AutoTrader Group announced Friday afternoon that it has purchased Automotive Information Systems, which the company called “the industry's leader in auto incentive integration.” Commenting on the deal, AutoTrader Group president and chief executive officer Chip Perry said:  “Incentives are complex and confusing.  It is hard for dealers and consumers to understand and use incentives for […] [Read More]

Thanks in part to what analysts called a series of popular vehicle redesigns across its lineup, Lexus shopper loyalty in the fourth quarter increased 9.2 percentage points year-over-year within Kelley Blue Book’s new-model audience. The gain pushed Lexus to come in just behind Toyota, which has held the No. 1 spot for shopper for five […] [Read More]

As gas prices remain high after reaching over $4 in 2012, consumers’ vehicle preferences are bound to shift. And according to Energy Information Administration data released Monday, the average price of regular grade gasoline (all formulations) increased by eighteen cents from $3.36 to 3.54 this past week. Experian Automotive looked into potential buyer reaction to […] [Read More]

Inventory Finance company NextGear Capital, the result of the recent merger Manheim Automotive Financial Services and Dealer Services Corp., revealed late Thursday it has chosen a vice president of industry relations. Tapped for the position is Todd Croom, who previously held the position of VP of finance at Manheim. The company shared Croom will be […] [Read More]

Canadian debt levels continued to creep up in the last quarter of 2012. In fact, TransUnion's quarterly analysis of Canadian credit trends found that the average consumer's total debt (excluding mortgage) increased nearly 6 percent from $25,960 at the end of 2011 to $27,485 in Q4 2012. “The year-over-year increase was the largest of its […] [Read More]

As was reportedly coming, Chrysler Group and Santander Consumer USA joined forces Wednesday for an agreement to provide a full spectrum of auto financing services to Chrysler and Fiat customers and dealers under the name Chrysler Capital. In a move that will end a three-year, post-bankruptcy association with Ally Financial, Chrysler Capital will be launched […] [Read More]

What SUVs and crossovers should dealers keep a particularly good eye on when closing up for the day?  The National Insurance Crime Bureau released a new report Tuesday that examines thefts of SUVs and CUVs stolen between Jan. 1, 2008, and June 30, 2012, which shows 19,961 SUVs/CUVs were reported stolen during the period. The […] [Read More]

Citing the growing need among dealers and auto finance companies to obtain affordable options for portfolio management and collateral protection, ITURAN recently unveiled a new, streamlined version of its popular Controlit technology. The new version of Controlit Core is designed to offer an even better value than its predecessor without compromising on quality. The new […] [Read More]

This morning, Kelley Blue Book highlighted the 2013 model-year vehicles and brands (in both luxury and non-luxury categories) with the lowest projected ownership costs. The top awards based on KBB’s 5-Year Cost to Own data for new models for the initial five-year ownership period went to Mazda and Lexus. Analysts indicated Mazda is the top […] [Read More]

A new residual-based financing program from the creators of the CarMark Certified Pre-Owned program, called CarMark Auto Finance, is hitting its stride just in time for dealers to take advantage of the opportunity during the profitable first months of the new year, according to company officials. [Read More]