Tariff Aftershocks: How 2025 Tariffs Are Reshaping Pricing, Inventory & Sales

CarGurus’ July intelligence report put numbers to the panic:

Tariff Aftershocks: How 2025 Tariffs Are Reshaping Pricing, Inventory & Sales

The calls started the same way: “We need to get in before prices jump.”

By July, dealers across the country were watching it unfold. Families rushing to close on trucks. Buyers pulling the trigger on SUVs they’d been hesitating on for months. Showrooms buzzing not because of incentives or fresh product, but because of fear.

Tariffs did that.

CarGurus’ July intelligence report put numbers to the panic:

• Inventory shrank 3% year-over-year as shoppers pulled ahead.

• Average new-car prices fell 1% to $49,400 not because costs came down, but because buyers were stampeding before they went up.

• Analysts warned of a shift toward higher-margin vehicles and eventual price increases.

It looked like a win for the month. But anyone who’s lived through a tariff cycle knows it’s the calm before the crack.

Every public report is talking about inventory and prices. What they’re not talking about is the dealer squeeze that’s about to follow and the five survival plays that could mean the difference between profit and pain. Go Ahead and fuel the tank below! You will find real value!