dealers

Lexus and MINI are among the brands with the best dealership service. That's according to the J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study—the big annual study that gauges multiple aspects of dealership service after the sale. Overall, Lexus ranked at the top among...Read More»

As more of our lives move to the web, it's only natural that we'll spend more time getting information there, too. And as we acquire that information -- as a growing number of consumers are doing-- more purchases will be made online, too. In fact, one research firm has estimated that within five...Read More»

While the U.S. auto market outlook can hardly be called bullish, sales this past month are pointing to some growth, and some further steps toward a rebound, in 2011. And that rebound still looks quite far away. AutoPacific is anticipating 12.4 million next year, and J.D. Power predicts that U.S...Read More»

It's the time for holiday cheer, egg nog, and fruitcake. And it's that time of the year when, at most dealerships, there are still a few stragglers on the new-car lot—yes, we mean those 2010 models that are already several months obsolete and with the arrival of a new calendar year are going...Read More»

Bad-mouthing the boss is a pretty terrible idea, but that doesn't stop people from doing it. In hallways, at the water cooler, over cocktails at happy hour, disgruntled employees frequently air their grievances to potentially sympathetic co-workers and friends. Most of those complaints never make...Read More»

The next time you're out car shopping, give the Hyundai dealership another chance. You could find a much larger building, or a completely different experience. Many Hyundai dealerships are poised for an upgrade. According to Automotive News, 40 of Hyundai's 803 U.S. dealerships have changed hands...Read More»

Remember when auction sites were the hot new thing? When eBay was groundbreaking? When authors around the globe made a pretty penny selling books and pamphlets and CD-ROMs (remember those?) showing you and your grandmother how to make a fortune selling your posessions online? Yeah, it's a distant...Read More»

Ford Motor Co. [NYSE:F] is planning to consolidate its Lincoln dealerships, and asking those that stay with the brand to upgrade. Earlier this week, at a gathering of Lincoln dealers at the company's headquarters, details for the plan were announced. Although they remain secret, the automaker...Read More»

During tough economic times, companies often cut back on marketing -- in fact, advertising budgets are frequently the first to shrink when danger looms and the last to expand once the coast clear. As a result, some analysts see ad spending as the equivalent of the canary in the mine shaft: a sign...Read More»

Back in August, some Chrysler dealers were worried about CEO Sergio Marchionne's plans to launch Fiat in the U.S. They were concerned about the expense (Marchionne wants to sell the Fiat in new, Fiat-branded showrooms), the logic of adding another brand to the Chrysler family, and the demand for...Read More»

At a time when credit isn't taken for granted the way that it was just a few years ago, some are rediscovering the idea that new cars don't have to be financed. If you've been good at saving money, you know that it hasn't been earning much interest anyway. But does taking out that bank check or fat...Read More»

Some of the phrases used in headlines this week, to describe August auto sales, have been brutal: "sales slowing to a crawl," "taking a tumble," or "struggling along" were just a few. But they're pretty appropriate. "We saw the worst August in 28 years," looking at sales altogether, assessed Jesse...Read More»

Next Monday, August 30, Chrysler will bring 600 dealers to the Detroit Institute of Arts, where CEO Sergio Marchionne will share his vision for the U.S. rollout of the Fiat brand, and subsequently, Alfa Romeo. He will have a lot of 'splainin' to do. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal...Read More»

It seems that some Cash for Clunkers vehicles—and paperwork—have gone missing. We knew it would happen. With hundreds of thousands of vehicles taken on trade—some in good shape and worth potentially more than their $4,500 rebate value—it’s no surprise that a few, somewhere, didn’t end...Read More»

New technology always comes with its share of detractors. Renaissance Brits hated the fork. Silent film vamp Clara Bow hated talkies. And now, Penske Automotive Group has taken a stand against social media. In a brief interview with Automotive News,  the company's vice president of business...Read More»

If you're shopping for a sporty, economical compact sedan, we'd recommend that you put the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi on your shopping list. But there's a potential snag: With Suzuki cutting its dealership base, you might find that you no longer have an outlet nearby. Despite strong, almost unanimously...Read More»

Ah, the Interwebz. We wrote a little story last Thursday about how Dodge digitally erased the image of a monkey from an end-of-year clearance commercial after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals complained. And it sorta went viral. Tens of thousands of people viewed it, and more than 50...Read More»

The next time you're out shopping for a new vehicle, you could find your options considerably more limited than last time. The reason: due mostly to the economy but also due to other changes in the industry, the ranks of dealerships have been culled over the past couple of years like never before...Read More»