TOGETHER WITH:
Howdy, Fam!
In December 2016, Amir Alahwal called a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Southern California and asked about a job. They told him they weren’t hiring.
So he asked if he could come in and meet them anyway.
He showed up in the only suit he owned, his high school prom suit, with his hair slicked back and a bow tie on. By the end of the day, the store had created a receptionist job just for him.
Ten years later, he’s helping lead the customer experience at Mercedes-Benz of Temecula, and his newest idea is bringing back customers the store hadn’t seen in years. (More on that below.)
That’s the kind of hustle this industry rewards. Let’s go get this week, fam!
In today’s email...
New car prices hit a record while efficient used cars gain value
The FTC settles with Greenway Automotive over advertised prices
Mobile service wins back lost customers, the EU and China strike a hybrid deal, and a $15,000 golf cart for families
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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New Car Prices Hit a Record While Efficient Used Cars Gain Value
Shoppers are feeling squeezed on both sides of the lot. The 10 bestselling passenger vehicles hit a record average price of $36,418 in September, up 2.7% from a year ago, according to CDK Global’s Affordability Tracker. That doubled August’s 1.3% gain, and four Toyota models drove most of the increase.
Meanwhile, the used vehicles shoppers want most are getting pricier too:
What’s happening | |
|---|---|
Bestselling new cars | Record $36,418 average price, up 2.7% |
Bestselling pickups | Prices down 0.6%, with incentives up 32% |
Used 40+ mpg vehicles | Wholesale values up 9.9% since January |
Used vehicles under 15 mpg | Wholesale values down 15% in 10 months |
That’s a 25% spread in wholesale values between the most and least efficient vehicles in just nine months, according to Manheim.
What rising prices mean for dealers this fall
“Consumers are trading down, from new to used and full size to compact. They are also considering MPGs.” Jonathan Gregory, Manheim
Fuel economy now belongs right next to age, mileage, and condition in every appraisal. Expect to pay up for efficient trades, and be ready to show truck shoppers where the incentives are.
Missed It? Catch the Replay
Every service drive is full of potential used inventory, and every showroom sees trades walk through the door daily. The hard part is building a process that works the same way no matter who’s on the floor.
Few people understand that challenge better than Scott Pettitt, VP of Sales at Del Grande Dealer Group, who helped turn acquisition into a repeatable process across 16 stores. He joined AutoHub GM Dan Gaughan for our latest Edge webinar, and together they shared exactly how Del Grande made it stick.
Thanks to Scott and Dan, and to our friends at AutoHub, for making this conversation possible.
You’ll learn:
How to build service-driven acquisition into daily operations
What consistent appraisals look like across the showroom and service lane
How to approach service customers without hurting CSI
Where most dealers stall out, and how to get past it
It’s 30 minutes that could change how your stores source inventory.
The FTC Settles With Greenway Automotive Over Advertised Prices
On Friday’s show, we looked at Greenway Automotive’s proposed settlement with the FTC. The agency alleged that from March 2023 to May 2026, more than 92% of customers at Greenway’s Kia stores paid more than the price advertised online, by an average of $3,354, and that the practices continued after a March warning letter. Greenway neither admitted nor denied the allegations.
What the Greenway settlement means for dealer advertising
The proposed settlement includes no payment now, but violations of the order could bring fines of up to $53,088 each.
Compare your online prices against your signed deal jackets this week. If the numbers don’t match, find out why before someone else does.
Mobile service brought back customers one store hadn’t seen in years.
After losing a six-figure loyalty bonus, Mercedes-Benz of Temecula launched a mobile service van in December 2025 and texted every customer it hadn’t seen in over a year. In September, it booked 37 mobile appointments, its best month yet, and 70% of mobile customers hadn’t visited in at least a year.
“People like to manage things by feelings, and I think that’s extremely dangerous,” Amir Alahwal said. “I’ll go straight to the data.”
The EU and China struck a deal to slow Chinese hybrid imports.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič says the agreement could cut Chinese hybrid exports to Europe by more than half over four years. EU imports of Chinese hybrids jumped from 3,800 in October 2024 to 50,000 in July.
EU leaders still have to approve the deal at their Oct. 15 summit.
Chip Motors wants a $15,000 golf cart to be your family’s next car.
The Miami startup is developing a four-seat electric neighborhood vehicle for $15,000 and a six-seater for $18,000, with up to 100 miles of range, a top speed of about 25 mph, and headlights that smile and blink.
Deliveries are planned for 2027, though it’s limited to roads and communities that allow low-speed vehicles.
🔧 Quick Turns
The Paris Motor Show opens Tuesday, with Chinese brands making up a third of the automakers on hand. Chinese brands took 10.7% of Europe’s market in Q2, up from 5.7% a year earlier.
Apple is trimming iPhone 18 Pro orders, cutting October component requests 15% to 20%, as AI data centers drive up memory-chip prices and push phone costs higher.
Ten minutes of AI can make hard tasks harder. A Berkeley-led study of 1,222 people found brief ChatGPT use made participants quicker to give up once the AI was taken away.
Starbucks has explored buying Chipotle, a deal that would reunite CEO Brian Niccol with his old chain and become the biggest restaurant acquisition ever.
1810: Munich holds a royal wedding celebration that becomes the very first Oktoberfest.
1971: “Jesus Christ Superstar” opens on Broadway.
1999: The United Nations marks the world’s population reaching 6 billion.
