Dealers Keep Older Trade-Ins as High Prices and Tight Inventory Upend Used-Car Strategy
Dealers are taking a fresh look at older used vehicles that previously didn’t make the cut and were sent straight to auction. Instead, many are investing in reconditioning and selling older trade-ins amid rising car prices and tight inventory, reports Automotive News. In June, Holman devised a new strategy for older used vehicles: It created a reconditioning checklist specifically for those cars, which are increasingly showing up at dealerships amid a vehicle affordability crunch. A 2012 Toyota Camry with 163,000 miles on it, for example, still has a “whole lot of life left in it,” said Chris Morgan, Holman’s vice president of retail inventory optimization. It’s the kind of car that, three or four years ago, would be unlikely to be found on a franchised dealer’s lot, Morgan added. But customers are hungry for these kinds of products, so Holman needs to get the cars retail-ready while maintaining its return on investment. The checklist helps Holman, which has dozens of franchised stores across nine states, dive deeper into the funnel of used vehicles that are both older and higher mileage, said Morgan. Click here for the full story.
Buy-Sell Transactions Surge as Industry Consolidation Deepens — Ryan Kerrigan | Kerrigan Advisors
Despite industry headwinds and lingering uncertainty, dealership buy-sell activity remains strong. On today’s episode of CBT News’ Driving Solutions, Ryan Kerrigan, managing director at Kerrigan Advisors, unpacks what’s driving the market and what the new year could bring. Kerrigan Advisors posted a record year in 2025, facilitating buy-sell transactions involving 57 franchises. Among the most notable transactions closed late in the year was the sale of Louisiana-based All-Star Automotive Group to Hudson Automotive Group. The deal included 12 rooftops and 16 franchises, making it one of Kerrigan’s largest deals of 2025. They also represented the sale of Arlington Toyota, a second-generation dealership near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, to Andy Mohr Automotive Group. Additional buy-sell activity included divestitures by several well-known dealer groups. Car Pros sold three dealerships in Washington state, while the Hennessy family completed a divestiture in the Atlanta market. Asbury Automotive Group also completed transactions in Georgia and Utah. Collectively, these deals reflect a continued pattern of portfolio realignment among large dealer groups. Industry consolidation shows no signs of slowing. Before the pandemic, approximately 2 percent of franchises changed hands annually, implying an average dealership hold period of about 50 years. Click here for the full interview.
Canada to Begin Formal Talks with U.S. in January on Review of USMCA
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will enter formal discussions with the United States in January to review their free trade agreement. A statement late Thursday from the Prime Minister’s Office says Internal Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will meet with American counterparts to discuss the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade deal.He also confirmed the government intends to pursue additional trade agreements in the coming year, the statement said.It comes just hours after Carney met with provincial leaders to update them on trade talks with the U.S., reports Automotive News. The prime minister has said trade irritants flagged by the U.S. are elements of a “much bigger discussion” about continental trade. Carney says he sees “tremendous benefits” for Canada and the U.S. if they work co-operatively in key economic sectors. Washington’s trade representative says a coming review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade deal, also known as CUSMA, will hinge on resolving concerns about Canadian policies on dairy products, alcohol and digital services. In a statement this week to a congressional committee, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the American side has concerns about access to Canada’s dairy market and Canada’s exports of certain dairy products. Click here for the full story.
30,000 Robots By 2028: Hyundai’s Big CES Announcement, Explained
Hyundai doesn’t just want to build your car. It wants to build the robot that builds your car, and the ones that deliver your packages, too. Almost five years after acquiring U.S. robotics giant Boston Dynamics, the Korean automaker announced plans to build 30,000 robots annually starting in 2028. And some of them will even look like humans, reports Inside EVs. That puts it in a direct race with Tesla, which has been developing its “Optimus” humanoid for years, and other automotive players like Xpeng. Just like Tesla, the company also says its humanoid robots’ first job will be at its own car factories, where engineers can keep the clankers under a watchful eye. Hyundai is in the process of scaling Boston Dynamics from an experimental startup to a mass-market robot brand. The company’s best-known robot, Spot, has been the tip of the spear. The four-legged quasi-dog is already working on construction sites around the world, as a data collection and monitoring tool. (Spot robots are already used at Hyundai factories, including the Metaplant in Georgia.) Its brother, Stretch, is a box-unloading wheeled robot that is already operating in a number of markets. Click here for the full story.
BMW’s Tech Boss on Trade Wars, Alexa+, and Why Software Matters More Than Ever
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is always a great venue for getting a look at what’s next in the world of tech, the sorts of gadgets and services that are being developed to make our lives better, or at least more interesting, over the next few years. Tech pundits, journalists, and a growing swarm of influencers flock to the show every year, but they’re not the only ones. Representatives from every major auto manufacturer on the planet also stalk the show floor, some more visibly than others. “We have a lot of partners here, from Qualcomm to some other players. I’m interested in what is going on, the display technology and all the things,” BMW’s Dr. Joachim Post told Motortrend at the company’s expansive booth just outside of the show’s South Hall. Post is a member of the BMW board of management in charge of development. He serves as the company’s CTO, and, prior to that, handled the company’s supplier network. At CES 2026, BMW was showing off its forthcoming iX3, the first entrant of its long-teased Neue Klasse line of electric vehicles. Click here for the full story.
AIADA Affinity Partner Happenings at 2025 NADA Convention
AIADA’s Member Benefits Program is one of the most valuable services AIADA provides to its members. AIADA partners with best-in-class companies to provide members with exclusive values on the goods and services they need to succeed in a competitive business environment. While you’re in Las Vegas, make sure to check out AIADA’s Affinity Partners. Click here for a quick reference guide on where to find them at NADA 2026!
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