A strong selling rate in December pushed U.S. new-vehicle inventory levels back down to something more closely resembling an industry sweet spot to start the year. Automakers and dealers had an estimated 3.92 million vehicles on hand, or a 62-day supply, according to the Automotive News Data Center.
The 62-day figure is in the center of where the industry has begun each of the last six years, and down significantly from the 73-day supply automakers and dealers had a month ago, when inventories were 4.06 million.
In terms of mix, inventory levels stood in near-perfect balance, with both cars and light trucks at a 62-day supply, the first time both segments have been at the same level since April 2017. The industry's estimated 1.1 million unsold cars represents about 28 percent of total inventory.
Subaru of America continues to run the tightest ship in the industry, with a 26-day supply. Two other brands had less than 40 days' worth of inventory, with BMW and Audi at 37 days. When comparing automakers based on all of their brands, BMW of North America was second behind Subaru with a 42-day supply, and Toyota Motor North America ranked third with a 48-day supply.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mitsubishi Motors North America had a 109-day supply and was the only automaker above the 100-day mark. At the brand level, long-struggling Fiat again posted the industry's highest inventory level at 194 days. Volkswagen was at 129 days, Buick at 112, Mitsubishi at 109 and Mini at 102.
