Usually, to get a price quote from a car dealership, you must disclose your phone number and an e-mail address—an act that comes with the risk of being hounded by car salesmen. A new car-shopping tool being tested by Google changes how the game is played.
car dealerships
Whodathunkit? Auto Dealerships Realize Responding to Customer E-mails Helps to Sell Cars
It turns out that responding to potential paying customers is good for business. That’s why car dealerships have been dramatically improving how they handle online inquiries.
When the Experts Hate a Car—And It Sells Well Anyway
Experts like to think that their opinions matter quite a lot, especially for reviews of big-ticket items like cars. But consumers have been showing lately that, if the price is right, they’re more than willing to disregard those expert opinions.
How Car Buying Is Becoming Less Awful—or At Least Less Time-Consuming
Anyone who has sat through the endless “let me talk to my manager” runaround at an auto dealership would probably agree that buying a car is one of the most painful shopping experiences in the consumer landscape. But must this …
The Smoking Hot Market for ‘Gently-Used’ Cars
Are you in the market for a fuel-efficient used car? Then you probably have competition—not just from other drivers, but from car dealerships.
Deep Impact: Sandy’s Big Effects on Car Sales Now — and for Months to Come
Floods, falling trees, and the disruption of what’s normally a hot end-of-the-month period for car dealerships will all affect auto sales going forward. So will new Sandy-related incentives from car manufacturers.
Hurray for Depreciation! Used-Car Prices Should Be Getting Cheaper
The Great Recession caused the usual marketplace for new and used cars to go a bit haywire. Normally, a new car depreciates substantially the moment it’s driven off the lot, with cars sometimes losing as much as 25% to 30% of …
Where to Look for the Best Car Deals This Fall
The autumn-to-early winter period is traditionally an excellent time for car shoppers on the hunt for bargains. Why this is so can be explained by factors including consumer behavior (more people tend to buy in spring and summer) …
How the New MPG Standards Will Affect Drivers, Automakers, Car Dealerships & More
This week, the Obama administration finalized new-car fuel economy rules that’ll nearly double the mpg standards for cars and light trucks by 2025. The new “CAFE” (corporate average fuel economy) standards mandate that automakers …
As Gas Prices Go, So Go Prices for Used Cars
What do prices at the pump have to do with prices at the used car lot? They actually tend to mimic each other. Higher gas prices tend to cause drivers to want to spend less out of pocket on their automobiles. That means rising …
Crafty Ways Car Dealerships Get You to Spend—When You’re Not Buying a Car
As the average car on the road has never been older, it’s come as no surprise that all of those old cars need service and repairs—and the auto repair business has never been better. With that in mind, car dealerships are …
Chrysler Leads the Way in Another Hot Month for Sales of New Cars
After monster sales totals for new cars in February and March, April is shaping up as another solid month for the auto industry. End-of-the-month deals and incentives aim to ensure that’s the case.
