As business in the automotive sector continues to climb back to pre-pandemic levels, there has been a disproportionate relationship between the supply of new vehicles and the demand for them. This has led to the low dealership inventory and little to no incentives that we’ve become so accustomed to in the past few years. However, Buick new vehicle inventory stood at 121 days supply as of November 2022.
This means that Buick dealers currently have sufficient inventory of the brand’s crossover lineup, which includes the Enclave, Encore, Encore GX and Envision. However, it’s worth noting that Encore production recently ended.
A 121 days supply means that dealerships have enough inventory on-site to sustain current sales volume for the next 121 days. As a reference, a 60-day supply was considered optimal in the U.S. auto industry prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. On a days supply basis, Buick was the GM brand with the highest level of dealer inventory as of November 2022, as well as the highest of all brands that compete in the U.S. market.
According to a report from Cox Automotive, industry-wide inventory is on the rise, and is currently reaching its highest levels since May 2021. In fact, the supply of new vehicles was up 81 percent in November 2022 when compared to November 2021. However, it’s important to note that while inventory is on a positive trend, it remains low in a historical regard, where pre-pandemic records reflect an 86 days supply as the norm. This supply level provides a good balance of consumer choice while keeping inventory costs low.
“Timing is everything,” Cox Automotive’s senior economist Charlie Chesbrough said. “Production is finally ramping up after being stymied by the chip shortage just as demand started to waiver and vehicle sales slowed down.”
This trajectory means that Buick has plenty of inventory on dealership lots, which could provide consumers more bargaining power over the price of a new vehicle. In addition, the all-new 2024 Buick Envista is set to launch in the North American market soon, which could add more days of supply to Buick inventory.
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Comments
Well, I think GM is doing it to themselves. With chip shortages and shipping issues, lack of a selection, giving preferential treatment to Chevy and Cadillac and GMC, offering to buyout Buick dealers who don’t want to sell EVs, now saying certain model colors are “built out,” or some option packages are no longer available. They need to manage Buick better and listen to their customers. For example, so many people here say Buick should have a sedan or a bigger line-up or should build more in the U.S. Hopefully they will get everything straightened out soon, as they refresh the Buick models and then convert to EVs.
The Who,e industry has issues and GM actually has handled it better than many others.
While you may get a delayed option others just are not building models.
Buick big issue now is most of the models are old. The question is will the new styling connect or fail.
Color “Build-Outs” is something we dealers are used to. It just means that the color(s) are being discontinued and typically they are replaced by a new variation in the next model year….
Maybe stop peddling crappy vehicles with 1.5 liter engines and 6 speed transmissions meanwhile telling everyone it’s luxury. Nothing Buick does is even worth looking at anymore. I can buy a nicer more reliable more sporty Kia for less.
I used to love Buick. I’d rather they just shut their doors these days and maybe give Chev a chance.
Sorry, would never own I kia, would drive a Chrysler first.
Look around Kia’s and Huyndai are all around
Example the Genesis brand is a Huyndai luxury brand , it’s nicer equipped than a BMW or Mercedes for 1/3rd less
I drive vehicles from American owned companies, GM and Ford. That’s it.
I own a 2015 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD LTZ 4×4 crew
Duramax , love it
A 2006 PR cruiser convertible with only 62,000 miles
And a 2011 Kia Sorento only 58,000 miles all are good vehicles but I am a Chevy guy through and through
The Kia is the wife’s car as is the PT cruiser
Your determination to own only American made which all the parts are not FYI , tells me you are in the trades industry UNION
Yes. Nothing says loyalty like buying a Ford from India, a Buick from China, or a Chevrolet from Korea. All so one can day “I bought American”.
Meantime, those evil nasty terrible foreign companies provide thousands of good jobs in Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Ohio, and other places. Those thousands of auto jobs in turn lead to thousands of other jobs in the towns where they work.
I used to buy GM only. I’m over it. I’m not sure if I can bring myself to buy a Kia because just because foreign cars do feel different and how they’re designed and operate. But I recognize they make some nice cars and I would consider them on a case by case basis.
I won’t buy a Chrysler or Toyota though
That was the argument for shuttering Pontiac & Saturn in 2008 (and many at the time wanted to throw Buick away too), to “give Chevrolet a chance”. So now that we have axed all these brands, what did we get? Instead of having the Equinox & Traverse, we now get the Trax, Trailblazer, Equinox, Blazer, Traverse and whatever other version of the same CUVs they can cram down our throats as Chevys. 35-65 year old woman love soulless CUVs, so lets tailor the entire company offering to appeal to only that demographic… Eliminating brands doesn’t boost Chevy (or any other brand), it simply eliminates consumer choice, and an outlet for designers to reach a distinctively different customer. The problem with Buick is that they’re now taking the already bland Chevy CUV designs, and making it even more vanilla/generic to go after the same buyer…
What does Buick have to do with giving Chevy a chance? More like the other way around, with Chevy getting all sorts of models and Buick only a paltry three in the US.
