In some good news for the auto industry, the Federal Trade Commission said this week that dealers have been doing a good job adhering to a rule that deals with consumer protection in credit contracts. The FTC examined 50 dealerships throughout the U.S. to see how well they complied with the commission’s Rule Concerning Preservation […] [Read More]

Fiat of Lakeside, the first stand-alone Fiat retail point in Michigan has officially opened its doors as of Wednesday. The new dealership — or "studio" — located in Macomb, Mich., is owned by the Galeana Automotive Group and was previously home to Galeana Automotive Group’s Saturn of Lakeside, which closed in 2010 due to General […] [Read More]

Since used-car managers’ inventory decisions nowadays are so affected by wholesale and new-vehicle supply conditions, the Pre-Owned Automobile Dealers Alliance is bringing a pair of experts together to help dealers navigate the conditions. The next free Webinar in POADA’s ongoing dealer training series, Pre-Owned LIVE, is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday. The event […] [Read More]

It appears that brands known throughout the years for luxury and status are now being equated with fuel efficiency and economic value, according to a report on Forbes.com. In light of this emerging trend, Forbes.com offered a list of luxury rides with fuel economies of 30 miles per gallon or higher. The number of luxury […] [Read More]

The new-vehicle market will likely hit the pre-recession norm of 16 million annual unit sales the year after next, according to a study from  the A.T. Kearney consulting firm, which is projecting 2011 new-vehicle sales will reach 13.2 million units. Furthermore, the firm suggests that the new- and used-vehicle markets are apt to benefit from […] [Read More]

Earlier this week, Auto Finance Big Wheels spotlighted the 10 largest auto lenders in the U.S. for 2010 and at the top of the rankings was a finance company that certainly had some challenges to hurdle during the year: Ally Financial. According to the report — which is published by the Auto Finance Advisors consultancy […] [Read More]

AutoTrader.com thinks its April traffic data backs up why the majority of potential buyers are likely looking closely at the fuel-efficient segment of dealers’ inventories. Furthermore, a study conducted by AutoTrader.com in March and April showed that 62 percent of shoppers are considering purchasing a vehicle that is more fuel efficient than the unit they […] [Read More]

TrueCar.com announced Tuesday its April Performance Scorecard results, ranking manufacturers and brands on various criteria, including sales and customer loyalty. Though luxury brands were in the mix at the top,  a couple of non-luxury automakers found themselves on equal footing.   Porsche recieved the highest grade by manufacturer with an A+, with Hyundai and BMW […] [Read More]

ADESA and Toyota Financial Services unveiled their new online auction platform on Tuesday, giving Toyota and Lexus dealers a new version of Dealer Direct that includes a slew of new features and upgraded functionality. Dealer Direct lets Toyota and Lexus dealers buy off-lease units prior to them being sold at physical auctions. [Read More]

DealerTrack said this week General Motors has certified DealerTrack’s customer relationship management/Internet lead management system for deployment by GM franchise dealers using the DealerTrack dealer management system. Officials contend that the combination of DealerTrack’s CRM/ ILM systems with a dealership’s DMS can give store managers a complete end-to-end solution for customer communications, from prospecting and […] [Read More]