In the post-pandemic reshuffling of the auto industry, a surprising trend has emerged: certified pre-owned vehicles that are barely a year old are taking over dealer lots. What began as a premium-brand tactic has now found its way into the mainstream market. These 1-year-old CPO vehicles are changing the game for dealers, manufacturers and buyers […] [Read More]

Used-car sales are steady and inventory is still above last year’s level. Even so, Cox Automotive’s latest data shows dealers are feeling the heat when it comes to prices. The Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index for the third quarter found a sharp surge in dealers reporting pressure to lower their prices, with the index rising […] [Read More]

While August is often a month of change on vacation and academic calendars, that wasn’t the case for the wholesale vehicle market. According to analysis around used-car price indices, wholesale vehicle values last month were flat from July and didn’t see any outlandish change from August 2024, though some volatility remains. Starting with Black Book’s […] [Read More]

What are car shoppers looking for in a vehicle? According to the Kaiser Associates 2025 Midyear Dealership Survey — part of the Dave Cantin Group’s Market Outlook Report Midyear Update — reliability and affordability are firmly entrenched as the top two criteria considered most important by car buyers. Given that, the dealership M&A advisory firm […] [Read More]

2024 delivered a sharp turn in the trajectory of dealership service revenue. According to industry data, OEM warranty revenue rose nearly 20%, reaching $28 billion, far exceeding WarrCloud’s original forecast of 8.4%. That kind of growth should be welcomed because it comes at a time when customer pay work is stagnating. What’s driving this shift? […] [Read More]

Sales are projected to fall in the second of the half of the year, and dealers need to seek ways to optimize operations, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. While much attention is often paid to retention in new car sales, the service lane represents a critical yet usually underutilized profit center through retention. Automating […] [Read More]

Not all recalls are created equal. And according to Carfax’s data, the most dangerous kind of recalls is on the rise — in a big way. The provider of vehicle history reports warns of a “concerning spike” in “Do Not Drive” recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, affecting hundreds of thousands of […] [Read More]

Most dealers are focused on used-vehicle trades, digital retailing, and AI. But reconditioning (what happens in between acquisition and front line) is where significant profit still slips through the cracks. It’s common to see dealerships relying on spreadsheets, phone calls, and loose estimates to manage this process. But that outdated approach slows the process, misprices […] [Read More]

The automotive industry is no stranger to change, from evolving consumer preferences to technological advancements. However, a less predictable, yet equally impactful force is the ever-shifting landscape of tax legislation. The recent One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, represents a significant overhaul of federal tax policy. While designed to […] [Read More]

August: the month when summer begins to wind down and school begins. Along with afterschool activities, football practices, etc. And maybe a last-minute family vacation. So that might lead to higher demand (and thus, prices), for minivans and vans, right? But oddly enough, used prices for these vehicles fell $680 month-over-month in August, according to […] [Read More]