To dealers, knowing what a customer is looking for in a car is a crucial aspect of the sales process. Based on the results of a recent survey, NADAguides.com discovered five of the most important attributes customers considered when shopping for a vehicle. The site discovered that  fuel economy, ownership cost, brand perception, safety and […] [Read More]

The Presidio Group’s Automotive Retail Buy-Sell Report reinforced why executives from Sonic Automotive, Lithia Motors and Penske Automotive Group talked about potential store acquisition so much recently. Report authors said lift in dealership buy-sell activity is being driven by a rising economy, higher dealership profits and attractive borrowing terms for dealership buyers. After the first […] [Read More]

What the finance company and automaker said was coming back in February became a reality on Wednesday as Santander Consumer USA and Chrysler Group officially launched its new private-label, full-service lending program. Chrysler Capital is designed to offer a broad spectrum of financing services for Chrysler customers and dealers. Under a 10-year, private-label agreement announced […] [Read More]

Edmonton-base dealership group Go Auto announced this week it has opened a new luxury location. The new store, Infiniti South Edmonton, complements the services of Ericksen Infiniti (located on the north side of the city), the company said. With this addition, the Western Canada Go Auto dealership group now has over 30 locations and an […] [Read More]

On Tuesday, Mercedes-Benz USA revealed a series of management changes, effective today, including naming a new general manager of fleet and pre-owned. Appointed to the position is Kurt Cornell, who most recently served as an area manager for the Western region. “In his new role, Cornell will be responsible for volume, customer experience and profit […] [Read More]

NADA Used Car Guide executive analyst Jonathan Banks predicted strong sales performances for both used and new models for the rest of this year. In a video interview on “AutoFocus with David Hyatt,” Banks reviewed first-quarter results and discussed the positive impact the recovering economy is having on sales of cars and trucks. “Everyone talks […] [Read More]

Some dealers might think Bill Simmons, general manager of Haley Toyota Certified in Richmond, Va., is getting ahead of himself with his used vehicles. The reason: Simmons doesn’t wait until cars arrive at his dealership from the auction to get them online. Most Friday nights, he’s working past 11 p.m. to cull photos and create […] [Read More]

As its report highlighted the latest battle between popular vehicle segments, Dataium’s newest Automotive Shopper Intensity Index ticked up 0.14 percent in March. As a result, the aggregator of in-market automotive shopper behavior projected the U.S. retail new-vehicle SAAR in April to be 12.3 million units. In March, analysts found the truck, sedan and compact […] [Read More]

Converting Internet chat into sales leads for dealers is the object of a new tool introduced by FordDirect. The company on Tuesday announced LiveConnect Communication Service, an enhancement to its product offerings it said “enables dealers to better engage with consumers in real time through their websites.” A dealer-managed chat solution, LiveConnect tracks a car […] [Read More]

This week, Dealertrack Technologies announced the election of Joe Payne to its board of directors, raising the size of the management group to nine members. “Joe Payne brings a wealth of experience to our Board, and we expect him to be a valuable asset to our team as we deliver the market leading suite of […] [Read More]