The Auto Market Brief

About The Auto Market Brief

The Auto Market Brief, powered by Cox Automotive, breaks down the latest trends and forecasts shaping the automotive industry. The show is hosted by Cox Automotive Executive Analyst Erin Keating, coupling years of experience translating data and trends with the data and industry insights of the largest automotive services and technology provider. Joined by other Cox Automotive experts and outside guests, you’ll get data-driven insights and industry outlooks from some of the industry’s leading voices.

Publisher

Cox Automotive

Category

leisure · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Jan 2026

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

32 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Oct 2026

   Tariffs, AI and the Future of Auto Retail: A Conversation with Automotive News

   How are unpredictable tariffs, the evolution of AI and evolving consumer expectations reshaping the future of automotive retail? In this special episode of The Auto Market Brief, recorded live at Automotive News Congress 2026, Erin Keating is joined by Automotive News' Dan Shine, Larry Vellequette, and Molly Boigon for a wide-ranging conversation on the forces transforming the automotive industry. Drawing on expertise across retail, OEMs and technology, the conversation covers everything from market uncertainty and consumer behavior to emerging technology and the future of vehicle sales. Tariffs, Trade Policy and Industry Uncertainty Tariffs remain one of the biggest question marks for the industry, and manufacturers are still trying to determine what comes next. The group discusses how policy uncertainty is influencing product planning, pricing decisions and long-term investment strategies, while also creating new challenges around affordability and consumer demand. AI's Growing Influence Across Automotive Few topics generated more discussion than artificial intelligence. The conversation explores where AI is already showing promise, where companies are still searching for practical use cases and how leaders are thinking about everything from governance and security to measuring real business impact. The Evolution of Auto Retail and the Customer Experience Consumer expectations continue to reshape the way vehicles are bought and sold. From digital retailing and frictionless shopping experiences to Carvana's influence on the market and the ongoing debate over who owns the customer relationship, the group examines how retail is evolving and what it means for dealers, automakers and consumers alike. The episode also covers affordability, vehicle technology, software-driven features, warranty expectations, service retention, competitive pressures, changing consumer preferences and the trends these industry experts will be watching in the months ahead. The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what's happening now, and what's coming next. The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at Cox Automotive Insights.

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Fed Policy Updates, Wholesale Trends and Regulatory Changes

   In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, host Erin Keating is joined by Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jeremy Robb to examine the latest Federal Reserve updates, wholesale market trends, and the economic forces helping support continued vehicle demand. They also explore several significant regulatory developments that could affect dealers, lenders, automakers, and consumers in the months ahead. Fed Signals and Consumer Impact Jeremy breaks down the Federal Reserve's latest rate decision, what surprised markets in the Fed's economic projections, and how policymakers continue balancing inflation concerns against a resilient economy. The discussion also explores how higher interest rates affect vehicle affordability and how perceptions of higher borrowing costs can affect vehicle purchase decisions. Wholesale Market Trends and Diesel Price Pressures The conversation also explores the wholesale market, where the latest Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index shows prices softening modestly year over year. Jeremy explains emerging depreciation patterns, including the outsized impact of one-year-old vehicles and how elevated fuel costs are influencing full-size trucks, SUVs, and diesel-powered vehicles across the market. Financial Assets, Consumer Wealth and Market Resilience New research on the growth of financial assets and the increasing role of the wealth effect in supporting consumer spending. The discussion highlights how rising asset values, retirement demographics, and changing buyer profiles may be helping explain the resilience of the automotive market despite affordability challenges and economic uncertainty. The episode also covers new FTC pricing guidance for dealers, finalized IRS rules surrounding auto loan interest deductions, minimum advertised pricing developments, and the latest legislative effort to require AM radio in new vehicles. The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what's happening now, and what's coming next. The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at Cox Automotive Insights.

3. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Consumer Sentiment Makes Headlines, but It's Not the Whole Story

   Consumer sentiment remains one of the most watched economic indicators, but it is only one piece of the consumer story. In this episode of The Auto Market Brief, host Erin Keating is joined by Kayla Bruun, Head of Economic Analysis at Morning Consult, to examine why sentiment alone does not tell the complete consumer story. They compare Morning Consult’s Index of Consumer Sentiment with its Consumer Health Index, which combines personal financial sentiment with high-frequency labor-market data to provide a more grounded signal of real-time demand. Looking Beyond Consumer Sentiment Consumer sentiment measures continue to receive significant attention from economists, investors, and business leaders, but Erin and Kayla explain why sentiment alone rarely tells the complete story. The conversation explores how attitudes, financial health, labor-market conditions, and real-world spending behavior can move on different timelines. Using Morning Consult's Index of Consumer Sentiment and Consumer Health Index as examples, they discuss why broader measures of consumer health often provide a clearer view of underlying demand than sentiment headlines alone. (https://coxautoinc-my.sharepoint.com/personal/burke_abbott_coxautoinc_com/Documents/Microsoft%20Copilot%20Chat%20Files/editedv1kaylabruun.txt) A Consumer Economy Moving at Different Speeds The conversation examines the continued divide between income groups and how those differences are shaping spending patterns. While higher-income households have experienced sharper declines in sentiment, they have continued supporting spending in categories such as travel and experiences, even as many become more price conscious and seek savings on everyday purchases. The episode also explores the evolving role of middle-income consumers and recent improvements among certain younger and lower-income segments. What Price Responses Reveal About Vehicle Demand Kayla introduces Morning Consult's new price-response indicators, which track whether consumers absorb higher prices, walk away from purchases, or trade down to lower-cost alternatives. For automotive leaders, the data reveals continued vehicle consideration despite rising price sensitivity and greater evidence of trading down. The discussion highlights how replacement demand, affordability pressures, and shifts between new- and used-vehicle purchases may influence automotive demand in the months ahead. The episode also covers gas prices, inflation, consumer savings, labor-force participation, age-related spending trends, AI-related workplace concerns, vehicle affordability, new- and used-vehicle demand signals, and the indicators industry leaders should monitor over the next six to twelve months. The Auto Market Brief delivers timely data, clear context, and practical insight to help industry leaders make smarter decisions—what's happening now, and what's coming next. The Auto Market Brief is powered by Cox Automotive. For more industry insights and expert perspectives, visit our Insights Hub at Cox Automotive Insights.

Who has been a guest on The Auto Market Brief

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jeremy Robb
• Vanessa Ton
• Sean Tucker
• Zo Rahim
• Alex Fraser

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Contact The Auto Market Brief

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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