vAuto Podcast

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 (n...

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...

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 individ...

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; a...

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 deal...

In this vAuto podcast, Derek Hansen and Patrick Janes provide a preview of the AI-enabled innovations vAuto will debut at the NADA Show in Las Vegas to help dealers achieve greater success. Hear how the combination of AI and integrations with other Cox Automotive solutions can help you build and scale a customer-focused service lane acquisition process to efficiently make offers and close more dea...

Mohawk Honda’s Used Vehicle Director Mike O’Toole joins Derek Hansen to recap Q4 highlights and outline how the team will double down on inventory and customer-focused strategies in 2025. O’Toole shares the “inside our four walls” approach that fueled growth, details on service lane vehicle acquisition feeding sales, and Mohawk’s top operational priorities to drive success into 2026.

In this vAuto podcast, Jeremiah Mowry, operations director at Atlanta Auto Brokers, details how a drive-to-school conversation with his daughter in 2017 helped him find his “happy place”—giving away Christmas trees and gifts every December to families in his local community. Hear how Jeremiah and his team turned an idea for a cash-making side hustle into a popular holiday-giving tradition; partner...

In this vAuto podcast, Mike O’Toole, used vehicle director at Mohawk Honda, and vAuto’s Patrick Janes go in depth on the best practices and process steps that help Mohawk acquire and sell nearly 40 vehicles a month from their service drive. O’Toole shares how he and his team have evolved the service lane acquisition effort from a clipboard-based, one-off approach to a process where nearly every se...

In this vAuto podcast, vAuto’s Dan Winchester highlights how appraiser Look to Book rates at some dealerships aren’t as good as dealers think. Winchester details the limits of LTB as a primary measure of appraiser performance, and why two new KPIs—appraisal effectiveness and appraisal completeness—offer a better way for dealers to maximize appraisal opportunities. Hear how you can identify the inc...

In this vAuto Quarterly Quick-Takes video, strategic planning director Bethany Johnson summarizes inventory and sales trends for Q3, and how dealers can maintain sales and profit objectives as the year closes. In new vehicles, Johnson share strategies to sell through ’25 inventory as ’26 models arrive—where promoting all rebates and incentives in merchandising is critical. In used, Johnson outline...

In this vAuto podcast, used vehicle director Drew Hall of Cloninger Automotive Group details how/why the group adopted a source channel-specific strategy for acquiring vehicles to reduce dependency on auctions. Hear how this strategy has reshaped the way the group acquires, appraisses and prices vehicles to maximize profitability. Get insights to help you establish vehicle acquisition targets base...

There’s no denying that it’s been a difficult year to predict what will happen for the automotive market. While June was down, July was hot for new cars. Tariffs are still a hot topic. In this Q3 Live Market View, Derek Hansen and Jonathan Smoke discuss how the trends may shape the year ahead; what increased affordability for top earners means for the used market; how tariffs have already affected...

In this vAuto podcast, used vehicle buyer Josh Kor of Richfield Bloomington (MN) Honda shares how UVeye’s AI-powered vehicle inspections and a new vAuto appraisal integration have made acquiring vehicles from service customers more effective and efficient. Kor details the process he follows that yields 1500 completed service lane appraisals and 40-plus vehicle acquisitions each month. Hear how the...

In this vAuto Quarterly Quick-Takes video, strategic planning director Bethany Johnson summarizes key take-aways from Q2, which saw a series of ups and downs across new and used vehicle departments for dealers. Get pointers to help you turn a new vehicle bright spot—improving trade-in equity—to your advantage to address slow-moving inventory; diversify your used vehicle acquisition strategy and mi...

In this vAuto podcast, dealer principal Rob York of the Indiana-based, six-store York Automotive Group, shares how/why he moved from a “stock to stock” strategy for used vehicle acquisition to a strategic approach, where distinct parameters guide appraising and acquisitions decisions. York shares key metrics to identify the “right” vehicles for their inventories as well as how/when the vehicle tra...

In this vAuto podcast, vAuto’s Senior Director of Customer Program Management, Dan Winchester, addresses five performance improvement opportunities for groups. The opportunities flow from his work advising dealer groups on ways to improve their businesses. The specific opportunities include ways to bring more consistency to appraisals across group rooftops; how to ensure each vehicle retails at th...

In the Q2 Live Market View, Derek Hanson and Jessica Stafford explore consumer shopping behavior, sales trends, and inventory dynamics in early spring 2025. They highlight how new car leads surged in March and April, how dealers adapted to tariff uncertainties, and how AI-driven tools are helping dealers optimize pricing and inventory decisions. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of rea...

In this vAuto Quarterly Quick-Takes video, strategic planning director Bethany Johnson shares operational priorities for dealers coming off a strong pace of tariff-spurred sales in the first quarter of 2025. Bethany shares pointers to help you minimize age and maximize your new vehicle inventory mix; merchandise used vehicles to capture buyers who can’t afford a new vehicle; and align your used ve...

In this vAuto podcast, general manager Bill Stanley of the North Dakota-based Ryan Family of Dealerships details his experience working with vAuto’s development team to create a better, faster way of assessing and addressing rooftop-level performance. Stanley also outlines why he expects his team will be “rocking and rolling” this summer, despite the risks of less favorable market conditions due t...

In this vAuto podcast, vAuto and Cox Automotive associate vice president Patrick Janes shares perspective on how dealers can address the impact of tariffs as they manage new and used vehicle inventories. Janes offers pointers to help you acquire inventory from customers in a supply-constrained market; ensure your new/used vehicle pricing keeps pace as the market moves; adjust your inventory/sales...

In this vAuto podcast, Josh Orthel, director of sales for the Iowa-based McGrath Group and his vAuto Performance Manager Brian Kurtz discuss how the group is achieving its goal of 10 percent growth in new/used vehicle sales this year. Hear how Orthel and his team at the nine-store group right-size their used inventories and align pricing to balance gross/turn objectives. Also, Josh discusses how M...

In this vAuto podcast, Cox Automotive executive analyst Erin Keating and vAuto strategic planning director Bethany Johnson discuss how a rise in market uncertainty and volatility could dampen what’s turned out to be better-than-expected new and used vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2025. Hear why and how economic trends have spurred a two-sided market where luxury and lower-end vehicles rank...

In this vAuto podcast, Patrick Janes and Micah Tindor discuss common appraisal process variances and customer disconnects that can result in missed opportunities to acquire a vehicle or appraisers putting the wrong money on the right car. They detail appraisal process steps where the “right” money often goes wrong. Plus, they share how dealers can bring customers into appraisal conversations to bu...

In this vAuto podcast, dealer principal Marc Cross of San Antonio-based Jordan Ford opens his playbook to share a creative approach to moving aged new and used vehicles—a “Brown Banana” sale. Cross discusses how he spiffs his team to move the cars and ensure customers understand an aged unit for the store means a great value for them. Cross also details a remarkable car business career that starte...