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Hey everyone,
What a week at NADA. Our coverage only scratches the surface of how insightful (and energizing) this show was for anyone paying attention to where the industry is headed.
Grateful for the CDG team, and for the dealers and sources who trusted us with their time and insights throughout the week.
Exhausted in the best way. Already looking forward to next year.
— CDG
First time reading a CDG Newsletter?
Welcome to The Weekly, a roundup of the top five auto industry headlines of the week.
Toyota warns of 2026 price changes, but wants to avoid dealer “confusion”
Toyota is signaling more pricing movement in 2026 than usual, with up to three repricings on the table as tariffs and USMCA uncertainty hang over the market.
Speaking at the AutoTeam America Dealer/CEO/CFO Forum, TMNA exec Andrew Gilleland stressed that the bigger goal isn’t reacting fast, but staying disciplined so dealers aren’t stuck explaining why identical cars on the lot have different prices.
That restraint matters even more now, as Toyota pricing pushes into territory he says the company hasn’t seen before, with some models hovering around $50,000 and affordability already stretched.
David Wyler on blending 80 years of culture after a major acquisition
The Jeff Wyler Automotive Family just closed a major campus acquisition from Midwestern Auto Group that adds 14 premium brands and roughly $500 million in annual revenue, all within a geography CEO David Wyler says fits squarely inside where the group wants to grow.
Behind the scenes, Wyler leaned on a 130-person ops team that was onsite weeks before close, handled a CDK-to-Tekion switch, and focused on retaining staff as 250 new employees and more than 80 years of combined culture came together.
Looking ahead: Wyler says the priority is integration done right via aligning teams, setting a clear vision, and building something sustainable for the next generation already stepping into the business.
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Presidio: Auto dealers enjoying new normal of higher profit era, despite Q4 earnings dip
Dealers are coming out of 2025 with their first full-year profit increase since 2021, and even with a softer Q4, profits are still running nearly double pre-pandemic levels, according to Presidio’s latest benchmark data.
And that’s because front-end margins are normalizing, but fixed ops now generate more than half of total gross, with F&I and used cars doing more of the heavy lifting.
Bottom line: That shift is keeping profitability steady and confidence high heading into 2026, even as pricing pressure returns on new vehicles.
Why a ‘record’ sales year in 2026 might be the worst thing for dealers
Also at the AutoTeam America Dealer/CEO/CFO Forum & Buy-Sell Summit, panelists were blunt about the risk hiding behind a strong 2026 setup.
Their take: Yes, tax refunds are rising, rates are easing, and consumer spending is holding up—but that combination can tempt OEMs and dealers back into volume-first thinking just as capacity loosens.
As Kevin Tynan and Jonathan Smoke pointed out, pushing toward a “record” year often brings pricing pressure and margin erosion with it, especially in a market that naturally sits around 16 million units.
Dealership transactions are quicker than ever—yet customer satisfaction is falling
CDK’s latest Friction Points study shows more buyers finishing in under an hour, yet satisfaction is sliding hard, with NPS dropping sharply for both in-store and online deals.
Apparently the issues span friction, more complaints around pricing, fees, F&I waits, and having to repeat information even as digital tools spread.
Big picture: Moving faster only helps if the handoffs are clean and the story stays consistent, otherwise efficiency just exposes the cracks instead of fixing them.
Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?
Presented by:
LIVE From Final Day of NADA 2026
Featured guests:
Dennis Gingrich, Sales and Finance Director of The Niello Company
Marion Cain, Managing Partner of Bell Auto Group
Russell Richardson, Russ Flips Whips
2026 NADA chairman: dealer engagement is ‘essential’ to blocking direct-to-consumer sales push
