Thinking of buying a car? Do it before tariffs drive up prices

At Affordable Auto in Tulsa, sales are up, but so are the challenges. As new car prices rise due to tariffs, demand is spilling over onto used lots.

News On 6 sat down with owner Justin Vankirk and office manager Jamie Arnold to talk about how they’re adapting—and what it means for customers.

Q: How are the tariffs affecting your business right now?

Jamie Arnold: At used car sales, we’re having to be more aggressive with our purchase price to get vehicles, and we’re taking a lower cut on what we make.

I think a lot of it is people anticipating the tariffs. It’s a trickle-down effect. You see the new car prices spiking up, and therefore, your demand comes on the used car market.

Q: What does that look like in practice?

Jamie Arnold: Lots of local used car dealers will go and do purchases at those sales. Pricing is usually competitive, but it’s gone up in the last few weeks. 

People like me are trying to fill their lots before the prices go up. What that does is that instantly makes the prices go up. Because now, instead of competing against just you for this vehicle, there might be five or six other guys that want that same car.

Q: Even with those challenges, it sounds like business is booming. Why is that?

Jamie Arnold: Our sales have skyrocketed. We’re getting higher-qualified customers that do have higher credit scores and could buy new. But with the increase in pricing, it’s still easier for them to come to us.

Q: Would you personally still consider buying a new car right now?

Jamie Arnold: Two months ago, I probably still would have considered new. But with the way things have been the last several weeks, definitely used is the way to go.

Q: How long do you think this trend will last?

Jamie Arnold: I think at some point it may trend back to normal, but I think for the foreseeable future, it’s probably going to stay as it is, or potentially get worse.

Q: Are you worried about keeping up with larger lots?

Jamie Arnold: We are a smaller used car lot. I know just from driving around the area, there are several that are quite a bit larger than we are. I don’t really think it makes me worry, simply because there’s always going to be a need for a vehicle.

Q: So, how do you stay competitive?

Jamie Arnold: Pricing-wise, it’s going to get a little tougher for both us and the customer. But we pride ourselves on staying competitive and trying to keep that impact from affecting our customers, at least for the time being.

Q: Justin, how are you preparing the business for what’s ahead?

Justin Vankirk: We’re stocked up. We’re ready. We’re anticipating that, but there’s definitely a balance.

We’ve been here for 11 years. We’ve seen a lot of different cycles, and we operate debt-free.

Do I think there’s change? Absolutely. Is it maybe going to be tough, and we have to adapt? For sure. But I’m not scared. 

Q: What’s your biggest concern going forward?

Justin Vankirk: These people that we’re helping generally are paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make every single car payment. So where that’s really going to have the most impact is not me—it’s going to be on the customer.