Used-vehicle trade-in values have been relatively high as of late, according to analysis provided by the National Automobile Dealers Association, which said these strong values are among a slew of factors projected to drive stronger new-vehicle sales in coming months. After touching on the influence of gas prices, economic gains, an aging vehicle fleet and […] [Read More]

Vehicle history report provider instaVIN revealed this week a series of expansions and new offerings. Within its reports, the company now provides key ownership records and additional theft records, as well as other new information, officials noted. This new information comes on top of the  National Motor Vehicle Title Information System-sourced DMV title, brand, insurance […] [Read More]

DealerRater on Wednesday announced national availability of its new comprehensive online reputation and social monitoring platform — 360Certified — a solution for new dealership customers, as well as an upgrade for existing Certified Dealers.  The company explained that 360Certified is the premium level of DealerRater’s popular Certified Dealer Program. In addition to the full suite […] [Read More]

A new website that helps consumers search for vehicles based on car payment and ZIP code has recently launched, giving dealers another avenue to connect with in-market shoppers. Karhunt.com allows shoppers to search subscribing dealers’ inventories to find cars within their payment range. “Karhunt was born out of our 20-plus years’ experience with the auto […] [Read More]

While used-car sales last month jumped more than 40 percent from March, the year-over-year change was much more moderate, according to CNW Research. The firm said Tuesday that there were 3.79 million used sales in April, which is a 40.2-percent month-over-month rise and a 7-percent hike from April 2011. While the 40.2-percent month-over-month upswing may […] [Read More]

Thanks to the higher-than-projected residual values of its vehicles, Avis Budget Group’s adjusted EBITDA has hit “record levels,” the company said Tuesday as it reported preliminary first-quarter earnings results. More specifically, Avis Budget said — based on preliminary findings — that it pulled in about $119 million in adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter, a […] [Read More]

While one analyst took a cautious approach when dissecting April’s new-vehicle sales performance, other industry watchers continued to be impressed by what’s developing with Chrysler. The domestic OEM announced Tuesday it posted its best April sales performance since 2008, turning 141,165 units for a 20-percent increase compared with sales in April of last year when […] [Read More]

A new website called Trading-in.com could be beneficial to both consumers and dealers via its trade-in vehicle listings. At the request of the consumer who owns the vehicle, Trading-in.com allows dealers to list a vehicle and its given trade-in price plus any repairs, overhead and certification costs at the website. Listings are posted for three […] [Read More]

About six weeks after striking an alliance with an app development firm, Sonic Automotive launched its own iPhone application on Tuesday. Sonic highlighted its app, Sonic Auto Search, is designed to guide consumers through an easy, yet comprehensive, search process to connect users to the vehicle and dealer that best fit their needs. The Sonic […] [Read More]

As CarMax reportedly took the next step in expansion plans, Penske Automotive Group expanded its stable of foreign franchised dealerships Tuesday with the appointment of a new Nissan store and a new Infiniti rooftop in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Officials highlighted the new dealerships are located on Van Ness Avenue, what they consider […] [Read More]