DealerRater announced that, on Wednesday, Cars.com began to feature its database of online consumer reviews. The integration expands the reach of DealerRater and broadens the current review platform of Cars.com. “This is the first tangible evidence of being part of the Cars.com family, and it’s a win-win for both our brands as well as the […] [Read More]

What’s your strategy for making the most from the flood of off-lease vehicles flowing into your dealership? Perhaps not so much a flood as a trickle, believes industry consultant Tommy Gibbs. Either way, he advises dealers to sharpen their processes and practices to weather whatever change to the business foretells. This year marked the greatest […] [Read More]

On Tuesday, DealerStar announced it upgraded its dealer management system (DMS), which now provides dealerships more access to vital information regarding their vehicles through myCarfax Service Shop tools. Today, dealers using the DealerStar DMS can join the myCarfax Service Shop program for free resources such as Carfax Service History Check and Carfax QuickVIN. “DealerStar DMS is […] [Read More]

On Thursday, DealerSocket announced that after recently partnering with the insurance comparison website, FetchAQuote.com (Fetch), its newly released iDMS platform for independent dealers now allows dealer clients to easily use the site to find auto insurance for customers who have a hard time obtaining coverage. "Our independent dealers often work with customers who have no […] [Read More]

Add yet another public dealer group to the growing standalone used-car store movement. Penske Automotive Group announced Thursday morning that it has signed a deal to buy CarSense, a Northeast-based standalone used-car retailer. CarSense — whose no-haggle model focuses on late-model units — has five stores throughout the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metro areas, including southern […] [Read More]

CarMax announced the opening of two new San Francisco Bay Area stores on Monday. A store in Santa Rosa and one in Fremont now join CarMax’s Pleasanton store, the company’s first store in the region that opened in May. The three stores have brought more than 200 jobs to the area this year. Both the […] [Read More]

On Tuesday, AutoNation announced that the country music group Eli Young Band is scheduled to perform at its AutoNation Cure Bowl Tailgate Party and Concert, a benefit for breast cancer research. "We are pleased to join AutoNation in the fight against cancer,” said the Eli Young Band in a statement. “This disease hits close to […] [Read More]

In a forecast released Tuesday, TrueCar projects close to 2.86 million used-vehicle sales this month, which would be a 6.1-percent year-over-year slide. Last week, Edmunds.com called for roughly 2.8 million used-car sales in November, which would be down from 3.1 million in October. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate for used-car sales, however, is likely to […] [Read More]

Certified pre-owned is taking thicker slices of that franchised dealer used-car sales pie. In fact, CPO share has reached a new landmark. In the third quarter, 23.2 percent of used-vehicle sales at franchised dealers were certified, according to the latest Used Vehicle Market Report from Edmunds.com. Certified pre-owned’s Q3 share has never before reached this […] [Read More]

On Tuesday, Lithia Motors announced the acquisition of Honolulu Ford in Honolulu, Hawaii. "We are pleased to welcome the newest members of the Lithia family with the addition of Honolulu Ford, our fifth store in the state of Hawaii,” said Bryan DeBoer, Lithia president and chief executive officer. “Clustering locations in a condensed geographic area […] [Read More]