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Ford, Subaru & Mazda Can't Lower Prices FAST ENOUGH | Episode 1025

Ford, Subaru & Mazda Can't Lower Prices FAST ENOUGH | Episode 1025

CarEdge Live Mar 05, 2026 32 min
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About this episode

The discussion centers on the challenging February sales for Ford, Subaru, and Mazda, highlighting Ford's significant struggles with leftover 2025 F-150 trucks and a 5.5% year-over-year sales decline despite aggressive incentives. Rising truck prices, which have increased much faster than blue-collar wages, are a key factor in slowing sales. Mazda faces inventory constraints and tariff impacts, with sales down 7.1% year-to-date but showing signs of improvement in February. The episode also touches on Stellantis' major promotion offering 90 days without payments and the growing trend of longer auto loan terms as buyers try to manage record vehicle prices.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Brand

Kia

"Let's do Kia, dad. Let's shop some Kia dealers really quickly."

Kia is a car company from South Korea that makes cars that many people find affordable and dependable. They also offer good warranties to help keep your car covered.

Term

dealer reviews

"You're going to find dealer reviews and dealer ratings, but these are not your normal dealer reviews."

Dealer reviews are like report cards for car sellers. They tell you if the dealership is good or not based on what other buyers say.

Term

transparent pricing

"You can see here Kia of Canton in Michigan is a 100 out of 100 verified transparent dealer."

Transparent pricing means the car seller tells you the real price without sneaky extra fees or surprises. You know exactly what you have to pay.

Term

add-ons

"You can see here, no add-ons, just a doc fee, really good stuff from this dealership."

Add-ons are extra things the car seller tries to get you to buy with your car, like special covers or extra protection. They can make the car cost more than you expected.

Company

Stellantis

"I didn't even put it in the title of today's show, but we're going to talk about it, Stellantis, Dad."

Stellantis is a big company that owns many car brands like Jeep and Dodge.

Term

90 days without payments

"Stellantis is coming out with a big, big, big promotion for the month of March 90 days without payments to try and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America."

It means if you buy a car now, you don't have to pay anything for the first three months.

Term

promotion

"Stellantis is coming out with a big, big, big promotion for the month of March 90 days without payments to try and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America."

A promotion is a special deal that helps people buy cars more easily or cheaply.

Concept

New Car Sales

"You're overall synopsis of February New Car Sales in the United States of America."

New car sales mean how many brand-new cars people bought recently.

Concept

new car incentives

"Part of it is incentive related. And part of it just absolutely remains a mystery to me."

Sometimes car companies offer special deals or discounts to make buying a new car cheaper or easier. These deals help people decide to buy cars when prices might otherwise be too high.

Car

Ford F-Series pickup trucks

"And one of the reasons that Ford's sales were down is the sale of their F-series pickup trucks were down considerably."

Ford F-Series pickup trucks are big trucks made by Ford that many people use for work or driving around. They are very popular and have been sold for many years.

Car

Ford F150S

"We know Ford still has 10,000 plus leftover 2025 F-150s out there for sale right now. So Ford's struggling to sell the leftover F-150s as well as, obviously, the new F-150s."

The Ford F-150 is a very popular big truck that many people use for work and daily driving. The 2025 version is the newest one you can buy.

Car

Ford F-Series pickups

"...was approaching $68,000? Yeah, for F-series pickups, yep."

The Ford F-Series pickups are big trucks that many people in America buy for work or daily use. They've been the most popular trucks for a very long time because they can carry heavy loads and are reliable.

Car

Toyota RAV4

"...ou can understand why there would be a decline in RAV4 sales when there's an availability issue."

The Toyota RAV4 is a very popular small SUV that many people buy because it is reliable and easy to use. Sometimes it’s hard to find one to buy because so many people want it.

Term

0% financing

"Not only are they offering 0% financing for 60 months,"

0% financing means you can borrow money to buy a car and pay it back over time without paying extra fees called interest.

Term

no payments for 90 days

"plus $1,000 truck month cash, plus no payments for 90 days."

This means when you buy a car, you don't have to pay anything for the first three months.

Concept

domestic automakers

"here in the United States of America for the domestic automakers."

Domestic automakers are car companies from the U.S., like Ford or GM. They make trucks and cars mostly for people in America.

Term

MSRP

"This is your MSRP increases over the past decade from 2014 to 2024."

MSRP is the price the car company says the car should cost when you buy it new. Sometimes you pay more or less depending on the dealer.

Car

Ford F-150 Lariat

"The F-150 Lariat increased in price 77%. From $38,155 to $67,490 again to tie it all back together. Their truck prices, at least in the F-150 Lariat's case,"

The Ford F-150 Lariat is a fancy version of the Ford F-150 pickup truck. It has more features and is popular for work and everyday use.

