It is likely that October’s new-vehicle sales pace will have been little bit stronger than anticipated, according to KeyBanc Capital Markets senior automotive analyst Brett Hoselton. He said the industry remains on track to reach a fourth-quarter seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 12.6 million units. [Read More]

Making its debut at the 2010 SEMA Show was a new award, which spotlighted the new car, truck and SUV that voters found to be best suited for accessorizing. In some good news for domestics, the Big 3 swept the awards, as each of Detroit’s automakers was represented. Winning the award for Hottest Car was […] [Read More]

Used-vehicle buyers now are keeping their units longer than ever. That’s the finding Polk shared Wednesday. Polk determined that as of the second quarter of this year, consumers own their used vehicles an average of 46.1 months. It’s a rise from the previous quarter’s reading of 45.9 months. Meanwhile according to Polk’s data that goes […] [Read More]

Edmunds.com computed the average incentive handed out by automakers to move units in October was down against both the previous month and the year-ago period. Site analysts estimated Wednesday that the average incentive in the U.S. was $2,498 per vehicle sold in October. They indicated that amount was $61, or 2.4 percent, lower than September […] [Read More]

Word on the street is that leasing penetration is soaring, and ALG recently offered some analysis to back this up. Just what did the company discover? Looking at lease penetration, ALG reported it has reached its most robust level in two years during the third quarter and almost surpassed 20 percent. Breaking it down, ALG said mainstream brands […] [Read More]

Consumers Digest revamped its listing and evaluation process when the publication came up with this year’s Best Buys for new vehicles — 17 of which were not listed a year ago. Magazine officials whittled down more than 250 vehicles from the 2011 model year to 35 vehicles and seven companion models. The publication broadened its […] [Read More]

For its December issue, Consumer Reports pitted the redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee — which is Chrysler’s first post-bankruptcy new-vehicle launch — against the Toyota 4Runner in a comparison test. Which of the midsize SUVs fared better? According to the publication, it gave the Grand Cherokee a “Very Good” score, while the 4Runner received a “Good” score. [Read More]

Carfinco Income Fund revealed earlier this week that it continued its record-breaking streak during the third quarter. For the sixth straight quarter, net earnings for the company reached an all-time high, this time coming in at $4.6 million. This performance was 112.5 percent stronger than Carfinco’s net earnings in the year ago-period and a 7-percent […] [Read More]

The J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Used Vehicle Market Report confirmed what many dealers already realize — more consumers are turning to the Internet during their vehicle-shopping process and the appeal of certified pre-owned units is on the rise. This year, J.D. Power found the percentage of used-vehicle buyers who used the Web during the […] [Read More]

J.D. Power and Associates thinks it’s going to take the unfolding of three consumer-driven scenarios to bring a significant sales upgrade for hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles. The firm projects combined global sales of these units will total 5.2 million units in 2020, or just 7.3 percent of the 70.9 million passenger vehicles forecasted […] [Read More]