In this episode, my guest is Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist at Cox Automotive, someone I’ve wanted to have on the show for a long time. If you’re in the car business, you’ve probably read his reports, quoted his data, or heard his insights passed around. But in this conversation, we go deeper than the numbers.

We talk about how he actually ended up here—from a philosophy-loving econ major to building one of the most respected forecasting teams in automotive. You’ll hear how housing economics, the Great Recession, and a surprising DJ side hustle all played a role.

But then we roll up our sleeves and dig into what’s happening right now in the market:

• What the data says about consumer behavior and why demand isn't as simple as “pent up” or “pulled ahead”
• The impact of tariffs and whether EV sales could drop off a cliff in 2025
• Why affordability is still the elephant in the showroom—and what nobody’s really saying about it
• The case for used cars and fixed ops as the real growth engines for dealerships
• And yes, we even talk about whether Tesla’s already won the long game

Jonathan also shares some surprising perspectives on why curiosity matters more than credentials, why most economists never actually become economists, and how music plays into his forecasting work.

If you're trying to make smart decisions in a constantly shifting market, this episode will give you insight into what’s really driving the shifts—and how to stay ahead of them.

Connect with David Spisak to Achieve Exponential Growth:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidspisak/
• Website: https://www.davidspisak.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: +1 (510) 604-0308
• Visit https://linktr.ee/spisakd for all our links

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