Car

Mazda Cx30S

"And they've limited the imports of some of their lesser expensive vehicles, like the CX-30s. They've limited that inventory and the imports of those"

The Mazda CX-30 is a small SUV that looks nice and is fun to drive. Right now, there aren’t many of these cars available because fewer are being brought into the country.

Term

tariff costs

""...because of additional tariff costs associated with them.""

Tariff costs are extra taxes that a country charges when bringing in cars from other countries. This can make the cars more expensive or harder to find.

Term

day supply

"I think it was the CX-50, which has a very unhealthy day supply, which I think was approaching somewhere around 150-day supply of 2026 CX-50s."

Day supply means how many days it would take for a car dealer to sell all the cars they have if no new cars came in. If the number is high, it means there are a lot of cars sitting unsold.

Car

Mazda Cx50

"I think it was the CX-50, which has a very unhealthy day supply, which I think was approaching somewhere around 150-day supply of 2026 CX-50s."

The Mazda CX-50 is a type of SUV made by Mazda. It's designed for people who want a car that can handle outdoor activities and has a sporty look.

Term

financing rate

"And if I remember correctly, they were offering, was it 3.9% for 36 months or 1.9% for 36 months? ... and the offer from Mazda is 1.9% financing for 36 months."

The financing rate is the extra money you pay when you borrow money to buy a car. A lower rate means you pay less extra money.

Term

36-month note

"And if I remember correctly, they were offering, was it 3.9% for 36 months or 1.9% for 36 months? ... a 36-month note is going to put those payments well in excess of $1,000 a month."

A 36-month note means you agree to pay for the car in monthly payments over 3 years.

Concept

incentivizing sales

"So are they not incentivizing sales as much in March because they saw that uptick in February?"

Incentivizing sales means car companies or dealers give special deals or discounts to help sell more cars. Sometimes they do this more or less depending on how many cars they want to sell.

Concept

tariffs

"Or are they not incentivizing sales as much in March because they're still trying to cover the costs of tariffs that impacted their earnings last year?"

Tariffs are extra taxes that countries put on things they bring in from other countries. For cars, this means it can cost more to make or sell them if parts or cars come from somewhere else.

Car

Mazda Cx90

"three years ago, Mazda decided that they were going to go more upscale. They wanted to increase their profit margins. And so we started seeing the updated CX-90 and the CX-70 and those are larger vehicles with higher profit margins. And Mazda was gracious enough to give you a"

The Mazda CX-90 is a big and fancy SUV that Mazda made to be more luxurious and comfortable. It has lots of new features and is good for people who want a nicer car with more room.

Car

Mazda Cx70

"three years ago, Mazda decided that they were going to go more upscale. They wanted to increase their profit margins. And so we started seeing the updated CX-90 and the CX-70 and those are larger vehicles with higher profit margins. And Mazda was gracious enough to give you a"

The Mazda CX-70 is a medium-sized SUV that is designed to be fancy and comfortable. It has new features and looks nicer than older Mazda SUVs.

Brand

Volvo

"Actually, Volvo being down 41% is probably the most surprising, not that surprising, but concerning."

Volvo is a car company from Sweden that makes cars known for being very safe and comfortable. They make SUVs and other cars and are working on electric vehicles.

Car

Subaru Outback

"...o months ago, they were selling a new 2026 Subaru Outback and you can see the first Out the Door price quo..."

The Subaru Outback is a type of car that can handle rough roads and bad weather well, which is why many people like it for adventures. The newest version costs more because it has new features and improvements.

Car

Subaru Ascent

"...2026 Outback fully loaded is $55,000, no thanks. Ascent can hit almost 60,000 yikes. That's crazy. I mean..."

The Subaru Ascent is a bigger SUV that can fit more people, like a family car. The newest version with all the extras costs a lot because it has many features and is very safe.

Car

Acura Rdx

"...xactly Lego Joe. I saw the same and bought a 2025 Acura RDX Advanced Spec cheaper and through CarEdge. Cross..."

The Acura RDX is a small fancy SUV that is comfortable and has lots of nice features. The 2025 version has even more upgrades, so it feels more special and nice to drive.

Concept

deferred payments

"they're coming up with creative ways and offering these deferred payments for 90 days. Obviously, 49 other 0% financing offers out there right now."

Sometimes when you buy a car, you don't have to start paying for it right away. You can wait a few months before making your first payment. This is called deferred payments.

Car

Lotus Europa

"... Here we go. I'm waiting for Rich to suggest the Lotus Europa. I almost bought one of those ones. Dad, this thi..."

The Lotus Europa S is a small, fast sports car made in Britain that is fun to drive because it handles really well. It’s special because not many were made, so it’s a rare car.

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