This year’s Cars.com ranking of the “most-American” vehicles is once again led by Jeep. While the Jeep Wrangler took home last year’s top spot on the American-Made Index, this year sits the Belvidere, Ill.-manufactured Jeep Cherokee, which has advanced up from the second spot it held last year. Interestingly this year, the fifth-ranked Chevrolet Volt, that […] [Read More]

While new-vehicle owners overwhelmingly favor SUVs, when it comes to the most satisfying popular, non-luxury brand, drivers seems to be more divided in 2018. Following a win from the Korean brand Kia in 2016, followed by a 2017 win from GMC, this year, the American brand has made it on the list again in a three-way tie […] [Read More]

In preparation for the launch of the Auto Fin Journal, this week we are featuring a pair of auto finance-related interviews recorded by AFJ senior editor Nick Zulovich during AFSA's Vehicle Finance Conference earlier this year.  Launching this summer to select audiences with a full launch in the fall, the Auto Fin Journal will focus content on […] [Read More]

This year, not only has new-vehicle quality improved for the fourth straight year, it has also reached its best level to date, according to the J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study. After taking a look at the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) across the first 90 days of ownership, the company found that new-vehicle […] [Read More]

From the outset of 2018, Otonomo chief marketing officer Lisa Joy Rosner had her sights set on surveying current and prospective owners of connected cars to get a sense of where they stood on data use and privacy. But she waited.  “And then after the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica (data incident), I thought, this is a good […] [Read More]

By the time you read this I will have celebrated my first year of retirement.  A wonderful year it has been! Wiring, plumbing, demolition and construction projects went better than expected. (Well, most of them.) Plus, a week in the Caribbean with my wife — thank you Cox Automotive for the retirement gift. For you […] [Read More]

Wantalease.com is noticing the leasing promotions leveraged by automakers and dealerships during the spring are being kept in place as the industry moves into summer. Site officials reported that prices on most of today’s popular leases holding steady compared to May. Wantalease.com noted 36 different vehicles maintained their prices. Only one vehicle is currently offered […] [Read More]

Because of responses like “no,” “out of stock,” and “no appointments,” service providers could be losing almost $23,000 annually per location in revenue, according to insight data released from call analytics provider Marchex. Marchex Institute’s most recent study on auto service agent phone calls with consumers points out how much money stores can often lose […] [Read More]

Operators feeling charitable can help the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association next week. For the sixth consecutive year, ADESA, a business unit of KAR Auction Services, will auction off a premier vehicle during the NIADA Convention and Expo to benefit the NIADA Foundation. This year's vehicle is a silver 2018 Honda Accord sedan with a […] [Read More]

Don’t be surprised if some of the stores along “car row” in your market undergo a major ownership change some time before the end of the year. According to the latest Blue Sky Report released this week, Kerrigan Advisors is expecting 2018 to be an active year for dealership buy/sells with an increasing number of […] [Read More]