Rivian made a splash at the 2018 LA Auto Show after it debuted the R1T electric pickup truck and R1S electric SUV. Although the startup automaker plans for two vehicles that are far outside the norm of legacy automakers, the company's CEO still sees a future for dealerships, albeit a modified one...Read More»
California new-car dealers have asked Volvo to cease its Care by Volvo subscription service and allege the program violates the law. According to a letter from Brian Maas, President of the California New Car Dealers Association, the service may illegally engage in the practice of "payment packing"...Read More»
Nearly three-quarters of new car buyers go online to get an idea of what their trade-in vehicle is worth prior to going to the dealership, and almost two-thirds of those estimates are accurate, according to a recent survey conducted for Automotive News. In other words, about half of all car buyers...Read More»
Despite record new car sales and higher average transaction prices, new car dealers aren't the cash cows they once were. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) released its midyear report last week, and it’s not great news for dealers as intense competition eats into their...Read More»
Five decades ago, a man by the name of Malcolm Bricklin brought Subaru to America. More than a few people thought the guy was crazy, including plenty of Subaru executives, but today, we realize that Bricklin was on to something big.* That's not to say that Bricklin's instincts have always been...Read More»
These days, you can buy just about anything online: clothing, food, sexytime accessories, even booze. One of the few things you can't purchase online, however, is a new car. According to a survey conducted by marketing firm Root & Associates, that's a real frustration for shoppers, and it could...Read More»
Insiders report that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is planning a dramatic expansion of its dealer network. If the rumors are correct, the company could add as many as 400 shops in the U.S.--a 16 percent increase. The question is: why now? All in the timing After the Great Recession, U.S. auto sales...Read More»
The internet has forced all of us to grow up. It's presented us with streaming images of wars around the globe. It's changed our opinions of people we thought we knew. It's made us realize that innocent-sounding videos like "Two Girls, One Cup" may not be all that they seem. The internet has also...Read More»
America's auto dealership model may not be fully broken, but most folks--especially consumers--would agree that it's in need of a 21st century overhaul. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles apparently thinks so, too. The car company recently announced plans to begin selling vehicles on Amazon. Doing so won't...Read More»
Shopping for a new car can be pretty exciting--until the point that you have to head to a dealership. That's when the migraine meds can come in handy. At least one dealer wants to improve the experience, though. He's got his work cut out for him, because there are many reasons people hate...Read More»
If you've ever had to participate in a leadership seminar or management training workshop, you know some of the keys to good communication: Speak with enthusiasm and passion (but don't overdo it) Smile (but make sure it's genuine) Use the right body posture You also know to avoid technical jargon...Read More»
With less than a month to go before election day, most of America's news headlines are focused on the presidential election--and rightly so. But in the background, the non-stop fiacsco known as Dieselgate has been lumbering on. Here are a few of the recent items you might've missed: America's VW...Read More»
Autonomy, electrification, ride-sharing: tomorrow's auto industry is going to look very different from today's. Some automakers and dealers are fighting the tide of change tooth and nail; others, like Tesla, are charging headlong into the unknown, often without much success. A new app called...Read More»
Shopping for a new car is often an exercise in frustration. Sure, researching your next ride can be enjoyable--even entertaining--but the fun abruptly stops when you have to schlep to the showroom. Much of that unpleasantness is directly related to the arcane car-buying process. When you're...Read More»
Few questions have black and white answers: Is wine really good for you? It depends. Is Kanye West's fashion line as dumb as everyone says? Maybe. Is everything bigger in Texas? No comment. For the most part, we live a universe of gray. But some things aren't up for debate. For example: Do people...Read More»
Cadillac's head honcho, Johan de Nysschen, loves to ruffle feathers, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that his grand vision for General Motors' premium brand is bold, brash, and a little controversial. However, critics charge that de Nysschen's plan isn't just unorthodox, it may be illegal. De...Read More»
This may come as a shock, but many people think that car salespeople are dishonest. A recent Gallup poll ranked nurses, pharmacists, and doctors among the most-trusted professions, but car salespeople landed at the bottom of the list, tied with telemarketers and members of Congress. Only lobbyists...Read More»
For years, Tesla Motors has fought to undo, overturn, and slip through loopholes in state franchise laws that prevent automakers from selling vehicles directly to consumers. But now, in an interesting twist, Tesla has begun applying for a dealership license -- in the state of Michigan, no less...Read More»
South Carolina's Supreme Court has handed down a hefty win for auto shoppers. In a 3-2 ruling, justices found that Hendrick Honda of Easley shouldn't have been charging customers a $299 "closing fee" between 2002 and 2006. The decision will cost Hendrick some $2.8 million in actual (not punitive)...Read More»
