in the dashboard lets you spot early signs of these shifts before they appear in industry reports.


Q: Why are Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) views an important metric for car dealers? 

A: VDP views show how many times shoppers clicked into a vehicle listing online. They are a leading indicator of purchase intent. Classically, when VDP views rise, leads and sales activity often follow. However, if VDP views rise and leads and sales don’t, it can point to affordability issues (i.e., there are buyers, but they can’t find the inventory they want at a price they can afford). 


Q: How can OEMs or analysts use this data? 

A: OEMs can benchmark brand-level performance and adjust production or incentive strategies, while analysts can use the dataset for forecasting, demand modeling, and identifying macroeconomic pressures. The dashboard makes it easy to compare supply and demand trends at both a market and brand level.


Q: What are the current trends in U.S. auto inventory? 

A: Market conditions change weekly, but you can always see the latest shifts in supply, pricing, and demand using the live dashboard. This rolling 12-month view provides the most up-to-date picture of the industry available outside government data.


Q: Can I purchase the underlying dataset? 

A: Yes. The Foureyes inventory dataset is available for purchase and is often used by analysts to support valuation models, demand forecasting, and competitive benchmarking. Contact us to learn more.