In a post to its AutoMotion blog on Tuesday, J.D. Power and Associates ranked the top 10 reasons consumers give for buying a specific model. To determine this list, the firm took its 2010–2012 Initial Quality Studies and boiled it down to the 10 factors new-car owners pointed to most often in explaining their purchases.  […] [Read More]

In my day as a dealer, I held the same view of my service department as many dealers do today: It was the “back end” of the business. I understood, of course, that my service and parts operation was critical to the overall profitability of the dealership — especially in months when my advisors and […] [Read More]

On Tuesday, organizers revealed the keynote speaker for the upcoming 2013 Automotive Forum in New York. The annual conference, presented by NADA and J.D. Power and Associates, will feature Toyota’s Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Conversation and sessions at the one-day forum (March 26) will focus on […] [Read More]

Receiving some kudos for their community outreach, ARI and Team Holman have been recognized as top fundraisers for autism awareness for the fourth straight year. The Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of Autism Speaks named ARI and Team Holman as the top fundraising team for 2012 in the Southern New Jersey Walk Now for Autism Speaks, […] [Read More]

Secure Collateral Management announced the availability of same-day payment for its network of recovery agencies. SCM said it will begin paying repossession agents all fees on the same day they repossess the vehicle beginning on April 1 with no early payment fee being charged. “I feel it is about time skip companies and forwarders recognize […] [Read More]

Based on data Edmunds.com gave Auto Remarketing sister publication SubPrime Auto Finance News, there was a 363-basis-point differential between the state with the highest average APR and lowest for all transactions by franchised dealers reported to the site in February. Pacing the nation for this metric was Louisiana with an average APR of 6.19 percent […] [Read More]

If a customer arrives on your lot and plans on spending about $10,000 for a used car, a new list from Cars.com may provide you some marketing ammo to help explain why your used cars stands out from the rest. Editors with the site have listed their top 10 used cars recommended for consumers shopping […] [Read More]

Here’s a ratio that should make used-car managers smile about finding potential certified pre-owned inventory down the road. Experian Automotive said nearly one of every four new vehicles that left franchised dealer lots during the fourth quarter had a lease contract. To be exact, the leasing share of new-vehicle financing in Q4 increased to 24.79 […] [Read More]

“Dale, I’m starting to see my average days in inventory creep up. I had a strong January and decent February, so I’m a little surprised. What are you hearing from other dealers that might be causing this problem?” I asked the Chevrolet dealer in Michigan who posed this question to be more specific about the […] [Read More]

The American Recovery Association enhanced its fifth annual North American Repossessors Summit by expanding to a three-day event to include a lender and recovery agent golf tournament, more networking opportunities and more speakers — all focused on the power of performance. Running from April 25—27, ARA is anticipating 600 professionals from the collateral recovery and […] [Read More]