Reflecting on Cars and Mobility Moments

On our way home from dinner the other night in Austin, TX, my son, Samson, and I did a double take as we stopped at a red light along Cesar Chavez Street. A car pulled up alongside us that made us...

Can We Stop the “Chase” in Our Used Vehicle Pricing?

As I talk to dealers week after week about their aged and distressed inventory, it doesn’t take long to uncover a distinct pattern: Someone is pretending the vehicle deserves a shot to make gross...

Assessing Your Used Vehicle Acquisition Proficiency

This week, Cox Automotive reported that retail sales of used vehicles, while trending above last year’s sales volumes, have tapered off in recent weeks. The report also notes that the days supply...

Keeping An Eye Out for Opportunity and Showing Compassion

If you haven’t read former dealer Todd Caputo’s post on how the confluence of Hurricane Helene, the longshoreman strike (which, thankfully has been tentatively resolved), the escalating conflict...

Unlocking Dealership Success: Master OEM Incentives

A Closer Look at Unit Cost Variability in Used Vehicles

Since the dawn of the used car business, it’s been true that dealers make their money when they buy a car. This enduring truth was the first bit of advice my Dad passed onto me when I took over...

vAuto Enhances Conquest, Making it Easier for Dealers to Apply VIN-Specific Incentives to New Cars

Elevating Your Game: The Art and Science of an Optimal Inventory Mix

Effectively managing your dealership inventory has become an elusive target. Learn how the right tech and the right strategy can help keep your dealership on the path to profitability.

An End of the Month Gross Profit Reckoning in Used Vehicles?

I have a suspicion that the month of August will look pretty good for dealers as far as used vehicle sales volume, but their month-end gross profit tally will likely be less-than-satisfying if not...

An Empathy-based Approach for Customers with Negative Equity

One of the most persistent topics of conversation with dealers of late has been the difficulty they experience working with customers who want to trade or sell a vehicle that’s saddled with an...

Pointers to Help You Play in Today’s Challenged CPO Market

A recent report from Cox Automotive highlights a pain point many dealers will know all too well—if you want to stock one- to three-year-old vehicles, it’s almost impossible to acquire them without...

ProfitTime GPS in Practice: ‘Start Small’ to Adopt ROI-Minded Used Vehicle Management

Tim Hlavenka, national sales director for the Rick Case Auto Group, says the adoption of ProfitTime GPS and the ROI-minded Variable Management strategy it supports didn’t come easy or happen...

A View of the Rising Cost of Trade-in Appraisal “Bumps”

As I work with dealers, I’m seeing the return of a practice that largely went away in the past few years as dealers were hungry for new vehicle inventory and consumers were willing to pay MSRP or...

How independent dealers can beat the margin crunch with technology and tools | vAuto

Declining margins are putting pressure on independent dealers nationwide. Learn how the right tech and the right partners can help keep your dealership on the path to profitability.

A vAuto Veteran’s View of the Evolution and Importance of Performance Management

Chris, who has been with Cox Automotive for 15 years, shared his insights on the role of performance managers and how they help vAuto dealers achieve greater success.

Three Reasons Automated Used Vehicle Pricing is a Bad Idea

I’ve run into a consistent theme in recent conversations with dealers: What do you make of systems that automatically price used vehicles? The question has also led to requests that we change...

vAuto Makes First-of-its-Kind Inventory Management Certification Available to Any Dealer at Zero Cost