KBB: Average Transaction Price Climbs to Record High in December

IRVINE, Calif. — The estimated average transaction price for light vehicles in the United States reached an all-time record high of $35,309 in December, according to Kelley Blue Book (KBB). This increase, the auto firm added, amounted to a 1.5% increase over the same time last year. Virtually all vehicle OEM recorded increases in average transaction prices, with ... Read More »

Embracing Tech Results in Higher Customer Satisfaction, J.D. Power Finds

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Dealerships that use technology like tablets and computer displays during the sales process can substantially improve customer satisfaction among new-vehicle buyers, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study. Released on Thursday, the study measures satisfaction with the sales experience among new-vehicle buyers and rejecters — those ... Read More »

Ford’s U.S. Vehicles Sales Dip 1% in May

DETROIT – Ford Motor Co.’s total U.S. vehicle sales slid 1 percent year-over-year to 250,813 units in May, with retail sales down 2 percent to 171,535 vehicles and fleet sales flat at 79,278 units, reports mlive. While trucks and SUVs have been strong sales drivers in the U.S. for automakers this year, Ford’s results were ... Read More »

Audi Edges Past BMW to Lead Luxury-Car Sales Race in April

Audi was the world’s biggest seller of luxury cars in April, edging out BMW AG’s namesake brand and fast-growing Mercedes-Benz, reported Bloomberg. Bolstered by U.S. demand for the Audi Q5 and Q7 sport utility vehicles, the Volkswagen AG unit’s deliveries rose 2.5 percent to 152,850 cars last month, compared with BMW’s 5.6 percent increase to ... Read More »

DealerRater, J.D. Power Examine Service’s Connection to Sales

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Dealers wanting to boost vehicles sales should focus on the experience their service department delivers to customers, concluded a joint analysis conducted by J.D. Power and DealerRater. The two firms used the release of their new finding to announce an alliance that will bring together J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction research and ... Read More »

IHS Forecasts 88.6 Million Global Light-Vehicle Sales in 2015

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — With 2015 off to a good start, IHS Automotive, part of IHS Inc., forecasts global automotive sales for 2015 to reach 88.6 million, an increase of 2.4% over 2014, continuing an unbroken five-year run of sales recovery and growth from the low point set in the depth of the Great Recession in ... Read More »

2014 U.S. Vehicle Sales Rise to 16.5 Million Units

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — December’s total new-vehicle sales increased 10.8% vs. a year ago to 1.5 million units, according to Autodata Corp., capping off a year in which sales increased 5.9% from a year ago to 16.5 million units. December’s seasonally adjusted annual rate did fall from November’s 17.2 million-unit rate — the highest rate ... Read More »

Dealership Buy/Sell Activity Jumps 60% in Q1

In Sales, You Need Friends, And You Only Have Minutes to Make Them

SAAR Dips in May Despite 25.7 Percent Sales Increase