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☆ Buying a car? What the UAW strike means – and doesn’t mean – for auto sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Now that the United Auto Workers union has started a strike, the US auto market is about to be thrown into turmoil all over again. Auto sales hadn’t entirely recovered from the pandemic, but car shopping in the United States could change once more. The auto manufacturing crises of recent years have left auto dealers better prepared to deal with disruptions, said Scott Kunes, chief operating officer of Kunes Auto and RV Group, which owns more than 40 dealerships in the Midwest. It pays to be flexibleBefore the strikes started, auto dealerships had reasonably healthy inventories of new vehicles, according to Michelle Krebs, an analyst with AutoTrader. That means they’ll still have vehicles to sell for a few weeks, but, as the strike wears on, the choices available will start to dwindle.

Persons: They’re, Jonathan Smoke, Scott Kunes, ” Kunes, “, Kunes, Tyson Jominy, JD Power, Thomas Goldsby, Jominy, Michelle Krebs Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Auto Workers, Auto, Ford, GM, Cox Automotive, Kunes, RV Group, Toyota, BMW, Hyundai, Nissan, Volvo, Subaru, South Korean, JD, University of Tennessee, Trailblazer, Dodge, AutoTrader Locations: New York, United States, Michigan, Canada, Mexico, South Korea

☆ Tesla won't kill car dealerships, but it will force them to change
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

That would mean they'd have to eliminate their auto dealers. The car companies aren't likely to win that — but to compromise, their dealerships are going to have to evolve from what they are today. Tesla showed the auto industry it's possible to be successful without a traditional dealer network and instead sell vehicles directly to consumers. "I think that will cause some pressure for the other traditional automakers, but I think Tesla is the exception for the direct sellers," Jackson added. Dealerships might not go away, but they're certainly going to look different to car shoppers in the future.

Persons: Tesla, Elon, Tim Jackson, Jackson, they're, Scott Kunes, Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds, Caldwell, Kerrigan, There's, Kunes Organizations: Auto, Ford, BMW, EV, Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, Kunes, RV

☆ EVs are running out of customers — and some dealers don't want them anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Alexa St. John | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementMore electric vehicles are being pumped out of car factories than ever before – but some dealers don't want them. Electric car inventory has been piling up on dealership lots this year as companies up their EV production, leading some dealers to say enough is enough. Some are telling automakers they don't want any more until they can sell what's sitting, several dealers told Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the EV plateau, dealers are left in the lurchIn this round of growing pains for the electric car market, dealers are set up for the most trouble . "Dealers know in real time with real-time feedback what the market is doing," Karl Brauer, an automotive analyst for iSeeCars, previously told Insider.

Persons: Scott Kunes, Kunes, It's, Sam Fiorani, Fiorani, EVs, Tesla, Adam Lee, he's, Lee, Karl Brauer Organizations: Morning, Kunes, RV Group, Nissan, Mitsubishi, AutoForecast Solutions, Coast Ford, Midwest, Hyundai, Lee Auto, iSeeCars Locations: Detroit, West Coast, Maine

☆ Why Is Inflation So Stubborn? Cars Are Part of the Answer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Lydia Depillis | Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The job market has remained strong, especially for in-person jobs in fields like hospitality and health care, so more people have workplaces to get to. And many people in between, who might switch cars every few years, are waiting for prices to fall. Wholesale car prices have begun to fall, and carmakers are offering more incentives. Prices have come down in recent months for electric cars — the fastest-growing segment of new car sales, though a small portion of the overall market. Adam Jonas, an auto industry analyst with Morgan Stanley, said that over the short to medium term, more inventory was the only answer.

☆ Cheap new cars are going extinct while $60,000 SUVs and trucks flood the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The $60,000 car is having a moment — and may be here to stayIn 2018, 44% of new vehicles sold were under $30,000, per an Edmunds release. Some of this has been going on since before COVID, especially as many automakers discontinued sedans several years earlier. Profit, as Jominy pointed out, is also a key factor — and automakers are even willing to sacrifice market share for it. "There is definitely a void happening in the market for those vehicles," Kunes added. "If they focus purely on luxury cars and high-end SUVs that cost $100,000, there are only so many people that can afford those."

☆ The best tips for buying a car, according to dealers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Car buying is daunting, but especially with today's interest rates and uncertain inventory. Car dealers offered some tips about getting the best deal. There are plenty of things consumers can do to make the right choice and get the best deal amid all of that. Dealers — who know the ins-and-outs of the auto-buying market — have a few more tips for the best way to get a deal and navigate the process. The average new car sold for $48,763 in February, according to Kelley Blue Book, down from January's $49,468 and December's $49,507.

☆ Car dealers fight the threat of extinction as the Teslafication of their industry intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The modern car shopping experience, from initial research to final purchase, can now be done online — and the pandemic accelerated that shift. Others are emulating firms like Carvana and moving some parts of the buying process online. We don't exactly know how the car business is going to look going forward with this EV shift, and how much the EV shift is actually going to take place." Ford has set stringent requirements for its dealers to sell EVs — though some dealers have called its EV certification program unfair and dropped out. Some dealers are having a hard time committing to changes when the return on investment — especially with EVs — isn't yet clear.

☆ Buying a car won't ever go back to normal — so you might as well buy now
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

What makes it a good idea to buy a car right now? It's important to remember that car buying is probably never going back to "normal." Used prices are expected to go back up again, creating a short window of opportunity. As for interest rates: It's hard to say what will happen in the long run. A cash buyer ready to undertake sufficient due diligence can certainly get a solid deal in today's car market."

☆ Automakers abandoned the 'starter car' — and it's raising prices for everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many car companies are prioritizing high-profit vehicles over starter cars. Though those figures are averages, it's clear that lower-end vehicles are more costly than they used to be — a direction automakers have been moving in for years. "There is definitely a void happening in the market for those vehicles," Kunes added. What car buyers can look out forThe used market isn't much better, Kunes noted — the average used vehicle transaction price was $29,226 last month, per J.D. Power — "which really puts a lot of pressure on that lower-end market, and there's no manufacturers really stepping up to fill that void."

☆ Car buyers rejoice: Discounts are making a comeback — but you might have to ask for them
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Car buyers didn't see the end-of-year blowout sales in November and December that they had been used to in holiday seasons' past. Instead, shoppers had to settle for new and used vehicles with markups above sticker price and no wiggle room. That puts discounts now at around $1,297, about 1% higher than the same time in 2022, Deutsche Bank analysts estimated this week. Where buyers might find the best incentivesLuxury vehicles saw the highest incentives at 6.2% in January, KBB said. "There's also some loyalty cash, and there's a pretty decent amount of rebates on some of the higher end vehicles.

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