IRVINE, Calif. — The latest Hot Car Report from Kelley Blue Book's Kbb.com revealed consumer tastes are trending to more practical vehicles rather than SUVs that have enjoyed great success for years. Four of the five vehicles enjoying the most shopping activity growth on the site were sedans. That group included the Chrysler 300, which had […] [Read More]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Following a sluggish February dampened by auto recalls and wintry weather, incentive programs have lifted dealership traffic in March, leading to much improved new-vehicle retail sales that are expected to climb 25 percent year-over-year, according to J.D. Power and Associates. More specifically, J.D. Power projects U.S. new-vehicle retail sales will reach […] [Read More]

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — The marketing executive who headed up the widely successful Hyundai Assurance Program last year has moved over to a rival automaker. Nissan North America has hired Joel Ewanick — who previously was vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America — to be the vice president of marketing for the Nissan division, a move that […] [Read More]

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — In the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study unveiled on Thursday, Porsche topped the list of all nameplates and Japanese automakers led the individual segment awards, but domestics made impressive showings, as well. In fact, three of the top five spots in the nameplate rankings were held by Big 3 […] [Read More]

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Dealers who specialize in trucks will again see familiar models when reviewing the 2010 Truck Buying Guide recently announced by NADAguides.com. Taking the spot in the highly competitive half-ton category was the 2010 Ford F-150. Site analysts also picked a Ford unit in the one-ton segment, going with the 2010 Ford F-350 […] [Read More]

CARY, N.C. — Thousands of readers visited AutoRemarketing.com this week to learn more about the automaker that now tops the list for brand loyalty based on Market Intelligence data from Kelley Blue Book's Kbb.com. A story about Hertz's Rent2Buy Program also drew plenty of interest. The top five stories from AutoRemarketing.com this week are: 1. New Automaker Tops Brand […] [Read More]

ARLINGTON, Texas — In the wake of Toyota's recalls, more than half of consumers have apparently  found the automaker to be "less appealing," while domestics are enjoying some good news, especially for Ford, according to the New Vehicle Brand Barometer Study from Decision Analyst. More specifically, 53 percent of study participants said Toyota is now less attractive after its […] [Read More]

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The "aggressive" incentives that Toyota rolled out this month seem to be paying off, according to TrueCar. In fact, the company discovered that the automaker's month-over-month growth in market share is the largest among major brands as of mid-March. More specifically, after posting market share of only 11.2 percent in February in the […] [Read More]

NEW YORK — The 2010 Harris Interactive EquiTrend Study that compiles consumers' opinions of 35 vehicle brands revealed two foreign nameplates posted the largest consumer equity increases during the past five years. Standing out with the two largest gains were Subaru and Hyundai. Harris indicated that Subaru rose from a reading of 44.36 back in 2005 to […] [Read More]

IRVINE, Calif. — There's a new No. 1 auto brand for customer loyalty, according to Market Intelligence data from Kelley Blue Book's Kbb.com. Toyota no longer holds it first-place perch. It has now been replaced by Hyundai, which moved past the embattled Japanese automaker and Honda to claim the top spot for brand loyalty in February. Specifically, February data indicated that […] [Read More]