Magna warns on tariff fallout, Barra reclaims top-paid exec title, dealers overlook key sales friction points

Hey everyone. Fresh roles just dropped on the CDG Job Board—worth a scroll.

• Village Volkswagen of Chattanooga: Automotive Technician (Tennessee)

• Barrie Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram: Sales Consultant (Canada)

• Leif Auto Group: Finance Director (Texas)

Looking to make a move or hire your next fit? Check out the CDG Job Board. Always open. Always free.

— CDG

Used car prices are spiking twice as fast compared to this time last year:

The reason?

An uptick in demand fueled by tax refunds, an ongoing shortage of used cars, and ever-evolving trade policies.

By segment (Mar vs Feb):

— Used vans +$800
— Luxury SUVs +$500
— Non-luxury SUVs +$400
— Hybrids/EVs +$270
— Pickup trucks +$250
— Non-luxury cars +$100
— Luxury cars -$50

Bottom line: Yes, it’s normal to see retail used car prices creep up around this time of year—but the increases far outpace typical seasonal patterns. Will be interesting to see if or how long this lasts…

(Data source: Carfax)

And consumers looking to trade-in their used units are noticing the shift…

1. CEO of auto supplier Magna flags systemic impact of auto tariffs

At a press event this week, Magna CEO Swamy Kotagiri offered a bold take on the latest round of U.S. tariffs—saying it could be the industry’s most disruptive force yet.

His reasoning?

Suppliers like Magna (built for seamless cross-border trade) are facing a tough choice: absorb costs or overhaul operations built years in advance.

The issue: Automakers will bear the brunt of the impact—and are likely to pass the pain downstream, leaving dealers and buyers in line to feel the squeeze next…

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

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See the difference the Impel AI Operating System makes today. Visit impel.ai/cdg.

2. GM’s Mary Barra is once again Detroit’s highest paid auto executive

While some of GM’s bottom line took a hit last year—CEO Mary Barra still got a raise.

What we know:

Net income fell 41%—driven by losses in China and Cruise—but internally, GM says it hit the marks that mattered: profitability, execution, and shareholder returns.

The result?

$29.5M in total comp for Barra (up 5.9% YoY) and a return to the top-paid title among Detroit auto execs.

Zooming out: Where Ford and Stellantis trimmed pay after missing internal goals, GM stuck to the scoreboard—rewarding execution, even in a year full of headwinds.

(Go deeper: 2 min. read)

3. Many dealers still misjudge how long their sales process takes, CDK Global says

CDK Global’s latest data—shared at the New York Auto Forum yesterday—revealed that while transaction times are getting shorter, customer satisfaction isn’t improving.

The findings:

• 60% of buyers are wrapping up in under 2 hours—up from 54% last year. (Great news.)

• However—F&I wait times are still a major pain point, driving down NPS scores.

• On top of that, 25% of buyers who began their journey online had to provide their information again in-store, repeating the process from the start…

Bottom line: While there were bright spots in the data—for dealerships to truly modernize, they need to focus on streamlining the entire process. No stalls, no handoffs. Just a smoother journey from start to finish.

(Go deeper: 4 min. read)

• Stellantis shareholders OK $2.26B dividend, but stock buybacks on hold

• Mexico has taken a ‘Texas two-step’ on tariffs, despite auto industry pain

• Tesla insurance premiums are increasing at twice the market rate amid vandalism

• Honda considers moving some Mexico, Canada production to U.S. due to tariffs

• U.S. vehicle supply is falling amid tariff fear-buying

Thanks for reading everyone.

— CDG

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