vAuto Podcast

In this vAuto podcast, Micah Tindor, AVP of consumer vehicle disposal for Cox Automotive, details the factors driving a higher share of vehicle buyers in negative equity positions and the impact the trend creates for consumer pocketbooks and dealer conversations with their customers. Tindor offers practical pointers to help dealers turn this market dynamic into an opportunity. Hear how you can:

Bring more empathy to your lead/engagement process as you work with equity-challenged customers; use the “market” to serve as a primary driver of a customer’s negative equity position—not a bad decision they made years ago; develop a “blend”-minded approach to your inventory strategy to put equity-challenged buyers into vehicles they can afford; ensure your appraisal process delivers a clear understanding of a vehicle’s value and the reasons behind your offer to each customer.

In this vAuto podcast, Greg Plank, senior manager of dealership operations for vAuto’s Performance Management team, discusses a growing gap in the average cost of vehicles in dealer inventories compared to what’s selling in local markets. Dubbed an “affordability gap,” Plank shares how dealers can identify the extent of the gap in their inventories and implement a corrective plan. Get pointers to help you ensure your overall inventory levels match your rolling 30-day total of retail sales to minimize aging risks; align your average inventory investment value to meet the market-movers; sharpen your appraisal process to evaluate a higher share of affordability-minded customer vehicles; and, make ‘save a deal’ conversations and follow-up part of your sales team’s culture/performance priorities.

In this vAuto podcast, Gary Wexler, managing partner of Honda of Downtown Chicago, shares how his store has doubled down on acquiring inventory from customers in the wake of the Federal Trade Commission’s push for transparent pricing. Wexler shares the financial impact of disclosing government-regulated doc fees in vehicle pricing and how the team’s renewed focus on customer vehicle acquisition has improved margin opportunity. Hear how Wexler/team’s “perfect plan” helps them ensure every service customer gets a “real” offer within seconds; base each offer on how much the store needs the car, the store’s profitability objectives and the customer’s lifetime value; eliminate reliance on auction vehicles to stock used vehicle inventory; and, improve acquisition Cost to Market averages while stepping up when necessary.

vAuto's Bethany Johnson breaks down Q2 2026 dealer trends: rising market day supply, near-record new car pricing, negative equity shifts, and profit per unit.

In this vAuto podcast, Ken Fisher, West Coast director of inventory optimization for the Holman Automotive Group, shares how he/his team are working to achieve a new KPI: Capture 50 trade-ins for every 100 vehicles they sell. The effort’s helped Ken/team go beyond traditional Look to Book metrics and rely less on auction-purchased vehicles. Find out how the group follows a disciplined “save a deal” process to revisit missed trade offers and customers; requires more appraisal accuracy, detail from individual appraisers to drive measure their performance; uses three key variables to determine how to adjust an offer and re-engage customers; and, balances the competing needs of capturing inventory and driving profitability.

vAuto’s Derek Hansen and Cox Automotive executive analyst Erin Keating break down key trends in new and used vehicle markets for the second quarter of 2026. Watch to learn why dealers should mine local market signals to guide inventory ordering/stocking decisions to align vehicles with emerging demand; lean into merchandising to drive interest in new and used vehicles, focusing on affordability (new) and condition/value (used); train teams to help customers find the right vehicle opportunity in light of growing pressure on household budgets/buying power for less-wealthy customers; and, take advantage of a growing opportunity for used EVs, a strong performing segment that’s gained momentum due to higher gas prices.

In this vAuto Quarterly Quick-Takes podcast, vAuto’s director of strategic planning, Bethany Johnson, examines key take-aways from new and used vehicle inventory and sales data from the first quarter of 2026: Get out there early with new vehicle promotion; marketing in-transit units help capture buyer interest; mind your pricing on Day 1—for new and used vehicles to minimize aging and other profit-draining risks; and, make each trade-in opportunity count, particularly in situations with budget- and equity-challenged buyers.

In this vAuto podcast, lead Performance Manager Michael McMullen discusses how predictive data science-based pricing recommendations help dealers make the most from individual used vehicle investments. McMullen shares how the recommendations help dealers capture the price premium a vehicle might deserve based on past history, performance; address the varying degrees of price sensitivity an individual vehicle faces as market conditions change; properly handle vehicles that possess higher risk factors and require proactive attention; and, know when vehicles that don’t receive a lot of attention online need pricing, other adjustments to move.

vAuto’s Derek Hansen and Patrick Janes highlight key takeaways that emerged from dealer conversations at the NADA 2026 convention in Las Vegas. Watch this Live Market View installment as they discuss how AI is helping dealers unlock profitability through operational efficiency; why inventory acquisition—and used vehicle department performance—will be foundational to drive growth as 2026 unfolds; and, ways dealers are preparing for a strong spring season as consumers receive larger federal tax refunds.

In this vAuto podcast, Katie Tonozzi, a general manager in training at Flow Automotive Group, and vAuto’s Patrick Janes discuss how Tonozzi realized her desire to work in retail automotive at Northwood University and turned it into a budding career at a top-performing dealer group. Hear Tonozzi’s perspective on why a series of internship experiences, including a “rotational” one at a New York dealership, cemented her retail career choice; “people like doing business with people they like” remains a personal mantra; shifting from “transactional to relational” selling will help dealers do more business with Gen Z buyers; and, dealers who offer structured opportunities/paths appeal most to students looking for retail careers.