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The best dealer resources from our experts to help dealers solve their toughest inventory challenges.

Why FTC Pricing Compliance Spurred a Pivot to Customer-Centric Vehicle Acquisition

In this vAuto podcast, Gary Wexler, managing partner of Honda of Downtown Chicago, details why 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 how the team’s renewed focus on customer vehicle acquisition has improved margin opportunity. Hear how Wexler […]

Q2 2026 Dealer Insights: Inventory, Pricing & Profitability Trends | vAuto Quick Takes

Vehicle Inventory & Affordability Trends for Q2 2026 | vAuto Quick Takes Podcast

In this Q2 2026 episode of vAuto Quick Takes, host Lance Helgeson sits down with Bethany Johnson, Director of Strategic Planning for vAuto, to unpack the quarter’s biggest dealership trends. Topics include: Tune in for actionable strategies on inventory management, equity mining, and service-to-sales conversion to keep your dealership ahead of Q2 2026 market shifts.

Podcast

How a Dealer Group Lifts its Trade Appraisal/Capture Rate

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 […]

Solving Sales, Service Friction During Appraisals

Solving Sales, Service Friction During Appraisals

In this Ted Ings roundtable, guests Patrick Janes and Bella Smylie join the discussion on solving one of the dealership’s most common internal challenges—friction between sales and service during appraisals. While the used car department is often the service department’s best customer, there’s no denying their distrust when it comes to reconditioning. Used vehicle managers […]

Podcast

vAuto Quarterly Quick-Takes: A View of Key Q1 2026 Trends

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 […]

Driven Her Way: Bethany Johnson on Learning, Leadership, and Dealer Experience

In this episode of Driven Her Way, Susan Givens sits down with Bethany Johnson, Strategic Planning Director at vAuto, to discuss her career journey from dealership retail to the vendor side of automotive. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience, Bethany shares why hands‑on dealer experience and an always‑be‑learning mindset are critical in today’s market. The […]

Distilling What Predictive Pricing Tells You About a Vehicle

Distilling What Predictive Pricing Tells You About a Vehicle

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 […]

Inside A GM’s ‘Must-Have’ List for Hiring a Used Vehicle Manager

Inside A GM’s ‘Must-Have’ List for Hiring a Used Vehicle Manager

In this Fixed Ops Roundtable episode, Mark Webster, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Orange County and vAuto’s Patrick Janes detail how Webster built the profile used to hire a used vehicle manager. Key elements include: Familiarity with vAuto metrics and solutions; a partner approach to managing reconditioning; a focus on appraisal volume and quality; desire for data-driven decision-making.

Next Gen Perspective: Why Clear Career Paths Matter Most

Next Gen Perspective: Why Clear Career Paths Matter Most

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, […]

NADA 2026 Preview: A Quick Rundown What’s New in Las Vegas

NADA 2026 Preview: A Quick Rundown What’s New in Las Vegas

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 […]