Curbee’s latest report is about a 16 that’s not so sweet for dealership service departments. The mobile service technology provider’s report, titled The16, is built around statistics from IBISWorld showing there are more than 300,000 independent auto repair shops in the U.S. compared to some 18,000 franchise dealerships — a massive 16-to-1 advantage for the […] [Read More]

If the election this month is any indication, the American public believes the economy is in poor shape, and they are deeply concerned about their personal finances. Across key races, exit polls consistently placed economic issues, high prices, inflation, and a general feeling of “falling behind” at the top of voters’ anxieties. Any form of […] [Read More]

Cox Automotive’s latest research has good news and bad news for dealership service departments. The good news: Cars are getting older and are getting serviced more often, and the average dealership service revenue has risen 33% since 2018, climbing to $9.23 million annually. The bad news: Dealerships are leaking service customers badly as independent service […] [Read More]

Next up on our podcast series with 2025 Used Car Week Hall of Fame inductees, we catch up with Kathy Ruble, who is executive director of marketing, dealer financial services and communications at Ally. Ruble has been the longtime moderator of the Women in Remarketing panel at Used Car Week, and in her conversation with […] [Read More]

From chief economist to chief strategist. In a move that was effective Monday, Cox Automotive said Tuesday that its lead analyst Jonathan Smoke has been named the company’s executive vice president and chief strategy officer. Smoke succeeds Amy Mills, who is departing the company at the end of the year. Cox had announced in July […] [Read More]

To celebrate and recognize executives who have played an important role in the development, growth and success of Used Car Week over time, Cherokee Media Group presents the annual Used Car Week Hall of Fame, now in its second year. Representing the 2025 class of inductees are Becky Igo of Allied Solutions, Jerry Kroshus of […] [Read More]

The third-quarter earnings season delivered a clear message to auto dealerships: the era of easy, outsized profits from new-vehicle sales is fading. With a slowing economy squeezing middle-market affordability, elevated interest rates cooling the sales pace, and lingering cost pressures from tariffs, the financial heavy lifting must now shift decisively. The only logical, sustainable, and […] [Read More]

Like a roller coaster at a state fair, wholesale vehicle values descended rapidly in October — and the declines were “faster than usual,” according to Black Book. To use another seasonal metaphor to describe the fall, used-car deprecation was “a little spooky” last month, says Cox Automotive. Both firms have released their observations on October’s […] [Read More]

The appetite for electric vehicles hasn’t evaporated. Far from it. It’s just that now, with the $7,500 tax credit having expired, the demand that exists (albeit smaller) is more genuine interest and “less deal-driven.” Or as Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds put it in an analysis, perhaps alluding to the most electric of singer-songwriters, EVs have […] [Read More]

Technology has exploded in the modern automobile, with touchscreens, adaptive cruise control and all sorts of bells and whistles available. But according to research from Enterprise Mobility, most people don’t want all of that on their vehicle. The parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and other transportation and mobility businesses released its second annual “On the […] [Read More]