Certified pre-owned sales for Asian- and European-brand programs were each down year-over-year in September, but both have managed to continue beating 2012 year-to-date levels by double-digit percentages, according to Autodata Corp. Asian brands collectively posted 77,897 CPO sales in September, down 3.9 percent year-over-year. Through three quarters, however, their certified numbers are up 11 percent […] [Read More]

Lithia Motors said Monday it has acquired a new dealership in the Sunshine State. The dealership group added Stockton Nissian Kia located in Stockton, Calif., to its store lineup this week. The store will be renamed Nissan and Kia of Stockton. The company shared that the new store will add an estimated $45 million in […] [Read More]

Every dealership wants to perform well on search engines, especially Google, since it controls 70 percent of the U.S. search market. It’s like the old Willie Sutton line about why he robbed banks: You work with Google because that’s where the customers are. Google has just made its biggest change ever to its search engine, […] [Read More]

Manheim chief economist Tom Webb first cited data from J.D. Power that indicated more than 3 million new-vehicle leases will be written this year, thanks to a penetration rate well above 25 percent. With those numbers in mind, Webb contends those levels can — and should — move even higher, resulting in healthy returns for […] [Read More]

Cars might just be catching up with trucks when it comes to retention rates is the latest data from Black Book is any indicator. Black Book’s Ricky Beggs said one of the most interesting trends seen in the lanes last week was that the mix of price increases was greater for cars than trucks, contrary […] [Read More]

New-vehicle inventories again had a direct impact on wholesale prices, according to Tom Webb’s analysis after sharing the latest Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index reading. Manheim indicated wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) rose for the fourth consecutive month in September, pushing the index to 122.8, which represents an increase […] [Read More]

How does your dealership rate? There’s a new way to find out, as a new online scoring system for dealership reputation rolled out this week to compare dealers against others within their area. Called Consumer Perception Rating, the new website is located at www.ConsumerPerceptionRating.org or www.myCPRscore.org, and provides dealerships with a CPR Score its creator […] [Read More]

Consider the respective approaches of hypothetical Dealership A versus Dealership B. Assume that both dealerships own exactly the same used vehicle. After 45 days of inventory life, Dealership A says, “retail the car and lose $600.” Dealership B says, “are you out of your mind? … There’s no way I’m retailing a vehicle after only […] [Read More]

ADESA and Chrysler Group LLC Remarketing have rolled out an upgraded version of the Chrysler Direct online remarketing website for Chrysler Group dealers that includes a new user interface and search features, among other new functions. ChryslerDirect.com is powered via technology from ADESA subsidiary OPENLANE.   [Read More]

As leaves turn and weather cools, many car shoppers start thinking about purchases that will get them through the winter months. Cars that can brave winter road conditions are top of mind, and dealers can capitalize on this practical turn, as well. AutoTrader.com editors offered up a list this week that names the top all-wheel […] [Read More]