For years, the automotive industry has focused its energy on one core objective: selling more cars. Dealers have invested heavily in digital retailing, improved response times, refined sales processes, and elevated customer experience. All these efforts have pushed the industry forward, but they share a common limitation: they focus on the end of the transaction […] [Read More]

After two years of downward pressure and headwinds, there has been a spark in wholesale prices of electric vehicles. Especially for the segment’s most dominant nameplate. And among internal combustion engine vehicles, fuel efficiency is fueling price retention. That’s according to a pair of reports released by wholesale automotive experts this month. Starting with the […] [Read More]

“Know Your Buyer, Grow Your Lot” is the title of a new research ebook from Cox Automotive, which consulted with the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association on the project. And one major trend that independent dealers should know about their buyers is this: they’re mostly buying because of need and they often are under financial […] [Read More]

Edmunds tracks retail prices for used cars regularly. But soaring ticket prices for this summer’s World Cup also caught attention of site analysts. So, Edmunds merged the topics of used cars and soccer together on Wednesday to see what kind of vehicle a fan’s World Cup Final ticket money could buy across three seating tiers. […] [Read More]

Strengthening, but not quite to the same level as the overall industry. That’s the story around wholesale prices and retention for electric vehicles this spring, according to the latest AuctionNet data from the National Auto Auction Association. Overall wholesale auction prices came in at $20,200 in May, NAAA said, which was down 2.1% from April. […] [Read More]

There were more than 137,000 catalytic converters stolen last year, according to data from Carfax, as these devices are not only somewhat easy to nab from some vehicles, but also contain high-value precious metals. And word to the wise: some of the most frequently targeted for catalytic converter theft are the most popular vehicles on […] [Read More]

Here’s a sign that vehicle diagnostic technology is in demand at both dealers and auctions: CarDr’s diagnostic intelligence platform has seen its utilization rise by more than 500% year-over-year. In fact, the company said this week that less than halfway through the year, the CarDr platform utilization had eclipsed full-year 2025 levels by more than […] [Read More]

Catalyst IQ and JD Power each offered some clarity for why used-car retail prices are climbing even faster than ones for new models, which are just $30 below the record level seen in July 2023. And perhaps more importantly for dealerships, Catalyst IQ also provided six recommendations to help stores navigate affordability pressures potential buyers […] [Read More]

While many dealers have always “trusted their gut,” the old instinct-driven approach to buying used car inventory is quickly becoming obsolete. For decades, dealers relied on a familiar formula: when a vehicle sold, replace it with another one just like it. A midsize SUV leaves the lot? Buy another midsize SUV. A pickup sells quickly? […] [Read More]

There is likely to be about 26% year-over-year growth in lease returns this year, according to Edmunds. That’s nearly 500,000 more used cars hitting the market compared to last year And that uptick is expected to continue in 2027, with off-lease numbers expected to climb another 400,000 units from 2026. “This is where the increases […] [Read More]