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Hey everyone,
Today we hit episode 50 of Daily Dealer Live (!!!)
Whether you’ve been here since day one or you’re just tuning in — thank you. What started as an experiment has become a community where dealers trade real tactics and real wins.
Fifty episodes in, the goal’s the same: get 1% better every day.
Here’s to the next 50.
— CDG
First time reading the CDG Newsletter?
Welcome to the Market Pulse—your no-fluff cheatsheet to auto retail, built to help dealers price right, stock smart, and stay ahead.
SUVs/crossovers are carrying new sales: New-vehicle sales are projected to hit 1.46M in August (+2.3% YoY), with growth concentrated in SUVs/crossovers.
Used demand is piling into $12k–$20k units: Seven of the top 10 used picks in August were hybrids and crossovers in this price range.
Resetting strategies as the market shifts: Dealers are staying lean heading into Q4—cutting aging units sooner and being pickier about which trades and models they bring in.
(Source: Cox Automotive / Cars Commerce / S&P Global Mobility)
SUVs and crossovers are gaining market share in the new-vehicle market, while sedans are losing ground.
Cox Automotive projects compact SUVs/crossovers at 260k sales in August (+6% YoY), holding 17.8% of the market. Mid-size SUVs/crossovers are right behind at 255k units (+11% YoY), with 17.5% share of the 1.46M total sales forecast.
By contrast, mid-size cars are expected at just 60k units (–19.5% YoY, 4.1% share) and compact cars at 100k units (–9% YoY, 6.8% share).
S&P Global Mobility’s inventory data lines up with this shift because inventory is building up on slower movers like the Altima, Escape, and Blazer, while tighter supply is showing up on faster-selling models like the RAV4, Soul, and Niro.
CDG analysis via Joe Cecala
NOTE TO DEALERS:
Going into Q4, expect slower turns and potential excess inventory on weaker sedans and certain SUVs, while OEM supply is flowing toward high-demand SUVs, crossovers, and hybrids. Stocking in step with those shifts is the sharpest way to stay ahead of gross pressure.
Used-car demand is increasingly landing in the $12k–$20k range.
Cars Commerce reports July used inventory slipped 0.6% YoY, prices rose 2.8%, and average time-to-sell dropped to 49 days (–10.5% YoY).
Translation: With tariffs and higher MSRPs pushing most new cars above $35k+, more buyers are shopping used.
As a result, seven of the top 10 used picks in August sat in this $12k–$20k band:
CDG analysis via Joe Cecala
What’s moving: Camry Hybrid, RAV4 Hybrid, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, Lexus NX, and Mazda Miata.
WHY IT MATTERS:
Shoppers in the $12k–$20k band are usually settling for older, higher-mile cars, so it might be worth widening your acquisition pool to 2014–2018 units with clean histories.
Find a recon sweet spot (say $1,200–$1,800/unit) and aim for payments in the $250–$350/mo range to move them quickly without losing gross.
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As Q4 approaches, dealers are sharpening how they buy, hold, and cut inventory.
Here are some current Do’s and Don’ts from operators on the ground…
Do: Be intentional about your acquisitions.
Sure, SUVs are popular, but Luis Gonzalez, GM of Prestige VW of Stamford, called out that 2WD SUVs don’t fly in his market heading into winter—so he avoids them when they come through trade.
“If they’re buying a car, that’s one thing, but with an SUV, they usually want an All Wheel Drive vehicle…if you’re going into the winter and you have an SUV that’s a two-wheel drive, you gotta be very careful with how you take it in and at what price you’re taking it in,” he said.
Do: Know when (and how) to cut dead weight.
Gonzalez said he won’t sit on a cold unit. If there’s no test drive in 20 days, he starts cutting the price. And at 60 days, he’ll wholesale to break even. By 90 days, it’s gone no matter what.
“I have cars that I'll keep for 90 days, because even though I haven't sold it, I do have eyes on the car. I have people who have come and had a test drive. Just sometimes, you know, the timing is everything.”
Do: Get inventory online fast.
Jason Villa at Vanguard Kia says speed is everything, from detail to photos to recon, his team moves cars online in under half a day.
“We’re up online inside of 12 hours. We do the detail first. We take a full photo set, then we get it in for inspection and start the process. And after that, we have our onsite wheel repairs, bumpers, touch-ups—an all-inclusive deal that we do in six days,” Villa said.
Don’t: Load the wagon just because you can.
Villa warns against overbuying in Q4. With MMR climbing, he says it’s easy to get stuck holding the wrong cars into January.
His point: “We had a big July; we had a big August; we’re low in inventory; let’s go fill this wagon up—how many years in a row do we have to tell each other this? Then add in, there are no used cars coming down the pipe, MMR is going up. So, do I need to load the wagon? Am I going to get stuck with these cars, or am I gonna make money in January?”
Don’t: Stick to one playbook for too long.
Gonzales said the market changes too fast to rely on one fixed strategy. His team resets often, knowing that what worked last month might not work this month.
“It’s a learning curve every day… there’s definitely no one specific way. You take in what you’ve done and you apply it the best you can for the month. And then the following month, everything changes. You start all over again.”
Panic has carried sales volume so far this year—tariffs, rebate deadlines, pull-ahead demand.
But Q4 won’t be about panic.
Instead, demand will go to dealers with a clear read on what’s moving in their market right now (AWD SUVs vs. 2WD), and what buyers might be hunting for in 2026 (sub-$30k Nissan LEAF or other sub-$35k EVs in the pipeline).
