RICHMOND HILL – DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says auto sales in July were up from a year ago, marking the second consecutive month of sales gains.
The firm estimates 173,000 vehicles were sold in the month, slightly up from 172,000 in July 2025.
Andrew King, managing partner at DesRosiers, says a 0.5 per cent gain would perhaps not be worthy of mention in normal times, but these are not normal times for the auto industry.
Even though last month represented the best month of July in seven years, sales still remain a way off the 182,000 units sold in July 2017.
DesRosiers says it is estimating better sales for August compared with August 2025, which saw weaker activity.
Auto sales have slowed in recent months as Canadian households have reined in spending amid heightened uncertainty from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and threats of new U.S. tariffs slated for later this month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026.
