According to two separate reports from J.D. Power and Kelley Blue Book (KBB), new car sales are expected to remain strong in the month of July, continuing 2012's quick pace for vehicle sales.
The automotive industry has shown strong signs of recovery all year, and there's no reason to think the hottest month of the summer would do anything to slow that pace down, the reports state. J.D. Power's report predicts July new car sales will be up more than 15 percent compared to last year, which would be the second strongest year-over-year growth rate in the past 12 months.
"The positive growth has continued to build, as July is looking strong across most vehicle segments, as well as for many of the major manufacturers," said John Humphrey, senior vice president of global automotive operations at J.D. Power and Associates.
KBB is even more optimistic for this month's sales, predicting a 19 percent gain over July 2011. According to KBB, automakers are on track to sell 14 million new cars in 2012, which would be the best year since the recession hit.
Drivers who aren't ready to buy a new car just yet may want to invest in auto maintenance rather than contribute to new car sales. A simple car tune up can go a long way toward extending the lifespan of a vehicle.