Look for used-car sales to finish July near the 3.4 million mark, as forecasts from Edmunds.com and TrueCar each landed in that neighborhood. Edmunds estimates July’s used-car sales tally at 3.4 million, resulting in a 38.7 million SAAR. Last month, there were 3.2 million used-car sales, with a resulting SAAR of 38.7 million, the company […] [Read More]

Asbury Automotive Group is being affected by stop-sales related to the ongoing Takata airbag recall to the point that some company stores are running out of available space to park them. The company on Tuesday reported a 4 percent dip in used vehicle retail revenue during the second quarter, with unit sales down 5 percent on […] [Read More]

The settlement plan involving Volkswagen and Audi 2.0L TDI vehicles in the United States cleared another hurdle on Wednesday when Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted preliminary approval of the agreement reached on June 28 with private plaintiffs represented by the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) to […] [Read More]

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]