If 2025 taught Irish car dealerships anything, it’s that customers have changed faster than the systems built around them. It was a year where expectations rose, household budgets tightened and finance conversations became more nuanced. Buyers were still there, but they needed more reassurance, clearer answers and quicker responses than ever before.
As we move towards 2026, the question for dealers isn’t whether finance matters more.. it’s how the experience around it can improve.
🚘 Looking Back: What 2025 Told Us
🚘 Clarity: Straight Answers Build Confidence
🚘 Speed: Progress Matters As Much As Decisions
🚘 Simplicity: Remove The Friction
Looking Back: What 2025 Told Us
Throughout 2025, many dealers saw customers hesitate where they previously committed quickly. Not because they didn’t want the car, but because they wanted certainty.
Customers asked more questions. They compared more options. And they expected finance conversations to be transparent and respectful of their situation.
At the same time, near-prime applications increased. Life costs rose, credit profiles became less predictable and more buyers landed just outside traditional prime criteria. Dealers who recognised this early adapted well. Others felt the frustration of unnecessary declines and lost deals.
These shifts have shaped what customers now expect going forward.
Clarity: Straight Answers Build Confidence
Customers heading into 2026 want clear, upfront explanations. They want to understand rates, terms and documentation before committing, not after.
Looking ahead, the dealers who take the time to explain the finance journey early will see smoother applications and faster completions. When customers know what’s required and why, they engage more openly and respond more quickly.
Speed: Progress Matters as Much as Decisions
Speed became a real talking point in 2025. Customers didn’t just want answers, they wanted to feel that things were moving.
In 2026, this expectation will only increase. Decisions within hours are becoming the norm, but so is regular communication. Silence creates doubt. Updates build trust. Dealers who keep customers informed, even when there’s nothing final to report, maintain momentum and reduce abandonment.
Simplicity: Remove the Friction
The more complex the process felt in 2025, the more customers disengaged. Repeated forms, confusing language and unnecessary steps created frustration.
Looking ahead, simplicity will be key. Digital-first journeys aren’t about replacing people, they’re about removing friction, so conversations in the showroom are easier and more focused. AI is certainly taking making an impact, but it is not about replacing people: it is giving a basic understanding before making decisions.
Fairness: A More Human Approach to Finance
Perhaps the biggest lesson from 2025 is this: customers want to feel considered.
Offering near-prime or alternative options early – not just after a decline – shows customers that they’re being assessed properly, not dismissed by a system.
How Dealers Can Adapt for 2026
As expectations evolve, successful dealerships will focus on:
- Using finance partners with transparent criteria
- Keeping customers informed
- Introducing near-prime options earlier
- Continuing to invest in simpler, digital-led journeys
2026 doesn’t require a complete overhaul, just a more thoughtful approach. Dealers who take the lessons of 2025 seriously and refine how finance is delivered will be best placed to meet customers where they are, build confidence and keep deals moving in a changing market.