Used-vehicle trade-in values have been relatively high as of late, according to analysis provided by the National Automobile Dealers Association, which said these strong values are among a slew of factors projected to drive stronger new-vehicle sales in coming months. After touching on the influence of gas prices, economic gains, an aging vehicle fleet and […] [Read More]

Thanks to the higher-than-projected residual values of its vehicles, Avis Budget Group’s adjusted EBITDA has hit “record levels,” the company said Tuesday as it reported preliminary first-quarter earnings results. More specifically, Avis Budget said — based on preliminary findings — that it pulled in about $119 million in adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter, a […] [Read More]

Automakers have significantly pulled back on incentive spending, which dropped to a six-and-a-half-year low in April, according to Edmunds.com. This trend bodes well for the industry, as it likely means consumers are hungry to buy and don’t need incentives to push them along, the firm emphasized. Specifically, Edmunds found that the True Cost of Incentives […] [Read More]

Digital Recognition Network recently rolled out a new offer to its affiliates — an equipment upgrade program that can allow repo agents to utilize the next generation of the company’s license-plate recognition camera kits at a significantly discounted price. The program details include: —Discounted LPR camera kit prices. —Raptor II Two Camera Kit: Credit of […] [Read More]

LEAP Financial, a vehicle leasing company that serves consumers who have difficulty obtaining credit, recently tallied up the estimated lender benefits from its recovery program. During the 12-month period that ended March 31, the company indicated the average lender benefit for each customer that settled with LEAP was approximately $1,900, totaling a sum of more […] [Read More]

Along with enhancing its consumer underwriting teams, Ally Financial declared today that it is increasing wholesale credit lines for dealers to take advantage of the U.S. auto market momentum. Ally indicated that it expanded wholesale limits for more than 40 percent of its U.S. dealer clients in the first quarter. “The flexibility in our credit […] [Read More]

Auto Remarketing has learned Cadillac is launching an offering today that gives its dealers the chance to boost new and certified sales while also helping them generate more CPO-worthy inventory. The campaign blends a lease pull-ahead program with subvented CPO financing rates, Cadillac remarketing manager Jeff Maes explained to Auto Remarketing in a recent interview. [Read More]

Pushed by an uptick in vehicle replacement in 2010, fleet maintenance costs dipped modestly for the third consecutive year in 2011, according to GE Capital Fleet Services’ 17th annual fleet passenger car maintenance study. More specifically, the company found that the average maintenance cost was $53.49 per vehicle per month in 2011, versus $55.89 in […] [Read More]

A slowdown in depreciation expenses has helped to mitigate the rise in sedan ownership costs this year, according to AAA’s 2012 Your Driving Costs study released Friday. That said, the nearly 5-percent ease in depreciation costs didn’t entirely prevent an ownership cost hike altogether. AAA has found that the average cost per mile to own […] [Read More]

In some markets, it might take two days of driving around to find more than a handful of Ford or Lincoln dealerships, but that’s not the case for John Jestice and Livonia, Mich.’s Bill Brown Ford. Just west of Detroit and in the stronghold of the domestic auto industry’s capital, Bill Brown Ford finds itself […] [Read More]