This morning, Kelley Blue Book highlighted the 2013 model-year vehicles and brands (in both luxury and non-luxury categories) with the lowest projected ownership costs. The top awards based on KBB’s 5-Year Cost to Own data for new models for the initial five-year ownership period went to Mazda and Lexus. Analysts indicated Mazda is the top […] [Read More]

A new residual-based financing program from the creators of the CarMark Certified Pre-Owned program, called CarMark Auto Finance, is hitting its stride just in time for dealers to take advantage of the opportunity during the profitable first months of the new year, according to company officials. [Read More]

As the 2013 NADA Conference & Expo approaches, companies continue to highlight their top offerings for dealers before the big event. NADA exhibitor PartProtection launched Monday an extended service coverage on original equipment parts sold through a dealership's parts department, through Parts eStores, and on OE parts installed in a dealership's service department.  [Read More]

During Thursday’s conference call with investors, AutoNation’s management didn’t dispute the notion that its used-vehicle performance relative to the overall industry was stronger in the first half of 2012 than it was in the second. The company also didn’t shy away from acknowledging what appears to be a “shift from used to new.” But it […] [Read More]

CAFE standards and fuel efficiency have been water cooler topics for dealerships and OEMs, alike, as gas prices flew over $4 last year and manufacturers look into ways to increase MPG. But what about the dealership itself? Could dealers improve their bottom lines by increasing their stores’ energy efficiency? In an effort to help dealers […] [Read More]

One presenter, who focused his workshop on driving online customer traffic at the 2012 NADA Convention & Expo, will be speaking again at this year’s upcoming event. Pat Ryan Jr., founder of FirstLook and MAX Systems, will present again in Orlando, but this time, “he’ll share the secrets behind hooking young shoppers,” officials noted. [Read More]

With the merger of Manheim Automotive Financial Services and Dealer Services Corp., a new inventory finance entity has been announced this morning. NextGear Capital is the new name for the merged lenders, following Manheim’s acquisition of DSC in 2012.   The floor plan company — which said it serves more than 17,000 dealers and 1,000 […] [Read More]

As the auto lending industry continues to strengthen in an environment with more regulation, organizers of the 17th annual Vehicle Finance Conference & Exposition are again bringing together top executives who plan to share their perspective on the auto finance world. Chris Stinebert, president and chief executive officer of the American Financial Services Association, said, […] [Read More]

The National Independent Automotive Dealer Association once again endorsed RouteOne as the credit application management system of choice for independent stores in 2013.  As an endorsed NIADA National Member Benefit Partner since 2009, RouteOne has assisted NIADA’s 20,000 independent dealer members with streamlining their F&I process through the utilization of RouteOne’s credit application network. “RouteOne […] [Read More]

Mercedes-Benz has once again swept the top spots in the annual report from Women-Drivers.com that highlights what women consider the top car brands. The luxury carmaker’s dealers were not only lauded as the best for the female shopper’s purchasing experience, they also claimed top honors for the browsing experience, as well. But Mercedes-Benz wasn’t the […] [Read More]