🚗 Last Saturday of 2025!

Happy Saturday, Friend!

It’s hard to keep up with everything over the holidays, so here is a recap of some of the daily news you may have missed. Of course, nobody can give you time to read it, you’ll just have to choose that for yourself.

*Coffee helps

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

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ICYMI

Caffinated and Informed

The Daily Pushback Email

• Monday: Customers are still buying, but the “joy deficit” is real: fatigue, deal hunting, and low patience are shaping how shoppers show up. Retail data showed autos dragging overall sales, while other categories rose, which signals people are being selective. The play for dealers: reduce friction, lead with clarity, and treat phone calls like gold because a call is intent and missed intent walks.

• Tuesday: A tight year-end outlook on what 2025 changed and what it means heading into 2026: tariffs pushed costs up and reshaped product plans, EV incentive shifts sped up cancellations, and hybrids filled the gap fast. Economic signals pointed to cooling inflation but slow momentum, keeping payments high and buyers cautious. Policy whiplash was framed as a real risk because uncertainty hits inventory, pricing, and shopper confidence first.

• Wednesday: Christmas Eve was mostly good news and quick headlines. Vehicles for Change put three restored donated vehicles into Baltimore-area drivers’ hands, including one recipient who once trained with the nonprofit and now received keys himself. We also learned the giant red bow became a staple thanks to Lexus’ 1999 campaign, and it still does real emotional work. Recalls and policy headlines still dropped, just lighter.

• Thursday: On Thursday, we had Christmas!

• Friday: Payment pressure keeps tightening, and 100-month loans are starting to show up as buyers chase monthly affordability. That can keep deals alive, but it increases long-term negative equity risk and raises the importance of protecting the ownership experience for the full term. Ford’s EV moves signaled a more regional strategy, with hybrids gaining ground and incentives driving demand shifts. The fun note: Boxing Day started as boxed-up gifts for workers and charity giving.

PODCASTS

Auto Collabs

Recorded live at Merge 2025, this episode of Auto Collabs features Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan, a lifelong advocate for the auto industry and someone whose personal and professional history is deeply tied to it. From growing up with “Body by Fisher” in her blood to working more than three decades in and around automotive before Congress, Dingell makes a clear case for why the automobile remains a backbone of the American economy—and why that reality is often underestimated today.

The conversation spans culture, affordability, and global competition. Dingell reflects on how cars once defined identity and pop culture, why affordability now dominates consumer decisions, and how inconsistent policy has left automakers and retailers caught in the middle. She doesn’t shy away from the hard topics—EV whipsawing, competition with China, and the need for bipartisan certainty—arguing that without stability and intentional strategy, the U.S. risks falling behind in both economic and national security terms.

Watch the view above, or read a write-up here.

The Dealer Playbook

What if your success today could quietly sabotage your future—unless you build a plan beyond the next car deal?

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, I sit down with Tustin Ulrich, General Manager of Roper Kia (one of the most dominant Kia stores in Missouri) and founder of The 1% Effect, a real estate investor concierge designed specifically for high-earning operators who don’t want to lose focus on today while building freedom for tomorrow.

This is not a conversation about selling cars.

This is a conversation about long-term thinking, generational wealth, tax strategy, leverage, and protecting your family’s future, without sacrificing performance in the present.

Tustin shares his deeply personal story, from childhood adversity and financial struggle to building a record-breaking dealership and acquiring over $10M in real estate while paying less than 1% in taxes. He breaks down exactly how high achievers in automotive can use real estate as a strategic tool, not a distraction, to create optionality, time freedom, and legacy.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Dealer Conferences and Industry Events (2026)

• February 3-6: NADA Show 2026, Las Vegas, NV

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

Quick Hits

• The AI guy says in 10 years, folks will have jobs in space. 🧑‍🚀 

• Retail returns jump up to 35% in the days after Christmas. Maybe ask for a list next year? 🎅 

• Stellantis dealers are feeling optimistic about 2026. 👍️ 

Thanks for reading, fam! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and we’ll be back Monday morning!