🚗 Are You Leaking Loyalty?

TOGETHER WITH

Howdy, Fam!

Yesterday on the morning show, Paul closed with a line worth reviewing:

“If you take away anything from this episode, it should be that communication and service should be at the top of your priority list.”

To keep people in a meaningful relationship with your brand, they have to feel like a meaningful part of that relationship.

When communication turns into auto-responses and convenience means “same experience for everyone,” we start losing the plot. A retiree in the lounge and a single dad juggling kids and a laptop don’t need the same thing. They just need to know someone noticed.

Keep Pushing Back,
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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TOGETHER WITH VAUTO

Not All Inventory Is Created Equal

Used inventory is coming in from more places than ever. But let’s be honest—not every car on your lot is pulling its weight.

Some channels deliver volume. Others deliver margin. A few just deliver headaches.

Join us Wednesday, November 19th at 2:00PM EST as Derek Hansen (vAuto) and Drew Hall (Cloninger Auto Group) walk through how Cloninger fine-tuned their sourcing data, tied it to store-level outcomes, and built a system to buy smarter, appraise better, and stay on course.

Register now to discover what each channel is really doing for your dealership.

THE NEWS

Fixed Ops: The Leak You Can Fix

Cox Automotive’s new Service Industry Study dropped a wake-up call for dealers: fixed ops is leaking loyalty fast. Dealerships handle 12% fewer service visits than in 2018 even as overall service demand grows. Loyalty among owners of cars under two years old fell from 72% in 2023 to just 54% this year.

Customers say the pain points are surprise costs and weak communication—two things fully within dealer control. Even with dealership repair costs averaging $261 versus $275 at general repair shops, perception still drives behavior.

Deets:

• Transparency sells. Post prices clearly and push approvals digitally.

• Communication wins. Text updates, ETAs, and service photos make customers feel seen.

• Convenience matters. Pickup, delivery, and rideshare vouchers aren’t luxuries anymore.

• Don’t waste the lane. Over half of customers facing major repairs would trade in—but few are ever offered an appraisal.

“Dealerships are sitting on a goldmine… yet most are never approached with an appraisal, leaving millions in acquisition costs on the table.” — Skyler Chadwick, Cox Automotive

Toyota vs. Toyota, With Elliott Watching

Activist investor Elliott Investment Management grabbed a stake in Toyota Industries and called out Toyota Motor’s take-private plan as undervalued and opaque. Investors clearly agree: shares closed above the offer price, signaling pressure for a sweeter deal.

While this might feel like corporate boardroom drama, dealers and suppliers are on the same street. Any governance shakeup inside the Toyota group can ripple through global supply chains, R&D budgets, and future model cadence.

What to watch:

• Higher buyout costs could mean tighter spending on peripheral projects.

• Supplier relationships and logistics strategies could see a reshuffling if governance reforms stick.

• Expect continued scrutiny of Japan’s keiretsu model as regulators push for transparency.

Kia’s Next Telluride: Big Box Energy

Kia previewed the next-gen 2027 Telluride, calling it a “new benchmark” for design and ambition. It’s larger, boxier, and looks like it wandered out of a Range Rover showroom. Sales of the first-gen model have climbed every year since 2019, and the sequel aims to stretch that run.

Quick context:

• Launch expected early 2026; full reveal hits the LA Auto Show later this month.

• The Telluride remains Kia’s top U.S. success story, outselling expectations with 444,000 units so far.

• Expect 10 trims again, from $36K to the mid-$50Ks, with an X-Pro version leading the design story.

Range Rover aesthetics, Kia mortgage payments?

For dealers, this keeps the midsize SUV fight spicy. With Toyota’s Highlander and Hyundai’s Palisade tightening their tech and hybrid options, Kia’s focus on style and space keeps it interesting—and profitable.

Trucks: Everyone’s Buying, Few Are Using

A new Strategic Vision survey found that nearly 90% of pickup owners never use their trucks for business, towing, or worksite duties. Only 10% use them as “real” trucks; the rest are lifestyle vehicles with bed covers and Bluetooth.

The twist: alternative powertrain trucks like Rivian’s R1T actually see more hauling activity (64% haul monthly) than full-size gas trucks (61%). Heavy-duty rigs remain the only ones used regularly for towing.

Dealer implications:

• Stock lifestyle-friendly trims and smaller trucks—they fit how people actually drive.

• Truck buyers want the potential for capability, not constant use. Sell confidence, not cargo math.

• Expect more policy heat around pedestrian safety and vehicle size as truck hoods keep rising.

We love dreams of grit, but the average F-150 spends more time at Target than a job site.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Coming Soon

• November 15: Giving Hope Gala — New Orleans, LA

• November 16–18: Modern Retailing Conference — Palm Beach, FL

• November 20: Automobility LA at the LA Auto Show — Los Angeles, CA

• May 12-15: ASOTU CON 2026 — Hanover, MD

Today in History

November 12, 1908 – GM buys Oldsmobile

On this day, the newly formed General Motors acquired Oldsmobile, rescuing the struggling automaker whose famed Curved Dash Runabout had once defined early mass production. GM quickly launched the 1909 Model 20—essentially a rebadged Buick Model 10—reviving Oldsmobile’s fortunes and setting the stage for nearly a century of American automotive history.

If you made it this far…