"Dark Clouds Gather Over the Economy: A Challenging Start to 2026. As the new year gets underway, a perfect storm of economic headwinds is sending shockwaves through the market. Rising gasoline prices, coupled with stagnant job growth and dwindling consumer confidence, have created a toxic cocktail that's pushing vehicle affordability to the breaking point. With consumers feeling the pinch, it's no wonder the market is taking a hit, leaving economists and investors on high alert as they wait to see how this perfect storm will play out."
Vehicle affordability, surging gasoline prices, lackluster job growth and waning consumer confidence pushed the market lower to start 2026.