While Sonic Automotive’s EchoPark operations continued to gain steam during the second quarter, the dealer group’s overall used-vehicle performance during the second quarter softened a bit when compared to a year ago. Sonic highlighted on Tuesday that its EchoPark stores — rooftops that only turn used metal — posted a 28.9-percent sales gain in Q2, […] [Read More]

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles acknowledged on Tuesday that its “streak” of year-over-year monthly new-vehicle sales improvements since April of 2010 actually ended nearly three years ago. In response to recent press reports that raised questions about the manner in which FCA reported vehicle unit sales data on a monthly basis, the automaker explained its new methodology […] [Read More]

Contrary to what’s been plaguing many dealers, Asbury Automotive Group enjoyed a rise in used-vehicle gross margin during the second quarter despite a retail environment that president and chief executive officer Craig Monaghan described as “choppy." Group management reported during a conference call to discuss Q2 results on Tuesday that its used-vehicle gross margin moved from 7.7 percent a year ago to 8.3 […] [Read More]

The revamp of TrueCar in the used-vehicle market continued on Monday. Avis Budget Group and TrueCar signed a multi-year partnership agreement in which used-vehicle shoppers can access Avis Budget Group’s inventory of high-quality, well-maintained off-rental vehicles through TrueCar.com. Officials highlighted that Avis Budget Group offers more than 100 makes and models on TrueCar's website from […] [Read More]

Online registration and hotel selection for the 2017 NADA Convention and Expo in New Orleans is now open. The four-day convention, which runs from Jan. 26-29, will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Considered the auto industry event of the year, the NADA convention includes dealer franchise meetings, workshops, an exhibitor showcase […] [Read More]

Not long after Volkswagen made some progress in satisfying “Dieselgate” issues with federal regulators, the automaker is now facing lawsuits filed by three highly populated states that reportedly have more than 50,000 of these vehicles — New York, Massachusetts and Maryland. On Tuesday, the attorneys general from those three states announced lawsuits against Volkswagen as […] [Read More]

Summer barbeque season brings out summer barbeque conversations. I was gathered around the barbeque with friends when the discussion became heated.   The topic? No, it wasn’t the merits of grilling with charcoal versus gas but whether to buy or lease a car. It’s a hotter topic today than ever since we’re looking at an […] [Read More]

As widely reported on Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice want to know exactly how Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is reporting its new-vehicle sales. The automaker released a statement confirming reports that first arrived from Automotive News and Bloomberg, reiterating its procedure for how the company shares metrics within its financial […] [Read More]

The latest Beige Book — the Federal Reserve’s ongoing effort to gather anecdotal information on current economic conditions through reports from bank and branch directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts and other sources — showed pockets of dealership turbulence in several of the 12 districts. While contacts in Cleveland, Kansas City […] [Read More]

Like their contemporaries at the National Automobile Dealers Association, leaders from the American International Automobile Dealers Association are urging dealer principals to reach out to members of Congress as they adjourn for their summer recess. AIADA insisted the best way to forge a meaningful relationship with elected officials is through its Dealer Visit Program. “We […] [Read More]