Though Toyota and Honda still lead the way when it comes to working relations with suppliers, the Big 3 has narrowed the gap between its Japanese peers, according to a recent study from Planning Perspectives. The company’s 2011 North American OEM-Tier One Supplier Working Relations Study examined the six U.S. and Japanese automakers by surveying suppliers about […] [Read More]

Speaking for independent dealers from Connecticut to California, Auto Remarketing caught up with Anthony Underwood this week while he was driving back to his dealership after making one of his biweekly auction trips. The current president of the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association called the search for inventory — especially fuel-efficient models — “amazing.” “You talk with seasoned […] [Read More]

With automakers showing off their new offerings — which include all-new models as well as updated versions of existing rides — MSN Autos shared what it believes to be the 10 vehicles whose latest editions showed the most progress from their predecessors. [Read More]

Subaru of America recently learned it received a pair of honors from its tongue-in-cheek “Mediocrity” campaign. The automaker won a 2011 Webby Award in the automotive category, plus the Gold 2010 International Automotive Advertising Award (IAAA). Officials explained how they played off of the “abundance of bland midsized sedans in the marketplace” to create its […] [Read More]

Despite gasoline prices above $4 per gallon in many regions, AAA projected the overwhelming majority of Americans will travel somewhere for the Memorial Day holiday by automobile, but traveling will still be down slightly from last year. Officials calculated approximately 30.9 million people plan to drive to their destination, a small decline from the 31 […] [Read More]

Maybe only in 2008 have used-car managers faced so many inventory challenges at the same time — spiking fuel costs and wholesale prices creating major headaches about how to find units that will turn. Some welcomed relief might be ahead soon according to NADA Used Car Guide. Edmunds.com agreed but not before giving a blunt […] [Read More]

Based on the healthy results from new-vehicle dealers during the first quarter, the auto industry appears to be “well into recovery,” according to Paul Taylor, chief economist with the National Automobile Dealers Association. Total sales for new-car dealers in the first quarter climbed 22.5 percent on a year-over-year basis, the association’s latest Dealership Financial Profile […] [Read More]

With energy and food costs rising and the economic outlook remaining murky, auto shopping activity fell sequentially for the first time in six months during April, according to Dataium, which said it hopes this decline is just a blip on the radar. The company’s Auto Shopper Intensity index had tapered somewhat in February before becoming […] [Read More]

It appears that brands known throughout the years for luxury and status are now being equated with fuel efficiency and economic value, according to a report on Forbes.com. In light of this emerging trend, Forbes.com offered a list of luxury rides with fuel economies of 30 miles per gallon or higher. The number of luxury […] [Read More]

The new-vehicle market will likely hit the pre-recession norm of 16 million annual unit sales the year after next, according to a study from  the A.T. Kearney consulting firm, which is projecting 2011 new-vehicle sales will reach 13.2 million units. Furthermore, the firm suggests that the new- and used-vehicle markets are apt to benefit from […] [Read More]