Trends: Vehicle purchases remain steady through economic changes
This article is one in a series of articles about what life looks like in Butler County ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026. Stories in this series aim to showcase what it’s like to live, work, play and serve in Butler County during this moment in history.
Concerns over the cost of living have seeped into every phase of life. When it comes to buying a vehicle, however, people seem to show that no matter the economic environment, they are still interested in pursuing the card they most desire.
RJ Sepich, the director of business administration at Troy-Alan Chevrolet Buick GMC in Slippery Rock, says it is hard to say how the price of gas will impact consumer habits, but despite the high gas prices, the business just saw an impressive month for truck sales.
“It can go from month-to-month,” Sepich said. “We just had one of our best truck months ever. People like what they like. Truck people are fond of their trucks, know what they like and go for it.
“Certainly, there is a portion of the economy that would prefer a gas efficient vehicle.”
Butler County car dealerships, in addition to facing the regular hurdles to have the inventory consumers desire, have seen things on par with information recently released by S & P Global Mobility.
Car sales have been steady. In late May, S & P Global Mobility projected that auto sales for the month were on pace to reach 1.55 million units.
That puts the estimated sales pace for the year at 15.8 million units, down from March (16.2M) and April (15.9M) readings, but above the year-ago result for the first time in seven months according to S & P Global Mobility.
S&P Global Mobility estimates that sales will be down 3% in 2026 from the 2025 number of 16.38 million units.
“Auto sales remain steady and solid in wake of swirling geopolitical and new vehicle affordability conditions,” said Chris Hopson, manager of North American light vehicle sales forecasting for S & P Global Mobility in a news release.
Seeing a surge in truck sales tracks with what is happening nationally. Car and Drive published a report that indicated that the Ford F-series truck was the best selling vehicle in America during the first quarter of this year, moving 157,841 units.
Sales on the F-series have slid by 14%. The Chevrolet Silverado, which has sold 126, 139 units, ranked second on the list.
The Honda CR-V was the third-most sold vehicle and was the top-selling SUV. The Ram pickup was fourth and saw a 25% surge in sales, while the Tesla Model Y, which is the best selling electric vehicle model, increased 23% in sales year-over-year according to Cox Automotive.
What has continued to be a trend across all businesses is how getting customers in the door has changed. Sepich said they still want to have a personal touch and build relationships, but understanding building that framework comes in different ways.
Many of the consumers Sepich interact with do a lot of shopping online and are most concerned with getting a vehicle at the best price possible.
“We like to be digitally-savvy and advertise in different ways,” Sepich said. “I hear customers say that they like that we still answer the phone. It’s not an AI bot or a digital call that puts you through a holding pattern.”
Sepich said one of the most important aspects of the business is the paperwork for the consumers. Once someone purchases a car, there is a lot of work still to be done. Sepich said making sure the title is put in the person’s name and handling the finance with the bank can take time.
When the customer wants a different color or model of vehicle, that can produce extra steps to complete the process.
“We have 10 or 20 dealer trades a month, whether it is locally or in another state,” Sepich said. “Specifically a color or feature people are looking for. We want to go the extra mile, and hopefully they come back, and it’s a return customer, and they want to upgrade.
“I’m proud that we never try to force people into a car they don’t want.”
