Car Dealership Guy

The voice of auto retail | news, intelligence & industry insight

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

The Acquisition Secret Behind This General Manager's Best Month Ever

Stream the full episode now of Industry Spotlight, hosted by @samdarc:

0:45 Sitting Cars Are The Most Expensive.
2:50 Dealer Principle Forced Shared Inventory.
3:45 Sharing Inventory Forces Better Appraisals.
5:15 Best Cars Come From Trades.
7:10 Holding Cars Too Long Is The Sin.
7:35 Don't Trust The Computer Alone.
9:15 AI Buys Better, Not Sells More.
11:45 Old Tool Let Managers Hide Cars.
12:55 OBD Reader Changed Appraisals.
15:30 Gut Versus Avery, Who Wins.
19:00 Built Out Of Dealer Paranoia.
20:00 High Day Supply Isn't Bad.
29:15 Market Day Supply Is Overrated.

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

Check out Hyundai/Kia in this chart:

They're the only automaker on here up compared to both last quarter and last year.

Looks like a pretty good sign of what a strong hybrid lineup can do for a brand right now.

Toyota's still up on last year, even with supply tight on some key models, according to Cox. Just a touch off Q2.

(Data source: Edmunds / Cox Automotive)

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

"We don't wanna harass our customers in the service lounge.”

Dealers have been trying to crack service-lane acquisition for years.

Aaron Smith, Platform Director at Fred Beans Automotive Group, explains the catch-22 midsize stores face:

The process needs dedicated headcount to prove itself, but that headcount is hard to justify before the results are there.

Daily Dealer live hosted by @samdarc — listen to the full episode here: https://t.co/3Nh5PMkKKP

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Thank you to our partner @ZurichNA! Check them out by visiting: https://t.co/IkZxAfkSo9

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

Service-lane acquisitions are producing 30% higher front-end margins at this group.

Cooper Wilburn, Sales Manager at Al Serra Autoplaza, says vehicles sourced from service come with one major advantage:

The dealership can inspect the car while it is already on the lift.

“This customer is sitting in front of your desk right now because they're actively texting us.”

Daily Dealer live hosted by @samdarc — listen to the full episode here: https://t.co/3Nh5PMkKKP

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Thank you to our partner @ZurichNA! Check them out by visiting: https://t.co/IkZxAfkSo9

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

Used-car acquisition is moving upstream into the RO.

Dan Gaughan, General Manager at AutoHub, explains how they’re using service-lane data to identify acquisition opportunities.

“I wanna know the five or six people that are actually interested in selling or trading their car today.”

Daily Dealer live hosted by @samdarc — listen to the full episode here: https://t.co/3Nh5PMkKKP

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Thank you to our partner AutoHub! Check them out by visiting: https://t.co/F35xLLmk4e

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

NEWS | EVs maintain 6% to 8% market share a year after credit expires:

The federal EV tax credit expired in September 2025, and the market cratered exactly as predicted, briefly.

Sales bounced off a 5% share floor in Q4 2025 and clawed back to nearly 6% by Q3 2026, with days supply falling from 180 to 78.

The twist: EV prices dropped enough that automakers are now competing on price alone, without the federal subsidy propping them up.

"The distortion in price created by federal policy is now very quickly being replaced with competitive vehicles," said JD Power's Tyson Jominy.

What this means for dealers: The used EV side is quietly growing too, inventory up to 55,000 units, sales rising, and off-lease volume just starting to hit the market.

Read today's top automotive stories, presented by CarMax Auctions: https://t.co/4Fwml5QZo2

(Source: Cox Automotive / JD Power / CarGurus)

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

NEWS | U.S.-built vehicle sales are sliding in Canada as trade tensions reshape auto market:

U.S.-built vehicles once held about 40% of Canada's new-car market, now they're down to 28%.

Tariffs on both sides have been escalating, and Canadian buyers are shifting away from American-assembled models.

"By virtually every metric, jobs, production, prices, tariff costs, every metric points to the same thing: U.S. trade policy is damaging the U.S. auto industry."

And the pressure isn't letting up, a U.S. ban on Canadian imports took effect September 29, deepening a standoff that started with auto tariffs.

Bottom line: The decline in U.S.-built vehicle sales in Canada underscores the growing strain trade tensions are placing on the deeply connected North American auto market, signaling prolonged uncertainty that could reshape vehicle supply, pricing, and product flows for dealers as automakers adjust production and distribution strategies to navigate changing trade policies.

Read today's top automotive stories, presented by CarMax Auctions:
https://t.co/wjfDZX43Yu

(Source: Fortune)

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

➤ Stream the latest episode of the Car Dealership Guy Podcast now on your favorite platform—brought to you by @AutoVisionUS

Youtube: https://t.co/xC7mUlDLiS

Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/SPezz468wp

Spotify: https://t.co/0RBzmFAYp0

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

More inventory may not always solve a used-car *volume* problem.

Babak Mofrad, President of @AutoVisionUS, explains why some dealers already have enough cars but need a better process for buying and selling profitably.

