While the used-car market for CarMax’s fiscal year 2024 was slightly less volatile than the previous year, the market still faced affordability challenges, negatively impacting the company’s results, CarMax president and CEO Bill Nash said in a press release. “We believe vehicle affordability challenges continued to impact our fourth quarter unit sales performance, with ongoing headwinds due to widespread inflationary pressures, higher interest rates, tightened lending standards and low consumer confidence,” Nash said. He put a more positive spin on the situation during the fourth quarter earnings call on April 11, however ... [Read More]

While the upswing in 2024 isn’t likely to be as strong as last year’s, the wholesale vehicle market is showing a gradual rebound in volumes and has started the year with some impressive gains. At the Manheim auto auction chain, wholesale sales climbed in 11 of the first 13 weeks of the year and were up 15% year-over-year in the first quarter, said Jeremy Robb, senior director of economic and industry insights at parent company Cox Automotive. Year-to-date through February, there were ... [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine. It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now. As technology continually reshapes the automotive industry, the evolution of inspections and condition reports stands out as a pivotal chapter.  With artificial intelligence taking the wheel, there is a transformative shift in how both consumers and auto dealers navigate the often complex and sometimes opaque world of vehicle inspections. Gone are the days of relying solely on [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine. It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now.  For consumers, the greatest concern when it comes to buying a car can be summed up in one word. Affordability. While the price of cars has dropped over the past year, they remain substantially elevated compared to before the COVID pandemic. Currently, the average price of a used vehicle is in the $25,000-$28,000 range, depending on which analyst’s data you’re looking at — well above the sub-$19,000 average of early 2020. And with interest rates soaring to their highest point in ... [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine.  It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now.  There are still times, Justin Osburn said, when he can see the wheels spinning in a car dealer’s head as he explains to them how reinsurance works. “When you understand it, it’s a no-brainer,” said the founder and CEO of Automotive Reinsurance Concepts, “but it can be complicated to explain to somebody how it works, which can create fear. Because anytime you start using words like ‘offshore company tax advantages’ and ‘IRS,’ you can get this thing running through a dealer’s head like, ‘Well, what does that mean? And who are you?’” Fortunately, those sorts of conversations are ... [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine.  It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now.    Artificial intelligence is popping up everywhere these days and the dealership service department is no different. From assigning a technician with the right […] [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine.  It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now.  When Rich Allen started his job as general manager of Jaguar Land Rover Cincinnati in late 2022, he introduced using videos in the service lane, a practice that had been successful in his previous job. The owner of JLR Cincinnati was skeptical at first, said Allen. That skepticism was short-lived. “He thought it was cheesy,” Allen told Auto Remarketing. “Now he gets stopped when at the club all the time with people complimenting him on the tech video.” Using videos in the service lane is growing fast as new ways to utilize the videos emerge. It is helping dealerships earn customers’ trust more quickly and boosting service lane profits ... [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine. It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now. Whether determining if a trade-in should be retailed or wholesaled or ensuring that it’s mechanically and/or cosmetically certifiable, used-vehicle reconditioning is the lifeblood of any retail used-car operation, but can’t happen without having good technicians. And though the struggle to find and keep technicians isn’t new, it’s still very real. Just ask Greg Cole, dealer principal of Athens Chevrolet in Athens, Ga. Cole said his Georgia dealership is in “a situation that is unique to me.” About 20 miles west of his store is Winder, Ga., home of one of Carvana’s inspection and reconditioning centers. That puts Cole’s store in ... [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine.  It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now.  Electric vehicles, new technologies designed to help drivers drive more safely and the sheer need for speed when it comes to finding the right used vehicle for their retail and wholesale customers, has caused auctions and other wholesale providers to rethink vehicle reconditioning. Leading the way is [Read More]

This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine. It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now. During discussions with vehicle transport industry representatives, a common theme emerges: The industry has lagged behind the freight shipping industry in the area of technological innovation. “They have been a lot more tech forward than us historically,” said Mike Scenna, vice president of sales and operations for Preowned Auto Logistics. “We often say we’re 10, 15 years behind the freight side of the house,” said Joe Kichler, vice president of logistics for Cox Automotive. But that seems to ... [Read More]