Ongoing tariffs and trade tensions are creating ripple effects across the market — driving up prices, tightening supply, and making it harder for dealers to keep up.
But Auto Lenders isn’t feeling the squeeze.
This is where the “secret” we shared in our Years in the Making campaign really comes into focus.
What’s Going On?
When demand stays steady — or even increases — but supply starts to weaken, prices rise. And that’s exactly what’s happening in the used car market. Most dealers rely heavily on wholesale auctions to fill their lots, and right now, they’re having to pay more just to get vehicles on-site.
That cost gets passed along to customers — it’s baked into higher prices.
Why Auto Lenders is Built Differently
Auto Lenders doesn’t rely on auction pipelines. The majority of our inventory comes from CAL, our leasing company. And a few years ago, we made a big bet: we ramped up our lease program.
Now those leases are ending — and we’re seeing a surge of clean, low-mileage, single-owner vehicles that were priced three years ago, well before today’s economic swings.
That gives us a major advantage:
- Our inventory isn’t exposed to tariff-driven pricing.
- We’re not stuck overpaying at auctions.
- We don’t have to pass rising costs onto customers.
- Our prices remain below industry averages — and below pre-tariff levels.
In short: our business model is built to weather uncertainty.
