The summer EV rush collapsed in October, but deal performance didn’t. See how F&I strength, rising gross, and stable deal counts shaped the month’s complete picture.
October brought a clear shift in the automotive retail landscape.
The month marked an end to the three-month surge in EV leasing that dominated late-summer headlines, but the dip alone didn’t define the month.
Zoom out, and The Complete Picture shows front-end gross finally reversing its three-month slide, per-deal profitability strengthening, and F&I offices posting their highest PVR of 2025 — even as deal counts slipped slightly month over month.
This snapshot comes directly from StoneEagleDATA’s latest F&I benchmark report, powered by transaction-level data from over 50% of the automotive retail market. StoneEagleDATA is the One True Source for real-time insights that power smart decisions and drive automotive success.
October’s Complete Picture
EV demand cooled hard in October as the tax-credit window closed — overall EV sales fell 66% MoM, and new EV leases dropped 79%. With that rush out of the way, the market settled back into a more familiar pattern.
And the broader October performance actually looked better than September on several fronts.
F&I PVR climbed to $1,992, the highest of 2025 and the strongest result since the spring. Front gross finally turned positive after a three-month slide, rising from $526 to $531 — the first uptick since June. Total gross per deal improved as well ($2,469 → $2,523), matching some of the year’s better months.
Deal activity stayed steady. Average deals per dealer slipped slightly (–1.82% MoM), keeping October in line with late-summer levels. And even with that small dip, F&I income per dealer still increased (+1.25% MoM) because per-deal profitability carried more weight.
Penetrations held firm: service contract stayed at 45%, and GAP reached 40%, its highest point this year. Here's our full October breakdown:
Deal Counts Slightly Lower: Average monthly deals dipped from 110 in September to 108 in October (–1.82% MoM).
F&I Profit Hit a 2025 High: PVR rose to $1,992, up from $1,943 in September (+2.52% MoM) and up 9% YoY from $1,828 in October 2024.
Front Gross Stabilized: Front gross per deal ticked up from $526 to $531 (+0.95% MoM), reversing a three-month slide.
Total Gross Per Deal Improved: Total gross rose from $2,469 to $2,523 (+2.19% MoM), nearly flat YoY (–0.71%).
Products Per Deal Ticked Up: PPD rose from 1.56 to 1.58 (+1.28% MoM) and is up from 1.53 a year ago.
F&I Income Per Dealer Edged Higher: Income increased from $212,950 to $215,616 (+1.25% MoM), up 7.3% YoY from $200,967.
YoY EV Lease Sales Fell Sharply: EV new-lease volume and total EV sales fell 55% and 31% YoY, respectively.
F&I Product Penetration Highlights
Service Contracts: Steady at 45%, up one point YoY.
Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP): Up to 40%, the highest penetration of 2025, rising from 38% in September and 37% a year ago.
Paint & Fabric Protection: Flat at 20%, up from 19% YoY.
Prepaid Maintenance: Holding at 16% MoM and YoY.
Tire & Wheel: Steady at 10% MoM and YoY.
StoneEagleDATA: Powering the Industry
StoneEagleDATA’s latest F&I benchmark report, powered by transaction-level data from over 50% of the automotive retail market. StoneEagleDATA delivers a complete view of today’s automotive retail landscape:
Comprehensive Benchmarking: Capturing every transaction and every product from more than half the retail market.
Actionable Insights: Reveal trends, track performance, and uncover growth opportunities in real time.
AI-Ready Intelligence: Fuel data models, forecasts, and analytics with trusted, dealer-level data.
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