There’s just no real good news for Buick lately. I agree with Christopher that it’s been badly managed for a while now. Even with the huge Chinese market for Buick, is it time to let them die a somewhat dignified death? The only real bright spot in Buick’s world is the outstanding JD Power and C.R. results and quality. Otherwise, why go to a Buick? If you want an SUV/CUV, there’s a massive number to choose from and the Buick’s don’t really seem to draw customers in. I love Buick and even I”m saying why buy a Buick when I can buy a Chevy for less. Especially when I can buy a Chevy SEDAN!!! Buick is just totally lost.
On another note, it’s amazing to me how I really don’t like the red Envista above and wouldn’t buy one based on it. Yet the other article on GMA with the white Envista Avenir looks amazing to me and I would definitely buy that one.
I always say the color of the vehicle and the wheels / rims on it make all the difference. One color (light gray) makes it look fuddy-duddy, one color (white) makes it look sharp, etc.
White is right , it has to be really dirty for it to look bad, white actually looks cleaner longer
It has always been my favorite color too
Just not on my truck because it would like a business truck
Randy: I agree. I too like white, but I see your point on your truck. Seems white rules for all those businesses using truck.
Buick= gm’s GEO division of the 2000s
Oh Buick is gone inside 5 years. You don’t neglect an entire brand like this if you are trying to keep it around.
I thought Mitsubishi would be gone too. They were far more sad the last 2-10 years ago but are showing a slight chance these days.
More like Mercury in the “You’ve gotta put Mercury on your list” final days era…
I was at my GMC/Buick dealer yesterday…every 2023 Buick Envision on his lot (14 SUV’s) was missing parts…..all were low or medium trim levels….all were the same color BLUE…..asked the dealer if you can order one with equipment I want and the colors I want….he said NO…they get what Buick sends them…..that’s why I bought another brand after 10 years of buying Buicks….lost customer
Buick has taken a nose dive in the last 5-7 years.
GM just doesn’t care about Buick. And the lack of compelling products for Buick dealers is proof of that.
Its because everyone wants crossovers…..lets add another 2 or 3 and see if that fixes sales.
The huge inventory sitting on dealers lots, indicate that the product they re trying to sell, is not what the buyers are interested in buying. Poor design, under powered vehicles and Chinese manufacturing has turned off buyers to Buick.
Not hard to understand the huge unsold inventory! The fact that Buick is now forcing potential customers to buy a subscription to On-Star takes Buick off the table for me. I had plans to buy a new Envision or Enclave this year for the right deal, but that is no longer the case.
This could very well be part of it. I know I won’t consider a GMC truck for my next vehicle because of the subscription.
Buick drivers want cars (sedans)!
Customers are tired of Buick being neglected in the US: IN 2020 the 4 yr 50,000 bumper to bumper warranty was reduced to 3 yr 36,000. The recent addition of mandatory Onstar for 3 years for an average of $1500 additional cost to the buyer, the lack of sedans/ sporty options/ more horsepower engines doesn’t help. The best styled SUV they have is the Envision and if you don’t like that it is only manufactured and assembled in China then it’s a no sale. There are so many other choices that have a better price point and have better resale value. It will be interesting to see if the new generic styling from China will sell in the US. I will miss the side sweep and the waterfall grill.
The Buick Dealer that my wife used to work at (one of the oldest standalone Buick Dealers in the country) is pretty evenly split between Envisions and Enclaves with a few Encore GX’s as well. Just about every Envision was missing something on the window sticker…heated/vented seats, rear backup sensors, and even a few that only had one keyfob from the factory. Most of the Enclaves were complete. But I agree with others…with GM forcing the OnStar membership on Buick owners, I won’t be in the market for one when my Blazer lease is over. It’s a shame because I do like the Envision.
I would love to get an Enclave. Local dealer has only 14 Buicks total on the lot, only 4 are Enclaves. Those 4 are well north of $50K with no discounts. The 121 day supply isn’t affecting pricing…dealers are still taking full advantage of customers.
