In the midst of used-car prices moving upward in the past year, there is some question as to whether this trend is like a “bubble” that will suddenly burst or — as CNW Research president Art Spinella put it — “more like a slow leak in an air mattress,” deflating gradually. To shed some light […] [Read More]

Analysts from J.D. Power and Associates and Edmunds.com each gave their latest projections about where June’s SAAR might land, touching on how incentive levels greatly swayed their estimations. J.D. Power indicated Thursday the pace of new-vehicle retail sales cooled during the third week of June, after exhibiting a stronger pace during the first two weeks […] [Read More]

Is the Prius really so valuable? A Toyota dealership recently announced it bought one of these used models back from a customer after more than a year for $1,500 more than it was originally sold for. Is this the result of high gas prices, the impact of the Japanese quake on supplies or what? The supply level of […] [Read More]

Chicago-area dealer John Nelson says he’s not sure whether or not this new gas promotion from Wal-Mart will actually lead to increased sales at his store or help give his customers more spending power, but he definitely sees it catching consumer attention. The business operations manager at Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates said this new promotion can’t hurt sales […] [Read More]

A decision made this week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is particularly important to dealers who handle vehicles from the 2000 model year and older. The EPA issued fuel pump labeling and other requirements for gasoline blends containing more than 10 percent and up to 15 percent ethanol, known as E15. These requirements will help […] [Read More]

Donning the cap of a used-vehicle manager for a bit on Tuesday, Edmunds.com pricing manager Richard Arca gave Auto Remarketing some tips on what late-model vehicles will likely be in high demand on dealer lots this 4th of July weekend. He recommends that dealers ensure these are visible on the frontlines, if possible. Arca first rattled off a […] [Read More]

While Capital One Auto Finance president Kevin Borgmann said his division is looking to bring on new dealer partners and hire new associates, he also revealed the company’s collateral has been earning record prices at auctions. This isn’t a trend the management expects long term, though. "As the economy continues to improve, we are seeing […] [Read More]

Probably not what dealers wanted to hear going into the important Fourth of July sales stretch, but The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index took another tumble. Officials said Tuesday that the index — which had declined in May — decreased again in June. The index now stands at 58.5, down from 61.7 in May. They […] [Read More]

Dealers may see an influx of customers as falling gas prices allow consumers to spend more on what they drive and less while filling their vehicles’ tanks, the National Automobile Dealers Association’s top economist reported late last week. Dealers have been digesting reports of supply shortages and high gas prices hurting the economy for months […] [Read More]

Carfax revealed Monday that it has hired a longtime remarketing veteran to serve as its national director for strategic partners. Appointed to the role is Don Elliott, whose more than 20 years in the industry includes time with companies such as ADESA and Mazda. In his new role, Elliott heads up the company’s campaign to […] [Read More]