Americans increasingly upside down on auto loans as used car values fall Zainal Abidin, 10/12/2025 Nevada ranked the second highest auto insurance rates in the country, according to Insurify.Used car prices are starting to edge down after soaring for years after the pandemic hit, and while the trend is a much-welcome relief for buyers, it is also causing trouble for some consumers who purchased their vehicles at higher prices.Edmunds’ latest used vehicle report found a growing number of Americans are upside down on their auto loans as used prices decline, and the average number of consumers are underwater is at an all-time high.Used vehicle prices have eased from a year ago, but the average amount of consumers is upside-down on car loans hit a record high. (Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images / Getty Images)The report found the average transaction price (ATP) for all used vehicles declined to $28,371 in the fourth quarter of 2023, a 4.4% decrease from the same quarter the year before, when the ATP sat at $29,690.At the same time, the percentage of new vehicle sales that had a trade-in with negative equity jumped to 20.4%, up from 17.7% in 2022 and 14.9% in 2021.WAGES IN THE US ARE FALLING AT A ‘STRIKING’ PACE, INDEED … Continue Reading
Car repair shop chain steers path towards £400m auction | BusinessNews Zainal Abidin, 09/12/2025 One of Britain’s biggest chains of car repair shops is gearing up for a sale that could value it at around £400m.Sky News has learned that Steer Automotive Group has appointed City advisers to sound out prospective buyers.Sources said on Friday that a formal process was not yet under way, although initial discussions were being held with interested parties.Steer Automotive Group trades from 98 sites across the UK, and employs more than 2,500 people.Its customers include the major insurance companies Admiral, Allianz, LV and NFU Mutual.The company says it repairs more than 100,000 passenger, luxury and commercial vehicles annually.It counts the carmakers Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover and Tesla among its manufacturer approvals and recommendations.Mr Steer launched the company from a single site in Aylesbury in 2018 and has grown it impressively, according to industry insiders.He secured investment from Chiltern Capital and Keyhaven Capital in 2021 at an undisclosed valuation.Read more business news:‘Concern’ for retailers ahead of ChristmasWine growers destroy cargoes of cava and roseOne private equity figure who has been approaching about the process said he understood that Mr Steer was likely to remain heavily invested in… Continue Reading
2024 GWM Tank 500 price and specs Zainal Abidin, 08/12/2025 GWM is coming for the Toyota Prado.The Tank 500 is the biggest, most luxurious, and most expensive model to grace GWM showrooms in Australia, and fills the hole left by the now-defunct Haval H9 locally.It’ll be offered exclusively with petrol hybrid power at launch, bucking the segment trend for turbo-diesel engines.Two models are offered, both of which come generously equipped.Sitting above the Tank 300, the Tank 500 will be a flagship product for GWM Australia.Pricing2024 GWM Tank 500 Lux: $66,4902024 GWM Tank 500 Ultra: $73,990All prices are drive-away.PowertrainThe Tank 500 features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain with total system outputs of 255kW of power and 648Nm of torque.It uses a nine-speed hybrid automatic transmission paired with a full-time four-wheel drive system.Off-road equipment includes an All-Terrain Control System with 11 drive modes, selectable low-range gearing, and a rear differential lock.Fuel EconomyGWM claims combined cycle fuel economy of 8.5L/100kmwith the Tank 500 featuring an 80L fuel tank.DimensionsThe Tank 500 offers 224mm of ground clearance, with a wading depth of 800mm and approach, break over and departure angles of 30 degrees, 22.5 degrees and… Continue Reading
German car parts supplier Continental to cut thousands of jobs Zainal Abidin, 07/12/2025 Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.Continental has announced thousands of job cuts as an “initial” step towards improving competitiveness, as one of the world’s largest suppliers to the car industry battles to remain competitive in the electric vehicle era.The German group on Monday said measures designed to save €400mn annually would affect a “mid four-digit range . . . across all parts and all levels” of the 100,000 people employed by its automotive division, which makes up roughly half of the company’s total workforce.Philipp von Hirschheydt, the company’s new head of automotive, referred to the cuts of “administrative” roles in sales, research and development as well as production as “initial measures”, opening the door for potential further cuts.Continental in 2019 warned that 30,000 of roles would disappear within the next 10 years, as the company needed to invest in the expensive transition to electric vehicles — nearly 10,000 people have since left the company. An additional 10,000 jobs are still under review as part of that particular cost-cutting program.The company has, alongside other suppliers, been hit by the chip shortage that… Continue Reading
Study: Dealerships’ responses to online inquiries improving Zainal Abidin, 06/12/2025 Study: Dealerships’ responses to online inquiries improving | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and its impact on auto… Continue Reading