I was considering an Envision in a few years, but have concerns with the lack of a V6. The fact they are made in China is concerning, but I can overlook that since I do like the styling inside and out. I also really like my current GMC/Cadillac/Buick dealer and prefer to stay with those brands. I don’t care for the Terrain interior and the XT4 is still on the short list…just higher priced than the Envision (plus dealer markups).
I would say, keep considering the Envision. We are on our second Envision with no regrets so far. We would consider the Enclave, but there are usually only two of us in the car, and the Envision has served us very well. The new Envision controls are very convenient and easy to operate, you don’t have to hunt and reach to adjust any settings while driving. Many of the competition have good reliable cars, but we like the handle, the feel and the quietness and stability of the Envision. If this holds true we may continue on with a third one in the near future.
Bwahahahaha!
Buick is a dead man standing. No sedan for the old fogies. They lost their primary customer for more than 50 years.
That’s why they’re trying to turn it around with a fresh sheet for design. The refreshed logo says it’s a new day. Let’s wait and see what they have – the refreshed models (Encore GX, Envision, Enclave) are on their way and the EVs won’t start til about 2024.
Christopher: I have to disagree with you on this one. Buick’s fresh sheet design, at least in my eyes, is not that attractive. The refreshed Encore coming out looks worse in many ways from the current one. I’ve always like the original Encore, but that’s now gone. The Envista coming out seems to only look good in white with the Avenir trim to get away from the black all over. The Enclave is nice, but too big for my needs and I refuse to drive something getting in the high teens or low 20’s for MPG in daily driving. Bottom line is that there is just zero reason for someone like me to step foot into a Buick store any more. No sedans, ugly new emblem, 3 models to choose from, etc. It’s just not good when a diehard Buick guy like me says no more.
I want to know where all of these cars are! The Buick dealers in our area have had very little for over a year.
They are in fields near the plant waiting on CHIPS , they are incomplete
Wow, 120 day was pathetic in the past. 120 days is outright terrible in today’s market.
The most recent regal GS was mildly interesting. Would drive for 15k when Buick closes their doors and none wants them.
I’m still waiting for the missing heated seats and sensors for my 2022. I got the letter before the hurricane hit. I setup a ghost appt with the dealer here so they would get the parts. My buddy bought a 2023 with nothing missing just last week. Wtf?
Btw hope you guys change the logo back because it looks retarded. I have deep visceral hatred of it.
I have a 2016 Buick Encore and I fell in love with it on the lot but it has spent more time in the shop then on the road! Dealership kept it for 6 months saying waiting on a part and now a tear later its broke down again with that hefty car payment to boot. The car has very minimal trunk space and I am not happy about it being touted as a suv because it does not even have a rack that is usable and stock tires are not good for mountain roads. Save yourself and buy a Nissan Rogue or something reliable.
Buick needs a sedan and two door luxury sports coupe or personal luxury Coupe… Even if it’s just a halo car! Why can Chevy have a halo car… Chevy had nine models while Buick gets stuck with three or four that’s the problem Buick is turning into Lexus when Lexus first came out they where hugely popular even though they still make cars I can’t remember when I the last time was I saw a Lexus car on the road. Then again when you can buy a Chevy or Toyota that’s just as nice as the Lexus or Buick well that doesn’t help either.
The problem with GM in general is a lack of commitment to product, always looking for ways to cut costs in products(and it shows), and lack of diversity of product (abandoning entire segments and chasing what they perceive to be money making areas). I drove a Cadillac CT6 and although I loved the car, you could tell they cut costs in the interior. They then abandoned the segment to focus on SUVs, which everyone has. I ended up going German and love it. I will never go back to GM or Ford for that matter. They are poorly run and don’t invest properly in their products. Funny thing is they attempt to run marketing games on the public as of we are stupid. I hope they are not bailed out this time if they go bankrupt.
Those little black strips on the roof between the sides and roof used to be color coordinated, but it cost them more to color match than to put up ugly flat black plastic strips in its place, I hate them and I admire autos that still color match or best yet weld those seams and paint it
I am quite sure that the 121 days supply of Buicks does not apply to the GM Canada dealers. The only or most vehicles, in stock, that I see in GM Canada dealers yards are Chevrolet and GMC Pickups. It seems that GM forgot about the principle of distribution. The Right vehicle at the Right time at the Right place. It seems to me that GM kept most of their vehicules in the US so they could surpass Toyota Sales for 2022.
And to get more money for them by creating a shortage
When I think of the stunningly beautiful and iconic cars Buick stood for; Riviera, Electra 225, GNX, etc. and all they have now are generic SUV’s, I can’t imagine considering one. I suspect their next model should be called “Enbarrass”.
lmao