With franchised dealers eager to be the landing spot for off-lease units, Edmunds.com assembled a trio of reasons why it might be prudent to end a lease early. Senior consumer advice editor Phil Reed explained how recent changes have created equity in vehicle leases in his study called, “3 Ways to Turn Your Lease into […] [Read More]

Predicting a 4- to 6-percent spike in used-vehicle values into early next year, Kelley Blue Book came out Tuesday and strongly suggested that consumers make the move now if they’re looking to purchase a used model. The refilling of the industry’s used supply via off-lease and off-rental models will likely be limited in early 2012, pushing prices up. […] [Read More]

With one month remaining in 2011, Audi says sales on both the new-car and certified pre-owned fronts are already ahead of annual records. On top of revealing it has its posted its highest-ever U.S. annual sales rate for the first 10 months of this year, Audi also enjoyed significant growth in its certified division, beating another […] [Read More]

Recapping some analysis from U.K.-based Bernstein Research, CNNMoney recently revealed a dozen models that dealers would be wise to keep on their lots. And interestingly enough, the top three vehicles on the list of the 12 most profitable models were trucks from Big 3 automakers. CNNMoney quoted Bernstein auto researcher Max Walburton as saying that […] [Read More]

Volvo officially has a new leader for its U.S. operations to replace Doug Speck, who has a new role. Appointed this week to serve as president of Volvo Cars of U.S. is John Maloney, acting president of Volvo Cars of North America since May. The move was effective immediately. Meanwhile, Speck has taken the role of […] [Read More]

Forecasted to sail over October’s highs, Edmunds.com is predicting this month’s SAAR will reach 13.6 million. This translates into 991,296 million new-car sales for November.  So what are the big factors behind the predicted climb? First, this past Thanksgiving weekend brought higher auto sales than initially expected, a trend that Edmunds.com is contributing to “the […] [Read More]

The National Automobile Dealers Association revealed that exhibit space at its upcoming 2012 convention and expo in Las Vegas has sold out. “Booth space for exhibitors is busting at the seams, which is another indicator the auto industry is showing signs of recovery,” explained Steve Pitt, NADA vice president of conventions and expositions. “We have […] [Read More]

Cars.com’s iPhone app has landed the company a top accolade from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The company was recently chosen out of more than 6,000 entries as a recipient of a MarCom Platinum Award for its automotive shopping app. The MarCom awards are administered annually by the Association of Marketing and Communication […] [Read More]

As the Chevy Volt’s battery safety is called into question by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the General Motors team is stepping up to the plate to reassure consumers it is standing firmly by the product. Management outlined several steps it’s taking to confirm the model’s safety, and the automaker is also offering free loaner vehicles.  […] [Read More]

Since last week included Thanksgiving, Black Book found the lanes to be quieter than usual as dealers feasted before hitting the showroom to welcome shoppers. For dealers who still scoured auctions for inventory a week ago, Ricky Beggs indicated he wasn’t surprised by what comments came back to Black Book headquarters. [Read More]