Presented by:
Hey everyone,
Kevin Esmezyan, Chief Product Officer of Matador AI, and Mike Martucci, GM of Jim Ellis Group/Kia of Kennesaw, are joining us for an episode of the CDG Industry Spotlight podcast today!
Catch it, here.
— CDG
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D&M Leasing sees 5% increase in business as leasing market contracts
As the overall leasing market recovers from the slowdown after the pandemic, D&M Leasing in Texas leased or sold 19,000 vehicles in 2025, a 5% increase from 2024.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, COO Kelly Strausser shared with CDG News how the company’s leasing strategy has helped it thrive in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston markets.
The leasing market peaked between 2016 and 2019, with the lease penetration around 29%, according to data from Edmunds. Since then, the market has been a roller coaster.
A quick word from our partner
Your dead leads. No-shows. Customers your team wrote off.
Most dealerships see closed files. We see a full showroom.
While others ship random AI features, Matador focuses on one thing: turning cold leads into booked appointments.
Backed by automotive veterans, onboarding is simple from day one.
“Absolutely. It frees up salespeople and makes sure customers don’t fall through the cracks.”
— Hicks Layton, Hicks Automotive Group
Used-car prices jump more than $1,300 in first six months of 2026
Midway through the year, used car prices are running between $1,350 and $3,600 ahead of where they started 2026, according to CARFAX.
The details: In its July Used Car Index, CARFAX noted a 1.3% jump in prices in June.
That was a bit slower than the 3% spike in May. And the overall price jump was about $350.
The higher gas prices tied to the conflict in the Middle East also led to higher demand and prices for used hybrids and EVs.
Toyota sales fall again as Iran conflict and regional demand challenges weigh
Toyota's global sales fell for the fourth consecutive month in May as the automaker continued to face weakening demand and geopolitical headwinds, including the conflict in Iran.
Global sales declined 7.2% year over year to 834,279 vehicles, with relatively stable demand in the U.S. offset by sharp declines in China and the Middle East.
Sales in the U.S., Toyota's largest market, slipped 0.6% year over year but remained relatively stable at 238,800 vehicles.
Car Dealership Guy founder Yossi J. Levi launches CDG Ventures, opens platform to dealers and accredited investors
"For years, dealers have helped build billions of dollars of value for the companies they do business with every day," said Levi. "One of our goals with CDG Ventures is to give them the opportunity to own a piece of that value creation.”
