Along with the top 15 used models generating the most consumer activity in January, NADA Used Car Guide also highlighted which brands gained the most traction year-over-year at NADAguides.com. Leading the way with a 6-percent higher gain than the next nearest brand was Audi, which posted a 25-percent climb in shopper activity on the site […] [Read More]

Satisfied customers and positive online reviews earned 95 U.S. auto dealerships honors from Edmunds.com. The company presented its inaugural Edmunds.com Five Star Premier Dealer Awards to the dealerships on Feb. 8, at the NADA Convention and Expo held in Orlando, Fla. Edmunds president Seth Berkowitz said, “Edmunds.com believes that customer service should be the No. […] [Read More]

From time to time, I’m asked to explain why I don’t believe that a dealer’s history of used-vehicle sales is a reliable guide to determine the cars to acquire and sell in the current market. I’ll often begin my explanation with an important caveat: I do not dismiss the value of history to provide clues […] [Read More]

instaVIN announced Tuesday a free mobile app designed to allows users to run a VIN check and generate vehicle history and title reports from the company. To do this, users simply scan the VIN barcode on existing photos or entering the VIN manually. Through the mobile app, dealers can scan VIN numbers while they’re at […] [Read More]

Dataium, an aggregator of online automotive shopper behavior, announced the recipients of its first annual ASI (Auto Shopper Intensity) Awards. Honors were awarded to winners in 21 vehicle segments. Toyota dominated this year’s award rundown by taking the top spot in several categories. Seven of its models — the Prius, RAV4, Tundra, Camry, Highlander, Sequoia […] [Read More]

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., and IRVINE, Calif. — Depending on who is responding, the subprime auto financing market is either growing at a sustainable pace or is leading back to poor practices such as underwriting that's too loose. As Fitch Ratings approached its assessment cautiously, high-level executives from Credit Acceptance and Consumer Portfolio Services both shared upbeat […] [Read More]

DETROIT — The F&I office should be busy this year based on the results of an Ally Financial survey conducted at the recent National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo. More than 70 percent of participating dealers expect sales of F&I products such as vehicle service contracts to increase this year. Ally's survey also found […] [Read More]

NEW YORK and CHICAGO — Continuing a string of investment firms pushing money into subprime auto lenders, special finance paper purchaser Nationwide Acceptance Corp. recently received an injection from Prospect Capital Corp. Officials said the combined debt and equity financing totaled $25.2 million. Founded in 1954, Nationwide operates in 22 states and purchases loans originated […] [Read More]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the agency decided to extends deadline for comments on proposed modifications to its Used Car Rule, the Federal Trade Commission said its annual study of the U.S. credit reporting industry found that 5 percent of consumers had errors on one of their three major credit reports that could lead to them […] [Read More]

Today’s woman CPO car shopper doesn’t just want to buy a car. She wants a pain-free, fun and empowering car buying experience. When she enters your showroom, the first thing she’ll want to know is who she’s dealing with. If you are friendly, knowledgeable and listen to her, you’ll gain her trust. That’s the thing […] [Read More]