Three dealerships are changing hands in the Southwest. Bender Chevrolet GMC, Bender Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Bender Honda Nissan in Clovis, N.M., have been sold to Frank Pena and Brad Bender, according to a news release from Pinnacle Mergers & Acquisitions, which facilitated the sale. Pena will be dealer principal and Bender has joined […] [Read More]

Caribou’s Q2 2026 Auto Refinance Trends Report showed subprime consumers enjoyed the deepest rate cuts across credit tiers, based on data from April to June of customers who refinanced to lower their monthly payments. Before someone begins to project that refinancing in the subprime market could take off even more if the Federal Reserve goes […] [Read More]

Dealers and car shoppers have a new assistant in Canada. CarGurus announced Monday —  its 10th anniversary in the country — that it has launched Guru, an artificial intelligence car-shopping assistant designed to help consumers find the best deals while helping dealers connect with consumers. Guru was first launched on the company’s U.S. site and […] [Read More]

Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital has acquired a majority stake in Conversica after leading a major recapitalization of the company, which is an artificial intelligence platform for auto retail. Conversica’s management team has retained a “significant ownership position” and will continue to lead the business. In addition to the recapitalization, Conversica announced Monday that it has […] [Read More]

CarDr, an automotive diagnostics technology company, announced last week it has launched an Auction Arbitration Risk Report, which can help auctions and dealerships find hidden mechanical exposure before a car enters a sale. This standalone diagnostic intelligence validates findings from vehicle scans against arbitration policies from the National Auto Auction Association, aiming to prevent avoidable […] [Read More]

As much as artificial intelligence and other technologies have boosted auto financing, sometimes the fundamentals of just making a good car deal remain most important. FICO recently hosted an online dialogue with its head of auto, Shams Blanc, and Jim Dietrich, who is senior vice president of product at NCC. Not surprisingly, both Blanc and […] [Read More]

Credit Acceptance announced departures of two more high-ranking executives on Monday morning, saying the “leadership changes (are) designed to advance our digital-first strategy and position the company for long-term success.” The subprime auto finance company first revealed late Friday afternoon in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that its board of directors and […] [Read More]

In Catalyst IQ’s State of the Industry report for the second quarter, a subsection titled “Actionable Guidance for Automotive Retail” lists the following used-car implications for automakers. “A healthy used market supports long-term brand value by strengthening residual values and lease economics. Monitoring and supporting used supply will remain essential when planning production levels, incentive […] [Read More]

Add DAS Technology to the list of service providers that have revamped their offerings in part because of a crackdown on vehicle pricing orchestrated by the Federal Trade Commission. The company on Thursday highlighted a segment of the newly launched Dealer Digital Intelligence (DDI) — the next evolution of its Dealer Digital Evaluation (DDE) platform […] [Read More]

Soon after successful completion of its latest SOC 2 Type II certification with zero exceptions, Yotta Automated Software Solutions, Inc. (YASSI) announced on Thursday the availability of its Easy-Connect API platform. The move gives enterprise organizations across lending, insurance, automotive retail, fleet operations, and government a single integration for trusted, real-time vehicle intelligence. Purpose-built for […] [Read More]