For independent dealers, the view inside the dealership looks like recent business as usual. For franchised dealers, it looks … empty. According to Cox Automotive’s Q4 Dealer Sentiment Index, customer traffic in dealerships overall during the past three months matched its lowest level since the depths of the COVID pandemic in the second quarter of […] [Read More]

Will 2026 be the Year of Artificial Intelligence in the auto retail industry? AI-native automotive retail technology company Spyne believes that will be the case based on the results of its 2026 U.S. Automotive Market Sentiment & Dealer Operations Report, which found 76% of U.S. dealerships plan to increase their AI budgets next year. That […] [Read More]

The fire that erupted at Novelis’ aluminum production facility in Oswego, N.Y., represents a sharp, immediate shock to the global automotive supply chain. According to Reuters, this will instantly throttle new vehicle production for major automakers such as Ford Motor Co., Stellantis, Toyota Motor Corp., and Volkswagen Group. This material shortage precipitates a massive, immediate […] [Read More]

The holiday buying season has officially begun with the traditional Black Friday sales. But is the busiest shopping day of the year really the best time to buy a used car? Well, no, according to the latest research from iSeeCars. The automotive search engine and research website analyzed more than 40 million used-car sales transactions […] [Read More]

Artificial intelligence hasn’t taken over the car-shopping process yet, but a survey by Cars.com shows it is making inroads. The vehicle-shopping marketplace’s AI in Car Shopping Consumer Survey, conducted in early November among 936 in-market shoppers and recent vehicle buyers, found 44% of the respondents used AI-powered search tools on third-party sites to shop for […] [Read More]

Though they’re largely beating year-ago figures, prices in most segments of the retail used-vehicle market have decreased this month from October — and the decline has been particularly pronounced for pre-owned hybrids and electric vehicles, according to the latest Carfax Used Car Index. In an analysis, Carfax said used EV/hybrid prices are down almost $600 […] [Read More]

If you’re even thinking about buying a new car, here’s a secret the auto industry won’t exactly scream from the rooftops: the stretch between Black Friday and New Year’s Eve is one of the best times of the year to score a deal. Yes, really. You might think the Thanksgiving to Christmas season is far […] [Read More]

Curbee’s latest report is about a 16 that’s not so sweet for dealership service departments. The mobile service technology provider’s report, titled The16, is built around statistics from IBISWorld showing there are more than 300,000 independent auto repair shops in the U.S. compared to some 18,000 franchise dealerships — a massive 16-to-1 advantage for the […] [Read More]

If the election this month is any indication, the American public believes the economy is in poor shape, and they are deeply concerned about their personal finances. Across key races, exit polls consistently placed economic issues, high prices, inflation, and a general feeling of “falling behind” at the top of voters’ anxieties. Any form of […] [Read More]

Cox Automotive’s latest research has good news and bad news for dealership service departments. The good news: Cars are getting older and are getting serviced more often, and the average dealership service revenue has risen 33% since 2018, climbing to $9.23 million annually. The bad news: Dealerships are leaking service customers badly as independent service […] [Read More]