Toyota provided a strong selling point for its dealers this week, making standard maintenance plans for all new Scion and Toyota brand vehicles a free, permanent selling point.  As well the complimentary normal factory-scheduled maintenance, included in the Toyota Care and Scion Service Boost plans is free 24-hour roadside assistance. These services are provided for whatever […] [Read More]

While most of the time, automakers pile on incentives to get a lift in new-vehicle sales, it appears the reverse scenario has occurred this year, according to TrueCar.com. Domestic brands, whose incentives have declined, have been the ones to see significant increases in sales. Meanwhile, some of the leading Japanese brands’ sales have largely been […] [Read More]

In an interesting hands-on approach to educating its dealer body, General Motors is bringing in close to 900 Buick and GMC dealers to tour a production facility and to test-drive new models from the two brands. The dealers, who are paying their own way, are coming to Michigan in three waves of about 300 dealers […] [Read More]

Two more brands now are included within the Certified Pre-Owned Center of Dealix’s flagship site for dealers. Now integrated are CPO units from Nissan and Infiniti. Dealix executives noted Nissan and Infiniti are the eighth and ninth manufacturers in the past year to bring their CPO inventory to UsedCars.com. During that period, they mentioned the […] [Read More]

Mercedes-Benz USA is letting owners talk about just how safe the automaker’s vehicles are. This week, the manufacturer rolled out a series of online videos that contain unscripted accounts of real customers who survived horrific crashes in their Mercedes-Benz. The OEM dubbed the campaign “Impact.” Some of the notable comments included in the short films […] [Read More]

CarMax took a step toward expansion in Kentucky recently, as it started building its new superstore in Lexington. When the company celebrates the anticipated 2011 opening, the new store will join the existing Louisville facility to make up CarMax’s pair of Blue Grass state locations. Officials projected that 50 to 75 jobs will be created […] [Read More]

Typical Forbes readers might usually be associated with premium luxury units, but magazine editors rattled off a dozen 2011 model-year vehicles expected to be the most anticipated. And vehicles that constituted a third of the list didn’t come from luxury brands, but rather the expected top sellers came from two domestic automakers. Chevrolet and Ford each had two […] [Read More]

smart USA and Nissan announced Wednesday that they are collaborating on a new vehicle to offer for sale in the United States. Company executives revealed a memorandum of understanding has been signed that indicates smart USA will obtain the rights to procure and distribute a five-door, gasoline powered, B-segment vehicle from Nissan. The unit would go up […] [Read More]

The battle between two rental car giants to acquire Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group has been chaotic to say the least, but in the aftermath of a Hertz Global Holdings and DTAG deal falling through, it appears Avis Budget Group and Dollar Thrifty have reached an accord. The two companies put out a joint statement Tuesday saying […] [Read More]

The National Automobile Dealers Association is looking to help dealers avoid consumer confusion after officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rolled out an enhanced 5-Star Safety Ratings System for new vehicles. What concerns NADA are the varied results from the first round of model-year 2011 vehicles tested under the […] [Read More]