Thanks in part to what analysts called a series of popular vehicle redesigns across its lineup, Lexus shopper loyalty in the fourth quarter increased 9.2 percentage points year-over-year within Kelley Blue Book’s new-model audience. The gain pushed Lexus to come in just behind Toyota, which has held the No. 1 spot for shopper for five […] [Read More]

As gas prices remain high after reaching over $4 in 2012, consumers’ vehicle preferences are bound to shift. And according to Energy Information Administration data released Monday, the average price of regular grade gasoline (all formulations) increased by eighteen cents from $3.36 to 3.54 this past week. Experian Automotive looked into potential buyer reaction to […] [Read More]

Inventory Finance company NextGear Capital, the result of the recent merger Manheim Automotive Financial Services and Dealer Services Corp., revealed late Thursday it has chosen a vice president of industry relations. Tapped for the position is Todd Croom, who previously held the position of VP of finance at Manheim. The company shared Croom will be […] [Read More]

Harrisburg Auto Auction raised more than $35,000 for the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief through a program in November and December where the auction donated $5 for every vehicle sold. Having sold more than 7,000 units during these months and with the auction employees walking through the lanes to solicit donations from dealers, […] [Read More]

Used inventory seems to be loosening up as 2013 gets underway, and many dealers now have the time to turn their focus towards marketing their quality, used vehicles, especially in the online space. In an effort to help this process along, Dominion Dealer Solutions revealed this week a new commenting tool for vehicle inventory which […] [Read More]

Results of a partnership by Dataium and HookLogic to reactivate older sales leads were released this week, and the companies say the numbers point to success. The partnership, which kicked off in fourth quarter 2012, combines Dataium’s contextual behavior analysis and HookLogic’s targeting incentives to reach shoppers considered inactive or no longer in the market […] [Read More]

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., and ATLANTA — Geared to help ease the transition from online shopping to in-store buying for both consumers and dealers, Dealertrack Technologies and AutoTrader.com formed a strategic partnership to bring dealer-driven (indirect) automotive financing to vehicle shoppers online. As part of this partnership, Dealertrack and AutoTrader.com are piloting an innovative digital retailing […] [Read More]

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — Penske Automotive Group isn't satisfied with F&I gross profit per retail sale in 2012 coming in at $1,000 when others franchised dealer groups have higher levels. Chairman Roger Penske explained this week that F&I is a target for improvement through what he said would be a combination of efforts, including "adding […] [Read More]

CINCINNATI — Automobile Consumer Services, a provider of direct-to-consumer financing and leasing services, recently entered into a joint agreement with LendingTree Autos and CreditSmarts.com. The deal is designed to offer competitive financing options for consumers of LendingTree Autos and to dealers of the CreditSmarts.com lending platform. Officials highlighted this new partnership is meant to bring […] [Read More]

Canadian debt levels continued to creep up in the last quarter of 2012. In fact, TransUnion's quarterly analysis of Canadian credit trends found that the average consumer's total debt (excluding mortgage) increased nearly 6 percent from $25,960 at the end of 2011 to $27,485 in Q4 2012. “The year-over-year increase was the largest of its […] [Read More]