This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine. It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now.  For consumers, the greatest concern when it comes to buying a car can be summed up in one word. Affordability. While the price of cars has dropped over the past year, they remain substantially elevated compared to before the COVID pandemic. Currently, the average price of a used vehicle is in the $25,000-$28,000 range, depending on which analyst’s data you’re looking at — well above the sub-$19,000 average of early 2020. And with interest rates soaring to their highest point in ... [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine.  It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now.  There are still times, Justin Osburn said, when he can see the wheels spinning in a car dealer’s head as he explains to them how reinsurance works. “When you understand it, it’s a no-brainer,” said the founder and CEO of Automotive Reinsurance Concepts, “but it can be complicated to explain to somebody how it works, which can create fear. Because anytime you start using words like ‘offshore company tax advantages’ and ‘IRS,’ you can get this thing running through a dealer’s head like, ‘Well, what does that mean? And who are you?’” Fortunately, those sorts of conversations are ... [Read More]

It was March momentum for the retail used-car market. In a month were days-to-sell plummeted (more on that later), franchised and independent dealers combined to sell an estimated 1.66 million used vehicles, which was a 10.9% gain from March 2023 and up 18.5% from February, according to Cox Automotive. Through three months of 2024, dealers […] [Read More]

The senior editors of this media property ping each other multiple times daily. While most of the messages revolve around editorial content we compile or upcoming industry events our shop orchestrates, I along with fellow bearded one, Joe Overby, sometimes delve into dialogue about sports, food and music. Our behavior made new insights from DTS […] [Read More]

When tax season arrives, dealers know customers are coming — and they need cars to sell them. Not surprisingly, then, the monthly Cars Commerce Industry Insights Report for March showed a big surge in inventory. The report found used-car supply jumped 7.6% from February to March, based on the company’s marketplace inventory, as dealers stocked […] [Read More]

Sales of electric vehicles continue to grow in the U.S., but a new report shows the pace of that growth has slowed considerably. According to sales data analyzed by Kelley Blue Book in its Q1 2024 Electric Vehicle Sales Report, Americans purchased 268,909 new EVs in the first quarter. That’s up 2.6% year-over-year, but down […] [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine. It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now. During discussions with vehicle transport industry representatives, a common theme emerges: The industry has lagged behind the freight shipping industry in the area of technological innovation. “They have been a lot more tech forward than us historically,” said Mike Scenna, vice president of sales and operations for Preowned Auto Logistics. “We often say we’re 10, 15 years behind the freight side of the house,” said Joe Kichler, vice president of logistics for Cox Automotive. But that seems to ... [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine.  It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now.  Dan Kennedy says the volume vs. capacity situation in auto transport seems to be on the mend. “For a while, [there was] more volume than capacity, but now it seems like things are starting to align,” said Kennedy, who is senior vice president of business development for CT Services. “Loads seem to be moving a little faster.” Joe Kichler agreed that capacity is a top transport industry issue, saying “we’re starting to see volume come back.” Capacity and available drivers are down from pre-pandemic levels, he said, especially on the wholesale side. “But depending on how quick that comes back and some of the new technology, there are going to need to be ... [Read More]

It’s decision time, crafting a long-term plan versus making short-term gains. First, we need to look at our “short-term gain” decisions we made back in 2020. New cars were at a premium that year, and many dealers decided to “make hay while the sun shines” so, according to NADA, as a result, the new per-vehicle […] [Read More]

Where’s the most EV-friendly place to own a home? Not surprisingly, it’s in California, according to a report from Realtor.com and Cox Automotive. In fact, the 2024 Realtor.com Housing Market and Electric Vehicle Report found three of the top 10 and eight of the top 20 housing markets for EV ownership are in the Golden […] [Read More]