🚗 Beards Are Back, Baby

🚙 Weekly Recap, Peek the Pods, and Beard Ban Lifted

February 22, 2025

A wise man once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Now, we’re not suggesting you “borrow” a convertible, or crash a parade today. But,  stopping to appreciate the view will remind you that the journey is just as important as the destination.

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

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ICYMI

Need to Know News

Tenor

The Daily Pushback Email

  • We kicked off Monday with the news that Detroit is facing pressure as Chinese automakers dominate global markets. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans stirred things up by targeting EV tax credits and proposing new fees. Then, we. put the spotlight on Alison Prowse from Bowker BMW, who trekked 62 miles across the Sahara to raise money for breast cancer awareness. 🌟
     

  • Tuesday brought a twist as Ford’s Jim Farley flipped his stance on tariffs, now backing Trump’s proposed import taxes after previously slamming them. Plus, new car affordability hit its best mark in 41 months and EV sales jumped 18%. We also shout-out Preston Automotive Group who just celebrated 50 years of growth, community focus, and, of course, their iconic frog. 🐸
     

  • Wednesday’s highlights had GM making waves with its $2B Super Cruise subscription plan, NADA pushing back hard against direct sales and emissions mandates, and, BYD claiming its EVs are five years ahead—but with over 4,700 customer complaints in one week, the future might not be as bright as they think. Plus, J.D. Power’s latest dependability study showed the highest problem rates in over a decade. 🛠️
     

  • On Thursday, we featured used prices doing the classic February shuffle and Nikola filed for bankruptcy. Over in Buffalo, West Herr Automotive Group showed us what community means by gifting beloved Bills employee “Slick Rick” Morrow a Chevy Traverse after years of bus rides. 🦬
     

  • Friday wrapped up with F&I sales climbing, but nearly 30% of customers still turn down products due to confusion. Carvana wowed with a 33% sales jump but left Wall Street unimpressed with a vague 2025 outlook. Meanwhile, the Toyota RAV4 dethroned the F-150 as America’s best-selling single vehicle, and tax refunds gave used car sales a major boost. 💸

PODCASTS

ASOTU Edge Webinar

We partnered with our pal Matt Murray at Widewail to dive deep into 8.1M Google reviews and reveal what’s driving dealership reputations in 2025.

This replay breaks down why brands like Lexus and Hendrick are winning, the mistakes holding others back, and how AI is helping dealerships close customer experience gaps without adding to the workload.

If you’re ready to turn feedback into your dealership’s competitive edge, don’t miss this chance to learn how the best are staying ahead. Watch the full replay here.

The Dealer Playbook

Michael Cirillo sat down with Chance Mayfield, founder of Carfluent, to discuss how dealerships can tap into one of the most overlooked markets in the industry—Spanish-speaking buyers.

With the U.S. ranking as the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, ignoring this audience means leaving serious money on the table.

Chance breaks down how the right approach leads to sky-high close rates and game-changing referrals. If you’re ready to unlock a high-intent, high-ROI customer base, check out the replay on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple.

Guest Appearances

Paul and Kyle had the pleasure of appearing as guests on the Connected Podcast with Reynolds and Reynolds during the NADA Show this year to talk about the rise of artificial intelligence and the importance of human connection. Give ‘em a listen! 👆👇

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

🗓️ Coming Soon

SOMETHING FUN

The Beards Are Back in the Bronx

After nearly half a century of clean-shaven chins, the New York Yankees are officially embracing the beard. That’s right—the franchise that made more players reach for a razor than a bat is finally letting go of its long-standing facial hair ban.

Why now? Well, it turns out telling grown men they can’t have beards in 2025 is a tough sell—especially when you’re trying to recruit top talent. Hal Steinbrenner, son of the famously no-nonsense George Steinbrenner, admitted that while he doesn’t quite get the beard culture, he understands it’s important to today’s players. And if keeping an ace pitcher means letting him keep his scruff, so be it.

The policy shift comes after years of players creatively skirting the rule (see: pushing the limits of “well-trimmed mustaches”) and free agents quietly hesitating to sign with the Yankees over a dress code that felt more 1976 than 2025.

So, does this mean we’ll see a lineup of lumberjack-looking Yankees this season? Probably not—there’s still an expectation of “well-groomed” beards. But it does mean one less barrier for players who just want to hit home runs and keep their chin warm.

Finally, the Yankees are adapting. Now, about that World Series drought…

Quick Hits

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