In what could be an encouraging sign for dealers looking for sales traction, the October Consumer Reports Index shows some positive developments on several consumer fronts, including an improved retail picture, modest gains in employment and fewer Americans having economic difficulties. To come to that overall picture, Consumer Reports broke down the various components of […] [Read More]

Thanks to the company signing on to the Automotive Advertising Network, dealers who utilize the services of TK Carsites now have a digital marketing tool at their disposal that can help them generate more leads and sale and boost their search-engine visibility. [Read More]

Chrysler’s Jeep brand has expanded its “geosocial” presence, announcing Tuesday that it now has a Foursquare profile. Jeep claims that it is the first auto brand to sign on to Foursquare, which, as some may know, is a location-based social-networking application. Doing so gives Jeep quite an audience to tap into, as officials said there […] [Read More]

Minivans have their stereotypes, but evidently Kelley Blue Book shoppers are flocking to a redesigned version of the large family hauler. For the second week in a row, KBB.com editors found the 2011 Honda Odyssey posted the largest amount of new-vehicle shopper activity. The site’s most recent Hot Car Report indicated the Odyssey led all […] [Read More]

Autumn leaves might be falling, but OPENLANE’s U.S. Market Index reached its highest level ever in September. Vice president of analytics Nagi Palle pinpointed the September reading at 111, a five-point rise from the previous month. The index’s previous high stood at 110 for two consecutive months in November and December of last year. While […] [Read More]

QCSA Holdings said Monday that it has bought a Ham Lake, Minn.-based independently owned and operated full-service salvage auction company. With the addition of Insurance Salvage Recovery, the QCSA salvage vehicle remarketing network now has 80 facilities. Explaining more about ISR, officials noted that it opened in 2011 and offers “personalized salvage management and top-notch […] [Read More]

Cars.com revealed its vice president of technology late last week. Appointed to the role is Kayne Grau, who has been with the company since 2008. In the new position, Grau’s duties include leading strategy and guiding projects for the company’s information technology initiatives. “Kayne brings to the task an impressive track record here and extensive experience managing […] [Read More]

NADAguides.com named its Car of the Month for October last week, and taking this month’s accolades is the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan. The site praised the model for its revamped exterior and interior and bolstered power, while also lauding the size, safety and technology upgrades. “When we say or hear Volkswagen, first thought is: German,” […] [Read More]

Ford continues to look for ways smartphone application developers can modify existing apps to work hands-free using voice recognition through SYNC. So automaker executives recently went to one of the largest annual gatherings of the wireless telecommunications community to release their Software Development Kit (SDK). It’s meant to assist these developers and forge a more […] [Read More]

Jim Ellis Chevrolet announced Monday that it is in some elite company. The dealership said it is among the Southeast’s four Chevrolet stores to be honored with General Motors’ Mark of Excellence for 2009. Officials said that just the top 7 percent of the 3,000 Chevrolet dealers in the U.S. earn this distinction, which lauds […] [Read More]