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U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2018 rise slightly to 17.27 million [UPDATE]

DETROIT — Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. rose slightly in 2018, defying predictions and highlighting a strong economy. Automakers reported an increase of 0.3 percent over a year ago to 17.27 million vehicles. The increase came despite rising interest rates, a volatile stock market, and rising car and truck prices that pushed some buyers out of the new-vehicle market. Industry analysts and automakers said strong economic fundamentals pushed up sales and should keep them near historic highs in 2019. "Economic conditions in the U.S. are favorable and should continue to be supportive of vehicle sales at or around their current run rate," Ford Chief Economist Emily Kolinski Morris said after the company and other automakers announced their sales numbers Thursday. That auto sales remain near the 2016 record of 17.55 million is a testimonial to the strength of the economy, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. The job market, he said, has created new employment, and wage growth has accelerated. "That's fundamental to selling anything," he said. "If there are lots of jobs and people are getting bigger paychecks, they will buy more." The unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, a 49-year low. The economy is thought to have grown close to 3 percent last year, its best performance in more than a decade. Consumers, the main driver of the economy, are spending freely. The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate four times in 2018 but is only expected to raise it twice this year. Auto sales also were helped by low gasoline prices and rising home values, Zandi said. It all means that people are likely to keep buying new vehicles this year even as they grow more expensive. The Edmunds.com auto-pricing site estimates that the average new vehicle price hit a record $35,957 in December, about 2 percent higher than the previous year. It will be harder for automakers to keep the sales pace above 17 million because they have been enticing buyers for several years now with low-interest financing and other incentives, Zandi said. He predicts more deals in the coming year as job growth slows and credit tightens for higher-risk buyers. Edmunds, which provides content, including automotive tips and reviews, for distribution by The Associated Press, predicts that sales will drop this year to 16.9 million.

Best 3rd Row SUVs of 2024

If you plan on using a vehicle's third row a lot, let us at least make the suggestion that a minivan would be a smarter bet than anything you're going to see on this list of best three-row SUVs. Their third rows are bigger, more comfortable and easier to get to. The kids will definitely be happier. Here are our two top choices.  OK, now that that's out of the way, we totally get why minivans are totally depressing and that if the kids want to be happier, they can buy their own darn vehicle. You're buying, you're driving, you're being seen in it and you'd rather have a three-row SUV. Fair enough. Luckily, there are more choices than ever and they're really good. The best do a particularly good job of being family friendly without looking like a drab transportation appliance, although really, you can't go wrong with any of the mainstream three-row SUVs. Now, some of the luxury choices are a bit suspect, including those that are otherwise very appealing but have cramped third-row seats (the Genesis GV80 comes to mind). We're focusing on three-row SUVs here, so having a usable third row is a must.   In this list, we have broken things down into four sub-categories: Best Three-Row Crossover |  Best Full-size Three-Row SUV Best Luxury Three-Row SUV |  Best Flagship Luxury Three-Row SUV Note that we define crossovers as SUVs since most buyers use the terms interchangeably, but acknowledge that "crossover" is literally a vehicle with a car-like unibody structure as opposed to the truck-like, body-on-frame construction that traditionally has defined "SUV." In other words, we consider all crossovers SUVs, but not all SUVs are crossovers (specifically those in the full-size segment and some in the flagship luxury segment). Best Three-Row Crossover SUVs of 2024 2024 Honda Pilot Why it stands out: Exceptional storage and cargo space; unique second-row functionality; refined ride; versatile and capable TrailSport; advanced AWDCould be better: Subpar acceleration with lackadaisical transmission and engine response; so-so driver assistance tech Read our full 2024 Honda Pilot Review The Honda Pilot was completely redesigned for 2023. It maintains its predecessor's family friendly packaging and overall focus, but it has injected a welcome sense of style (especially in the TrailSport pictured above) that makes it stand out much better from the big crossover crowd.

What to see at the Detroit Auto Show 2023

The 2023 North American Auto Show — also known as the Detroit Auto Show — is underway downtown. If you want to attend the public days of the show taking place September 16-24, hereÂ’s what you need to know about attending. But now that Autoblog has done our reconnaissance during the showÂ’s press days, we can tell you about the actual cars (and other things) you can see and experience. WhatÂ’s new? Ford The big new item from Ford is the 2024 F-150 pickup. You can check out the new trick tailgate, and see what the fuss is all about. The 2024 F-150 Raptor also debuted at the show, if you like high-power, off-roady full-size pickups. The show will also be a good opportunity to see the Mustang Dark Horse and Mustang Mach-E Rally up close and personal. Unfortunately, we only saw the wild 2025 Mustang GTD at an offsite event during press days, but it's quite possible Ford will roll it out for the public. Cadillac Cadillac revealed its refreshed 2025 CT5 at the Detroit show, and you can get a look at the revised front and the new tech-focused interior. Cadillac recently unveiled the all-electric 2025 Escalade IQ, so you can stop and see the most powerful Escalade ever while youÂ’re there. It wasnÂ’t on the floor during media days, but Cadillac told us theyÂ’d bring it for the public part of the show. Jeep Jeep unveiled its 2024 Gladiator at the show, and you can check out the new interior and trim levels in person at the Jeep stand. Jeep also has an indoor track set up for ride-alongs. If you havenÂ’t had the chance to see the refreshed 2024 Wrangler yet, you can see that, too, along with examples from the rest of the Jeep lineup, along with its Stellantis sibling, Ram. GMC GMC showed off the new, larger 2024 Acadia SUV for the Detroit Auto Show. ItÂ’s bigger than before, but does more to differentiate itself from its Chevy cousin, the Traverse. GMC also has its Sierra EV on display if youÂ’re interested in catching that in person. What else to see A number of automakers have large displays at the show with many of their models represented. In addition to those who debuted something new at the show, Buick, Chevrolet (check out the Silverado, Blazer and Equinox EVs, as well as the Corvette E-Ray), Lincoln with the new Nautilus, Toyota (get a look at the new Tacoma), Volkswagen, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Mini, Volkswagen, Honda, Chrysler (the Airflow concept is there), Fiat, Ram and Dodge (see the Charger Daytona SRT concept) all have a sizable presence.