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Dealers scramble to deal with growing new-car inventories
Abandoned factories, forgotten shopping malls, and undeveloped parcels of land have become parking lots full of new cars as dealers try to figure out what to do with mounting inventories of unsold vehicles. As of April 1, dealerships in the U.S. had 4.2 million unsold new cars waiting to find...Read More»
Car dealers saddled with least demand, most inventory since Great Recession
The amount of time it would take new car dealers to sell off their inventories is at the highest level since the Great Recession, Automotive News reported Monday. New-car dealers in the U.S. had more than 4 million unsold vehicles in inventory at the beginning of March, which translates to a 79-day...Read More»
Startup electric-car builder Rivian's CEO sees a different future for dealerships
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 car dealers take on Volvo over subscription service
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»
Survey: Appraising your trade-in online makes for a smoother haggling process
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»
New car dealers not as profitable as they once were
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»
The man who brought Subaru to America plans chain of car dealerships and art galleries
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»
Consumers want to buy cars online and prefer dealers who offer it, so what's the holdup?
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»
Too little, too late? Fiat Chrysler adds new stores to woo customers
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»
Is this the world's most brutally honest car ad?
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»
Will Fiat Chrysler's plan to sell cars on Amazon destroy or update the dealership model?
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»
Buying a car should be (a) painless, (b) fun, or (c) joyful?
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»
The words dealers use to make you buy a car
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»
Volkswagen Dieselgate update: U.S. dealers get $1.2 billion compensation, GM announces 3 new diesels
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»
Another crack in the showroom wall? Honcker app offers car leasing, no dealership visit required
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»
Do you trust a car dealer to be fair? Our poll results
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»
Would you buy your next car on the internet instead of in person? Our poll results
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 weeds out smaller dealerships with $120,000 buyout offers
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»
Survey: nearly 2/3 of American consumers think auto dealerships are unethical
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»
