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A Tale of Two Realities: Franchised and Independent Dealers See Two Different Auto Markets, Latest Cox Automotive Study Finds 09/16/2019 ATLANTA, Sept. 16, 2019 – According to the Q3 2019 Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index (CADSI) released today, U.S. automobile dealers view the current market as negative, with an index score of 48. The slight decrease from Q2’s score of 49 was not statistically significant. The index reading of 48 indicates that slightly more dealers feel that the current market is weak compared to the number… Read Article

Dealer Sentiment Index Jonathan Smoke Press Releases

Younger Generations Could Provide Answer to Dealership Turnover Issue 07/23/2019 ATLANTA, July 23, 2019 – As employee turnover across the U.S. reaches new heights and competition for talent redefines the workforce, dealerships find themselves at the epicenter of the struggle to attract and retain skilled workers. Fortunately, the Cox Automotive 2019 Dealership Staffing Study reveals an optimistic forecast with younger generation showing a greater interest in dealership jobs than older generations. According to the latest study,… Read Article

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Car Buyers Visiting Fewer Dealerships, Making Faster Decisions as Online Engagement Rises 04/15/2019 ATLANTA, April 15, 2019 – According to a new study released today by Cox Automotive, budget-minded, time-strapped, tech-savvy U.S. car buyers are spending a higher percentage of their shopping time online and less total time in market as they hunt for their perfect ride. The 2019 Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey study also indicates consumers continue to be frustrated by new-vehicle prices and are more likely than… Read Article

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Head of the Class: Ford, Mercedes-Benz Named Valedictorians in New Retail Brand Scorecards Study 01/24/2019 SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 24, 2019 – As auto dealers from across the country gather in San Francisco for the annual NADA convention, top honors were given to Ford and Mercedes-Benz in the non-luxury and luxury categories, respectively, in a new study released today. The comprehensive study measures and compares core brand attributes that most impact dealer performance. The Retail Brand Scorecards are compiled by Cox Automotive… Read Article

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Retail Auto Sales to Drop Further as Alternatives to Ownership Become More Accessible and Affordable, According to Final Phase of Cox Automotive Evolution of Mobility Study 01/17/2019 ATLANTA, January 17, 2019 – Retail auto sales in the U.S. could drop as much as 29 percent as alternatives to traditional vehicle ownership becomes more accessible and affordable, decreasing the amount of miles consumed by personally owned vehicles. This is the key finding in Phase No. 3 of the Cox Automotive Evolution of Mobility Study, released today. The latest study shows how the cost of… Read Article

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Economic Developments and Used-Vehicle Inventory Influx Provide Ideal Market Conditions for Independent Dealers 09/19/2019 An ideal set of market conditions are emerging that provide independent dealers with maximized floor planning opportunities. First, we are experiencing the longest sustained period of economic expansion on record in United States’ history, boasting 122 consecutive months of growth. Second, during their Federal Open Marketing Committee meeting yesterday, the Federal Reserve announced another 0.25 percent decrease in interest rates. This decrease is in addition to… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices

Fed Rate Cut Likely Won’t Influence Auto Loan Rates 09/18/2019 As was widely expected, the Fed officially cut the short-term rate policy by a quarter point, so their rates are back to the range we had last August before the September 2018 increase. Citing global developments and muted inflation pressures, the Fed decided to cut rates even though there was dissension in the vote with two members favoring no cut and one favoring a half a… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

CPO Sales Crush It In August 09/17/2019 Sales of certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles increased 11% year over year in August and were up 10% versus July. The increase was primarily driven by the shifted calendar which brought an extra selling day (including Labor Day) into last month. For the month, 260,725 CPO units were sold. Over 1.9 million CPO vehicles have been sold in 2019, up 3% year to date versus 2018. This… Read Article

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Higher Fuel Prices Could End Low Inflation 09/17/2019 Brent crude futures increased 15% yesterday, which was one of the largest single-day jumps in history. The decline in Saudi production due to the Saturday attack on one of the world's largest oil processing facilities amounts to an estimated 5% of the world’s oil supply. In the U.S., gas prices increased yesterday, but only $0.03 or 1.1% according to AAA’s daily national gauge of regular unleaded. Yesterday’s average… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

This Week in Car Buying 09/16/2019 Kelley Blue Book’s Senior Managing Editor Matt DeLorenzo writes This Week in Car Buying, a weekly column on KBB.com. In this week’s news, Matt tells us about Jeep offering two special editions of the 2020 Jeep Wrangler, one a returning package that will be offered for the first time on this latest JL generation of the off-roader. he covers the Mitsubishi program it calls a Small… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices

Auto Market Weekly Summary 09/16/2019 The stock market kept its winning streak going for a third straight week, and again it was mainly related to rising hopes of progress with U.S.-China trade talks. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank beat the U.S. Fed to the rate-reduction punch by lowering its official rate by 10 basis point in the EU - it is now down to a negative 0.5% - and re-starting quantitative easing in Europe.… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index – Third Quarter 2019 09/16/2019 Derived from a quarterly survey that Cox Automotive issues to a representative sample of franchised and independent auto dealers from around the country, the CADSI measures dealer perceptions of current retail auto sales and sales expectations for the next three months as “strong,” “average” or “weak.” The survey also asks dealers to rate new-car sales and used-car sales separately along with a variety of key drivers… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices

A Tale of Two Realities: Franchised and Independent Dealers See Two Different Auto Markets, Latest Cox Automotive Study Finds 09/16/2019 ATLANTA, Sept. 16, 2019 – According to the Q3 2019 Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index (CADSI) released today, U.S. automobile dealers view the current market as negative, with an index score of 48. The slight decrease from Q2’s score of 49 was not statistically significant. The index reading of 48 indicates that slightly more dealers feel that the current market is weak compared to the number… Read Article

Dealer Sentiment Index Jonathan Smoke Press Releases

10 Things to Know About August Sales 09/13/2019 August 2019 U.S. auto sales came in slightly higher than forecast, marking another solid month for the industry. The seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) was 17.0 million units. Volume was helped by a good Labor Day weekend, strong fleet sales and also a healthy dose of incentives. We’ve shared top-level takeaways from August sales. Here’s ten additional points you may have missed. 1) By volume,… Read Article

Market Insights Commentary & Voices

True U.S. Electric Vehicle Market Nonexistent Without Tesla 09/11/2019 Electric vehicles (EV) might receive significant consumer and media attention, but they only represent a small portion of new-vehicle sales each month. That is expected to dramatically change over the next 5-10 years as OEMs invest their research, development and product planning into electric vehicles. And while EV supply is expected to increase, consumer adoption will dictate how much share EVs can take in the new-vehicle… Read Article

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