Increased scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regarding dealer lending practices is top-of-mind for many in the industry.  In response, this Friday as the 2014 NADA Convention got underway, the National Automobile Dealers Association announced an optional program that it contends will strengthen a dealer’s ability to comply with fair […] [Read More]

RVI Group late last week announced its new partnership with NxGen360 LLC, to launch and distribute insurance products into the automotive marketplace. These products, beginning with Trade Value Protection and Market Value Protection, will offer benefits to dealers as they stock, trade and sell vehicle inventory, the company said, and limit risk for consumers in […] [Read More]

Auto dealers have a renewed target market, it seems, as a new J.D. Power report finds that younger consumers are interested in new vehicles, after all. Coming in contrary to popular sentiment that consumers 25 years old and younger aren’t interested in buying a vehicle, the recently-released J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Automotive Media and Marketing […] [Read More]

Forrest McConnell III, as it turns out, follows website analytics rather intently. It’s no wonder, then, that the new chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association has this point of advice for his fellow dealers: “If you’re going to be a successful dealer in the future, you better understand how that customer interacts with your […] [Read More]

There is likely to be about a 20-percent year-over-year increase in lease pull-ahead program options this year, predicts Swapalease.com, which might explain the following sentiment: If 2013 was the “Year of the Lease,” then 2014 could very well end up being the “Year Of The Lease Pull-Ahead,” the company suggested in analysis released this week. […] [Read More]

To gauge which brands will stand out in respect to used sales this year, analysts are taking a look at expected lease maturities as a predictor. In this case, a brand to keep an eye on in 2014 might be Cadillac. Joe Spina, the director of used-car analysis at Edmunds.com, explained that during the first […] [Read More]

The J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Avoider Study showed that new technology offerings in vehicles are more important to new-vehicle buyers who purchase domestic models versus import vehicle buyers. The study determined 38 percent of those buying domestic vehicles cite the latest technology features as a reason for their purchase, compared with 33 percent of import […] [Read More]

As TransUnion projected that new-vehicle leasing volume should continue to strengthen, Swapalease.com reported that lease credit approvals improved slightly as 2013 closed. The site determined December’s approval level came in at 73.3 percent, compared with the November reading of 70 percent. Officials noted the overall approvals rate on the year finished at 72.7 percent, compared […] [Read More]

Dealers interested in taking part in the 2014 NADA Dealership Workforce Study — which offers analysis and data to help them attract and retain quality employees — will have their chance later this month. Participation in the study opens to dealer members of the National Automobile Dealers Association and American Truck Dealers at the NADA […] [Read More]

The 2010 Kia Soul was among the five leading models that registered the highest month-over-month shopping activity gains in December, according to Kelley Blue Book. Fuel efficiency evidently was a priority among consumers who went to Kelley Blue Book’s website in December to look for a used vehicle during their other holiday shopping excursions. The […] [Read More]