The arrows are pointing up for almost all aspects of the auto retail industry in 2025 – with one notable exception. The supply of used vehicles. In Cox Automotive’s recent 2025 forecast call with industry media and analysts, chief economist Jonathan Smoke painted a rosy picture for what’s ahead. His analysis of economic conditions showed green lights for the overall economy, consumers’ buying ability and auto finance, and no red lights. Interest rates are down and likely to be cut again at least twice this year, providing a little relief from affordability concerns. And car shoppers, who had been ... [Read More]

Roughly once a month, my three siblings and I get together on Google Meet for the “Overby Sibling Book Club.” Yes, we are that cool. It’s a tradition we started in the early days of COVID and have spent the last five years taking turns selecting the book each go-round. As you might expect, the discussion usually morphs from sharing our opinions on the book to ... [Read More]

Normal. Stable. Those are not necessarily words used to describe the used-vehicle market over the last five years, but 2024 closed with analysts calling wholesale price patterns exactly that. Their specific metrics and methodologies differ, but respective monthly used-car value indices from Black Book and Cox Automotive illustrate a wholesale market that’s perhaps as steady as it has been post-COVID ... [Read More]

Anthony Pordon knows that companies can’t stand still when it comes to technological innovation. Pordon is executive vice president of investor relations and corporate development for Penske Automotive Group, and he said the company’s used-vehicle business, CarShop, first started testing artificial intelligence technology in its retail service departments. “By the time you think you’ve got [AI] understood, it’s completely changed,” Pordon said. But AI has helped CarShop customers schedule appointments, which has resulted in ... [Read More]

One thing that never changes in the used-car business is change. Which means dealers must always be ready to adapt. That, of course, includes the certified pre-owned sector. The supply of used vehicles suited for certification is shrinking. Costs have risen for both new and used cars, making affordability a critical issue for consumers. And the rise of used electric vehicles begs the question of how they can find a way into the CPO mix. During Used Car Week 2024 in Scottsdale, Ariz., four industry experts assembled to discuss those issues, their effect on the CPO sector and ways dealers and other stakeholders can ... [Read More]

It’s been almost 30 years since Lexus launched the industry’s first certified pre-owned program, during which CPO has grown into a strong and important sector of the used-vehicle market. But after all those years, car dealers are still learning and finding better ways to sell customers on the CPO experience. In a panel session during Used Car Week 2024 in Scottsdale, Ariz., titled “Best Practices from Best CPO Dealers,” moderator B. Miller of Cars Commerce asked four dealers to discuss what they’re doing at the dealership to give car shoppers confidence about buying a CPO vehicle ... [Read More]

Matt Bradley knew that he would soon become the CEO of Super Dispatch. But few, if anybody, in the Used Car Week exhibit hall did. So, as he walked the expo hall floor last month, “surveying” attendees to get their take on the transportation management company, it was a bit like something out of “Undercover Boss” on CBS.  “I went around the floor and ... [Read More]

The year-over-year growth isn’t quite as steep as it was in prior months, but used electric vehicles are still flying off dealership lots and auction yards, according to respective analyses from Cox Automotive and the National Auto Auction Association. In its latest EV Market Monitor, Cox Automotive reported there were ... [Read More]

Two online wholesale vehicle marketplaces had satisfying third-quarter results and touted their technological advantages as their strongpoints, with artificial intelligence looming large. They continued to face inventory headwinds, however, and that's an issue that is expected to continue for at least several more quarters. OPENLANE reported third quarter revenue of ... [Read More]

Good news for dealers and consumers, alike: there are now more certified pre-owned vehicles available and they are also less expensive. Not quite as good news: these CPO vehicles are older than usual, though their mileages haven’t increased dramatically. That’s according to the latest Intelligence Report from CarGurus, which included a special spotlight on the certified vehicle market this month ... [Read More]