When they start the car-shopping process — much of which is spent online — 70 percent of Millennials are undecided as to what vehicle they want to purchase. However, by the time they get to your dealership, most already know which car they want to buy. And therein lies the two-fold opportunity for dealers when it […] [Read More]

The key drivers to such strong growth in the new-car sales environment have more to with healthier economics than simply a carryover of pent-up demand — and one example of such a fortuitous sign has to do with leasing and lease returns. That’s according to prepared comments by Toyota executive Bob Carter at 2014 J.P. Morgan […] [Read More]

Bankrate Inc. released its list of least and most expensive states to own a vehicle this week — with results that may surprise you. Although it has below-average repair, fuel and insurance costs, Wyoming marked the list as the most expensive state to own a vehicle. Why? Everything is so far apart — Wyoming residents […] [Read More]

TrueCar Inc. announced recently the best month of the year for consumers to purchase a new vehicle. Despite the common belief that December is the best month to purchase new, the best month, based on average prices over the last five years, is August, with an average total new-vehicle price of $29,296, $169 lower than […] [Read More]

If you’re looking to get a dealer riled up, just ask him about his marketing plan. Here’s a quick sample of what I hear every day: “The more I put into marketing, the less I get back.” “Don’t tell me to invest more in marketing. Not until I see some kind of return.” “No one’s […] [Read More]

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the civil rights organization headed by the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr., announced this week the organization’s annual automotive conference will be held in Detroit in October. The 15th Annual Rainbow PUSH Global Automotive Summit will take place on Oct. 13 at the MGM Grand Detroit Hotel, featuring “over 500 automotive executives, […] [Read More]

The potential risk to used-car values from increases in off-lease volume and lease penetration rates is something that Alec Gutierrez is keeping a close watch on. The KBB senior analyst doesn’t see much of a dust-up yet, but there could be potential for gradual “downward pressure” on used values a couple years down the road. However, […] [Read More]

As members of Generation Y age, join the work force, have families — and, of course, purchase vehicles — many are turning to the used-car lot. In fact, these younger buyers are purchasing used cars much more often than older generations, such as Generation X and the Baby Boomers. That’s according to data from J.D. Power’s […] [Read More]

Ricky Beggs and Jared Kalfus travel throughout the U.S. as part of their job duties at Black Book, meeting with executives from auctions, automakers and finance companies. During recent business trips, both Beggs and Kalfus noticed unusual circumstances when it came time to secure a rental car. The Black Book executives said the long lines […] [Read More]

Ford Credit’s lease return volume this year has already eclipsed the 100,000-unit mark, with the second-quarter tally showing a substantial year-over-increase. That’s according to statistics from Ford Motor Co.’s Q2 fixed income conference call that Manheim chief economist Tom Webb posted to his blog late last week. The data sets put Ford Credit’s quarterly lease […] [Read More]