#598 -🪥🧥🎉 Packed and Ready?

TOGETHER WITH

Toyota’s back in the Super Bowl, CarGurus has suggestions for shoppers, and now we know more about Cruise’s robo-taxi issues.

NADA started this week, and we’re writing this a little chilly because we already packed our coats since, apparently, it gets cold in Vegas. Who knew?

We’ve got a few sessions picked up to write up from the event but hit us up to tell us what should be on our Don’t-Miss-List.

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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NADA 2024

Yo, Looking For A Party?

BUSINESS

We Love News

Toyota

Sometimes, it is hard to admit we are wrong. For instance, I will pronounce "GIF" as "GIF" forever, and nobody can stop me. Toyota is doing a 180 regarding its Super Bowl plans and will pay for ad space after all. 

• While several automakers have announced intentions to skip this year, Toyota skipped last year's big game but will participate this year.

• The Super Bowl LVIII ad will tie to the launch of the 2024 Tacoma and highlight the vehicle's off-road ability.

BMW, VW, and Kia are also all set to run ads on Super Bowl Sunday, but only Toyota is the official partner of the NFL, so they could make use of league trademarks to cozy up to the NFL a bit closer. 

Used Inventory Rankings

CarGuru announced its pick for "Used Car of the Year" along with its list of top picks for used buyers. While most rankings would count what has been sold, this one suggests to people what they should buy using seven years of pricing and inventory data, trends, and test driving over 1000 vehicles. 

• The 10th-generation Honda Accord wins the top spot. 

• The announcement is aligned with the optimal period for used buyers in 2024 — the week of February 12. Based on the data, prices are expected to be 2.8% lower, an average of $800 in savings. 

🏆 Other category winners:
⭐️ Best midsize crossover/SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe (4th Generation)
⭐️ Best large pickup truck: Ford F-150 (14th Generation)
⭐️ Best luxury sedan: Audi A4 (5th Generation)
⭐️ Best family car: Kia Telluride (1st Generation)
⭐️ Best sports car: Porsche 911 (992 Series, 8th Generation)
⭐️ Small crossover/SUV: Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (5th Generation)
⭐️ Large SUV: Ford Expedition (4th Generation)
⭐️ Luxury crossover/SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class (3rd Generation)
⭐️ Small pickup truck: Honda Ridgeline (2nd Generation)

Sometimes, you listen to the market, and sometimes, you intercept messages from the market. Either way, do you have some of these winners in your inventory, or is CarGuru missing the mark here? 

Cruise

If it wasn't for all the injured people, the robot driving issues at GM's Cruise would be kinda funny. How many times does a robot crash a car before somebody takes the robot's car away? 

That's actually the story right now. A while back, a Cruise driverless taxi hit and dragged a person 20 feet before stopping. Now, the investigation has uncovered a lack of transparency, accountability, and communication with regulators at the subsidiary's top levels. 

GM has already cut part of its funding for the group, which led to layoffs, and this new development may lead to further legal actions.   

TOGETHER WITH TRADEPENDING

Get Your Shine On

With a new year, new budgets, and lots of shiny balls on display at NADA this week, it’s easy to get distracted.

But…

• If you’re thinking you’ll be buying more cars, you’ll want TradePending.

• If you’re trying to get more people financed quickly and easily, you’ll want TradePending.

• If you want to get more people in the door, that’s TradePending.

• If you want more revenue coming out of your service department, well, that’s TradePending too.

Partner with the shiniest balls in the industry at TradePending. Check out Booths 3973W and 6193N!

MORE THAN CARS MOMENTS

Feeling Good, Doing Great

Oops, the folks at #1 Cochran Youngstown did it again!

This time, they are wow-ing us with a $31,500 donation to their local United Way group through their Operation Santa Campaign.

The money will go 100% to helping students access things like food, clothing, and hygiene products through the Boardman Center Intermediate School's Care Closet.

Long story short, they are doing the hard work of helping students feel their best so they can achieve their most, and we applaud them for it.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

Join us at the NADA Live Stage for the ASOTU Docu-series "More Than Cars" Preview and Community Meet-up!

📸 Wear your “Love People More Than Cars” T-shirt and join the ASOTU Crew for a group photo.

🥰 Get your free “More Than Cars” metal badge pin to show that you are part of the community that's pushing back on the negative dealer narrative.

👏 Support Paul and Kyle as they go on stage with Andrew Guelcher from Mohawk Chevrolet (Episode 4, sponsored by UVeye) to showcase how their dealership puts people first.

🤗 Meet other community members face-to-face.

See you there!

CULTURE

AI-Powered Skin Cancer Detection Device

DermaSensor Inc. has achieved a significant milestone with the FDA clearance of its AI-powered medical device, designed to transform skin cancer detection in primary care settings. This handheld tool employs advanced spectroscopy and algorithms to swiftly evaluate skin lesions for potential cancer.

DermaSensor's breakthrough represents a leap forward in the early detection and treatment of skin cancer, equipping healthcare providers with a powerful tool to combat this common disease.

We read the headline and thought of the classic Star Trek doctor light device, but so did the writers of this article, who included an image of both to get the full picture.

Watch a video on how DermaSensor works here.

Quick Hits

• Dungeons and Dragons is turning 50, but her fans are getting all the surprises. 🐲

• Pending home sales jumped 8.3% in December while renting prices out to more Americans than ever. 🏡

• While presidential and pop star deep fakes are making awful headlines, another company just dropped a text-to-video AI that for sure won’t end up giving us anything terrible. 🎥

History

• 1886: The automobile is patented. 🚙

• 1936: The first inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame are announced. ⚾️

• 1959: Disney releases the animated film “Sleeping Beauty” to theaters. 🍿