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

NEWS | Car Dealership Guy founder, CEO shares 9 auto retail predictions by 2029:

CDG's very own, Yossi J. Levi, just laid out nine predictions for where auto retail lands by 2029, and AI is the throughline in almost all of them.

The BDC shrinks by half as agents handle leads, follow-ups, and scheduling.

A 20-person store sells 200 units a month.

Agent-to-agent car buying cuts humans out of the negotiation entirely.

But the prediction with the longest tail may be the 24/7 dealership, AI handling overnight sales, financing, and back-office work with minimal staff, so the store never really closes.

Bottom line: If even half of these land on schedule, the metrics dealers use to measure a healthy store today won't mean the same thing in two years.

Read today's top automotive stories, presented by CarMax Auctions: https://t.co/mHOu7kaE6h

(Source: CDG’s Yossi J. Levi)

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

Service Drive and Used Car Buying Panel w/ Wilburn, Gaughan, & Smith | Daily Dealer Live https://t.co/r3B3O4YLLk

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

Service Drive and Used Car Buying Panel w/ Wilburn, Gaughan, & Smith | Daily Dealer Live https://t.co/p7VBvOgWjp

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

NEWS | F&I and service results are beating dealer expectations ahead of Q4
Story 1 Image:

New-vehicle grosses are posting a net negative reading of -29%, and 46% of dealers say September is their worst month for gross this year.

But F&I is running a net positive of +34%, the highest of any category in the Q3 survey. Parts and service came in second at +22%.

One Kia GM in Florida runs a second shift from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. strictly for recon, keeping his best techs on customer cars during the morning rush.

His store is on pace for 50-plus service-sourced deals this month alone.

Bottom line: The back end is carrying stores right now. Dealers who haven't fully optimized their F&I and service operations are leaving the only real money on the table.

Read the full Market Pulse, together with @AICPA :
https://t.co/CvYVOhKs7d

(Source: Surveyplanet / Stephens Inc. Q3 Dealer Sentiment Survey / Daily Dealer Live)

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

“I could do a loss leader of a $20 oil change, but if they have to wait two hours, they’re not coming back to me.”

This dealership moved used-car recon to the night shift.

Kareem Raposo, General Manager at @MorganAutoGroup, says a second technician shift handles used inventory after hours so daytime capacity stays focused on customer-pay work.

Daily Dealer live hosted by @samdarc — listen to the full episode here: https://t.co/JHob6BvoSD

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Thank you to our partner @ZurichNA! Check them out by visiting: https://t.co/IkZxAflqdH

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

@buccocapital Lower back pain

I do this too

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

@frothyyyboy @elonmusk @garyleff @Delta Idk. Should I not be? It’s always $5

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

@elonmusk @garyleff @Delta Delta internet is so bad

Idiotic of them to not add Starlink

I pay that $5 and hate it each time

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

“This is gonna push out some of the old school dealers that aren't doing things the right way.”

The *fully digital* F&I process is getting closer.

Jeremy Mayoral, General Manager at @BobRohrmanAuto, explains how digital menus are giving customers more control over product selection.

Daily Dealer live hosted by @samdarc — listen to the full episode here: https://t.co/JHob6BvoSD

-

Thank you to our partner @ZurichNA! Check them out by visiting: https://t.co/IkZxAflqdH

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

NEWS | On top of FTC rules, California dealers are rushing to comply with CARS Act:

California's CARS Act takes effect Oct. 1, bringing the most significant change to car sales rules in nearly 20 years.

Dealers must now provide three written disclosures on the first pencil, total walk-out-the-door price, a payment comparison, and an itemized F&I menu, plus keep records of every written communication for two years.

The biggest shift: used vehicles under $50,000 come with a mandatory 3-day return window and a 400-mile limit, with restocking fees capped at $500.

"I would say, in a percentage-wise, half the California dealerships were ready to rock and roll September 1 ... I think the other half kind of waited till the last minute."

Read today's top automotive stories, presented by @AICPA : https://t.co/n8b5X1Pnk1

(Source: CDG Interviews)

[Car Dealership Guy @GuyDealership]

NEWS | Nissan is targeting 80% U.S. production by 2030 as automaker expands hybrid push:

Nissan currently builds 65% of its U.S.-sold vehicles domestically, and already cut tariff exposure by $2.3 billion last year by leaning harder into that strategy.

Now it's pushing to 80% by 2030, anchored by a broader hybrid offensive that includes the e-Power Rogue, the Kicks e-Power, and hybrid options across its truck and SUV lineup.

The e-Power Rogue arrives in November, imported from Japan, but U.S. production could follow in 2028 if the market responds.

What this means for dealers: A localized hybrid supply would give Nissan dealers better inventory stability and a credible answer to Toyota and Honda in the fastest-growing segment.

Read today's top automotive stories, presented by @AICPA : https://t.co/0LA9XqdnX2

(Source: Nissan / Automotive World)