A $100 million investment, 400 new jobs and a lot more Lexus vehicles coming off the line — that’s the word from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. this week. In the company’s second major expansion announcement this year, Toyota said it will hire 400 new employees and make the investment at its Cambridge, Ontario facility […] [Read More]

Gas prices are on the rise. And perhaps connected to this trend,  the compact car wholesale price slides seen this summer are slowing, as consumers take note of rising fuel rates, once again. According to NADA Used Car Guide’s analysis of wholesale prices, another segment is spiraling downward. For this week, the midsize van segment […] [Read More]

With used-vehicle sales up by double digits, Lithia Motors stressed the importance of trade-ins to dealers as the company highlighted its second-quarter results. Used-vehicle retail same-store sales increased 20 percent, and Bryan DeBoer, president and chief executive officer, highlighted that the company is focused on acquiring more trade-ins for its stores in an effort to […] [Read More]

Strong incentives have helped lift Korean automakers over Toyota on Dataium’s monthly Automotive Shopper Intensity index, breaking the Camry’s winning ASI streak. Released on Wednesday, the Dataium index shows that strong incentives and marketing campaigns promoting fuel efficiency helped Hyundai’s Sonata and Elantra claim the top two spots in the index to rank highest in […] [Read More]

Although most new-vehicle buyers remain in the same size segment as their old ride, more than a quarter are downsizing these days. And often they get just as much enjoyment out of their economized rides, says J.D. Power and Associates. These findings were part of the firm’s 2012 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study, […] [Read More]

So many review sites, so little time: That’s the premise behind a new tool launched by reputation and social media management firm SOCIALDEALER. Announced this week, the reputation monitoring service aims to help dealers and manufacturers actively monitor the top ten review sites in real time, including Google, DealerRater, Edmunds.com and Cars.com. The SOCIALDEALER tool […] [Read More]

Continuing a string of growth announcements revealed throughout the year, online salvage vehicle auction company Copart opened its third physical facility in North Carolina this week. The company indicated its newest facility in the Tar Heel State is located in Mebane, representing Copart’s 155th facility worldwide. Officials explained that the site will be used to […] [Read More]

DMEautomotive announced Wednesday that five of its sales and service marketing programs have been approved for General Motors CSSR “Plus Ups” Certification.  Effective immediately, officials highlighted that thousands of GM dealers are now eligible to receive iMR sales matching funds and/or parts funds for these important loyalty, service marketing and customer retention programs that can […] [Read More]

In remarks during a celebratory presentation earlier this week for the opening of a Hendrick Automotive Group dealership in North Carolina, it was emphasized that success for a dealer isn’t just about selling a car. It’s about keeping a customer for the long haul. And this sentiment was among the attributes Rick Hendrick honed in […] [Read More]

The pre-owned business at Asbury Automotive Group may be quite pivotal in helping another segment continue to make progress. Asbury generated nearly $18 million in gross profits from reconditioning and preparation work during the second quarter, helping its parts and service business achieve a 4-percent year-over-year gain in both parts and service gross profits and […] [Read More]