Kelley Blue Book this morning announced its 2014 brand and model-year vehicle winners of the annual Best Resale Value Awards, recognizing vehicles for their projected retained value through the initial five-year ownership period. Toyota and Lexus earned top honors for best brand and best luxury brand, and each had six segment winners from a total […] [Read More]

Attention, sales teams: Customers report higher sales-process satisfaction when you use a tablet device. According to the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index Study released late last week, sales satisfaction among new-vehicle buyers is 52 points higher when their salesperson uses a tablet device during the sales process than when the salesperson does not, […] [Read More]

Of course, as a dealer, you look back at the end of each month and put some thought into why your sales have played out the way they have. But, are you concentrating on how you are analyzing your store’s monthly sales results? In an upcoming webinar, founder and chief operating officer of Potratz Partners […] [Read More]

After slimmer gross profits per unit on the used-car side in the third quarter, Group 1 Automotive is forecasting relative stability in its used-vehicle margins going forward. Though this is an area in which the retailer said it would like to improve, management did offer one projection that may prove beneficial in coming months: stronger […] [Read More]

William Cole, Bill Cole Automall, Bluefield, W. Va. “The most rewarding aspect of my automotive career has been the opportunity to continue my family’s legacy of business in an area that my family has called home for generations,” nominee Cole said. And that legacy began at his family’s heavy-duty truck dealership, where at the age […] [Read More]

Japanese models once again sweep the No. 1 and No. 2 spots for most researched and purchased used vehicles in the third quarter, according to Edmunds.com’s latest Used Market Quarterly Report. The most researched used vehicle last quarter was the Honda Civic, followed by the Honda Accord. And even though Edmunds.com officials said the most […] [Read More]

Hyundai and its dealers revealed this week a new Web-based customer review service. Through utilizing the public third-party SureCritic reviews site, the OEM explained it will publically feature owner-generated ratings and reviews of its dealership service experience. The review sites will be unique to each dealership, and a link on www.hyundaiusa.com takes site visitors to […] [Read More]

AutoCanada Inc. reported a successful Q3 last week, seeing a large profit increase and rises in used-car sales. The dealership group announced a profit increase of 61.1 percent. And revenue increased by a whopping 35.1 percent or $104.9 million to $403.5 million. Commenting on the financial results for the three month period ended September 30, […] [Read More]

As prices for used alternative fuel vehicles have plummeted this year, many analysts have attributed some of the drop to a level of consumer caution that still abounds years after the first hybrids hit the market Survey results from AutoTrader.com released today affirm this assertion, showing there are still “significant gaps that need to be […] [Read More]

As reports came in this week outlining used-car auction price drops last month, the Edmunds.com Q3 Used Market Quarterly Report released Wednesday claims that pre-owned prices have dropped to a four-year low on the lots. As used supply continues to increase, putting downward pressure on used prices, Edmunds.com reported the average used car sold by […] [Read More]