Dealer news: 2 M&A moves in North Carolina; NADA assists dealers’ vehicle donations | Auto Remarketing Auto Remarketing Zainal Abidin, 05/12/2025 Holman has closed its acquisition of North Carolina-based Leith Automotive Group, a deal Holman says nearly doubles its automotive retail business.The companies announced an agreement for the transaction in January.The purchase, which Holman says is the largest in the company’s 100-year history, includes 13 new-car franchises and an auction center — the first in Holman’s portfolio — in the Raleigh area and Aberdeen, NCIn addition to its other enterprises, Holman now operates 58 dealerships representing 34 brands, with almost 4,500 auto retail employees in nine states. Business North Carolina reported Leith Automotive has annual revenues of more than $1 billion.“In our centennial year, we’re excited about the opportunities to strengthen and grow our automotive retail footprint, which began in 1924 with a single dealership,” Holman CEO Chris Conroy said. “This acquisition represents the culmination of extensive strategy, hard work and vision to put our employee partners and our business in a position to win for the next 100 years.”The newly acquired dealerships will keep the Leith name, and their staff will be retained, Holman said.“Like Holman, Leith has placed the highest priority on delivering excellent customer service by building a strong network of employee… Continue Reading
Wholesale Used-Vehicle Prices Decrease in First Half of March Zainal Abidin, 04/12/2025 Wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) decreased 0.6% from February in the first 15 days of March. The midmonth Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index dropped to 202.6, which was down 14.9% from the full month of March 2023. The seasonal adjustment drove the decline. The non-adjusted price change in the first half of March rose 2.8% compared to February, while the unadjusted price was down 11.6% year over year.Over the last two weeks, three-year-old Manheim Market Report (MMR) prices increased an aggregate of 1.3%, which was just below the typical normal increase observed of 1.4% at this time of year. Over the first 15 days of March, MMR Retention, the average difference in price relative to current MMR, averaged 99.9%, indicating that valuation models are very close to market prices. MMR conversion is up one-tenth of a point against the previous year at the beginning of March. The average daily sales conversion rate of 64.1% in the first half of the month was below the March 2019 daily average of 65.3%. The conversion rate has risen four points from February 2024, indicating that we are seeing stronger-than-normal buying demand as wholesale markets move into… Continue Reading
Waterloo auto repair shops prepare for gas vehicles to be phased out Zainal Abidin, 03/12/2025 It may be more than a decade away, but Canada’s automotive industry is preparing for the federal government’s move to phase out the sale of gas vehicles.With more electric models set to hit the streets, auto repair shops in Waterloo, Ont. are trying to stay ahead of the curve.As the name suggests, German Autotech Inc. specializes in German vehicles powered by gas and diesel. But the plan to wind down gas vehicles by 2035 has put a bit of a wrench in how they operate.“There is a concern there,” said shop owner Mike Kedmenecz.His team of mechanics are anticipating an eventual dip in popular services.“There’s going to be less of the fluid changes. “Certainly you’re not going to have your annual oil change anymore,” Kedmenecz said.Although repairs will still very much be a part of his business.“It’s going to be an industry where we’re still going to have a lot of wear and tear components. Electric cars are going to be placed on heavier weigh scales.”But as an independent shop, Kedmenecz says he’ll be a few years behind dealerships and corporate affiliates when it comes to the latest electric vehicle training and… Continue Reading
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition drops V-8 engine Zainal Abidin, 02/12/2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition drops V-8 engine | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and its impact… Continue Reading
Pricey Tesla Model Y fails to find favor in used car market Zainal Abidin, 01/12/2025 Elon Musk’s Tesla Model Y ranks as the least in-demand used car, due mainly to its high second hand price tag, according to new research from Uswitch Car Insurance.In first place, with a total of 321 listings, the Tesla Model Y is an all-electric compact SUV and despite its sleek design and impressive performance, its steep used price of nearly £38,000 ruled it out of customer favour.Following up in second place is its sister model, the Tesla Model 3 electric sedan with only 1,228 listings followed closely by the Skoda Karoq compact SUV with 1,389 total listings at a median used price of nearly £19,000.The study, carried out by the experts at Uswitch Car Insurance, analyzed factors such as average number of listings, median used price and depreciation rate over a 3-year period.In first place as the most listed second-hand car is the eminently practical Volkswagen Golf hatchback due to its appeal for young professionals and small familiesFollowing up in second place is the Ford Fiesta due to its versatile vehicle that appeals to new drivers, small families, and anyone looking for an economical car followed by the Ford Focus, one of the leading players… Continue Reading