The Report Automotive Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore

Urban Science and The Harris Poll surveyed more than 3,000 U.S. auto buyers and more than 250 dealers to capture the clearest picture yet of what’s shaping auto retail in 2025.

Whether you’re selling cars, developing an automotive retail network strategy, managing a region or trying to hit numbers, stop guessing what auto buyers want. This report tells you.

What you’ll get:

  • Side-by-side dealer + buyer perspectives regarding key industry topics
  • Practical takeaways and actionable insights
  • Field-tested insights before and after key 2025 U.S. policy changes
  • Strategic reads on who’s buying, who’s hesitating and what moves the needle

Download the Harris Findings Report

Key Themes & Findings

 

The Dealer-Buyer Perception Gap

Dealers are bullish on the future: 61% say the traditional retail model is fully optimized, but only 37% of auto buyers agree. That 24-point gap is the widest in our study’s history.

  • We’ll break down why the gap exists and show you exactly how to realign customer experience with buyer expectations.

EV Adoption Friction

Dealers are all in on EVs, and the sales trends back it up. But auto buyers aren’t convinced; only 16% say EVs meet their needs.

  • We’ll show you the truth behind the hybrid middle ground, the trust issues stalling adoption and how to align your EV strategy with reality, not hype.

AI: Optimism vs. Trust

Dealers are using AI to boost sales, streamline operations and personalize customer experience. And it’s working for many of them: 51% say AI has increased their sales, but most auto buyers are losing faith in it.

  • If you’re investing in AI — from CRMs and chatbots to marketing automation — this report will tell you how to keep your CX efforts efficient, effective and human.

Affordability Pressures

Auto buyers say cost is still their No. 1 barrier to purchasing a new vehicle. Not just price, but the overall cost of ownership — including insurance, service and financing — are stalling deals, with dealers feeling it too.

  • We’ll explain the most important affordability trends across generations and share how to turn that data into better incentives, smarter targeting and fewer lost deals.

Direct-to-Consumer vs. In-Person Shift

93% of dealers say DTC retailing is a threat. But auto buyers, even Gen Z, still prefer in-person visits, including the ever-important test drive.

  • This report maps the buyer journey in 2025 and spotlights how leading dealers are making online and offline one seamless, omnichannel experience.
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Now Available: Q2 EV Sales Report

Urban Science is pairing this Harris Poll release with the launch of our Q2 EV Sales Report — bringing together insightful qualitative survey findings with the latest hard data on EV sales performance. Holdout results for Q2 include:

  • 16.5% YoY EV retail sales volume growth — a decline from the 29.6% growth in Q1.
  • Hybrid vehicles continue to dominate the EV sales story with 41.5% growth in Q2.
  • Several interesting geographic shifts, including:
    • BEV sales in California were down 24% in Q2
    • Florida and Illinois both experienced double digit growth in all EV sectors, with Illinois edging into the top five states for EV sales year-to-date

Download Q2 EV Sales Report

Let your competition guess. You’ll have the blueprint.

Ready to apply these findings to your business? Let us help you break through.

Download the Key Findings Overview

 

Download Q2 EV Sales Report

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