🚗 Nissan's New "Leaf"

TOGETHER WITH

The truth isn’t less than facts. But it’s often more than data can carry.

Most people know the auto industry as a collection of numbers on a stock ticker.
We know better.
There are humans behind every number. And stories behind every human.

So we made a docu-series.

More Than Cars explores The Truth About Car Dealers.
And we love the truth so much—we made it free to watch on Tubi.

Check it out sometime.
You deserve better than another scroll through LinkedIn 🤣

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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THE NEWS

More From Cox, Nissan’s New Everything, Value Retention Report, and Tighter Belts

🔥 Q1 Sales Hold, But the Heat’s Fading

Cox Automotive reports Q1 new-vehicle sales are up just 0.6% year-over-year. March volume is expected to hit 1.43M units—up from February but down slightly from last year. Cox cut its full-year forecast to 15.6M, citing affordability pressures, economic uncertainty, and potential tariffs. GM remains the top performer; Nissan's budget models are gaining steam, while Tesla and Stellantis are sliding.

⚡ Nissan’s Comeback Plan: 10 Cars, New CEO, and a Whole New Leaf

Nissan says the U.S. is “critical” and plans to launch 10+ new or refreshed models by 2027. The new Leaf ditches hatchback roots for crossover vibes, a rugged EV inspired by the Xterra is in the works, and the Sentra and Rogue get significant updates.

📉 The Cars That Hold Value Best

A new iSeeCars study shows that sports cars top the list for lowest 5-year depreciation. Porsche 911 and 718 Cayman lead the pack. Meanwhile, EVs lost nearly 60% of their value over five years, while hybrids held better than average.

🛡️ Automakers Tighten Up Ahead of Tariffs

Toyota pauses battery plant plans, Hyundai invests big in U.S. steel, and VW’s top shareholder pivots toward defense and infrastructure.

➕ More

Check out more on these stores and several more in our daily news digest.

🥊 Quick Hits

• A Rivian EV spinoff called “Also” is talking about yet more electric bikes. 🚲️ 

• Dollar Tree is selling Family Dollar… we imagine for more than $1.25, but these are weird times. 🪙 

• Apparently, there are toxic clouds on Mars. So, we guess astronauts should train in Los Angeles before setting up colonies. 🧑‍🚀 

TOGETHER WITH FOUREYES

Do You Need More Leads?

Unpopular Opinion: You Don't Need More Leads.

Not when 43.2% of the ones you already have are getting ghosted, forgotten, or even ignored.

The new 2025 Automotive Dealer Benchmark Report from Foureyes uncovered just how much opportunity is slipping through the cracks in today’s sales processes:

• 14.1% of web and phone ups never make it to CRMs (including 26% of web calls!)

• 65% of prospects don’t hear from dealerships for 24+ hours after revisiting their websites

• 40% of buyers make their purchase after day 3 (an underleveraged window for follow-up?) 

Hidden gems in your current pipeline? You bet. CHECK OUT THE DATA

MORE THAN CARS MOMENTS

Keys and a Smile: Elking Auto Group

When Deborah and her daughter Katie’s only shelter—a broken-down Hyundai—gave out in the freezing cold at a QuikTrip, it could’ve been the end of the road. Instead, it became a starting line.

Arnold Police Officer Kevin Wilson spotted the car, made a few calls, and lit the spark that got the whole town moving. Fairway Automotive took it in. Charles Elking of Elking Automotive Group didn’t hesitate—he donated a whole vehicle outright. And Ives Towing stepped in to make sure it was road-ready.

Weeks later, a reliable gold Honda CRV rolled up to surprise the mother-daughter duo outside their hotel.

No paperwork. No price tag. Just keys, a smile, and a community that refused to look away.

“This car is a gift,” said Officer Wilson. “We hope it makes your life easier.”

Arnold proved it: A dealership’s best work doesn’t always happen on the sales floor.

Even when it comes through it.

Vehicles For Change

Like stories about people having their mobility needs met? Love to see a dealership play a key role in rallying a community around service? Want to be a PART of this sort of story?

Our ASOTU CON charity partners, Vehicles for Change, provide job training and extremely affordable vehicle options to people getting their life on track after incarceration.

Data shows that recidivism rates plummet when training and meaningful work are made available to people who have paid their debt to society and are ready to turn a new page.

Come to ASOTU CON 2025 to see another More Than Cars Moment live and in person this May in Baltimore.

🔁 Today in History

• 1794 – The United States Government establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates. ⚓️ 

• 1915 – Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in the United States, is put in quarantine for the second time, where she would remain for the rest of her life. 😷 

• 2002 – Scion debuts 📦️