🚗 The 10 Things That Changed Retail Auto in 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Happy Jan 2, Fam!

Yesterday, Paul and Kyle kicked off 2026 with a 22-minute look back at the forces that shaped retail auto in 2025 and what’s already forming for 2026.

And since we’ve been hosting strategy sessions with top operators every morning this past week, we pulled in their insights and dropped some aligned actions in this email.

Below is the countdown, plus what you may do with it, because, like Liza Borches consistently shows:

Investing in your people is how you win.
And you are our people.

Keep Pushing Back
-Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi

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TOGETHER WITH HEY GREENLIGHT

The Consistency Gap

The dealer network doesn’t have an AI problem, it has a consistency problem: the gap between the best customer interaction your store can deliver and the one a shopper actually gets on a random Tuesday.

That’s where HeyGreenlight comes in. Founder and CEO Jay Ku is focused on elevating human-to-human interactions in the dealership, using technology to support your team rather than replace them.

The goal is for every customer to get clarity, confidence, and a buying experience that feels like your best day, every day.

Because the future starts with “hey.”

Want to see what HeyGreenlight is building?
Head to Hey Greenlight to join the waitlist or schedule a demo.

THE NEWS

The Top 10 Themes of 2025

#10 Gen Z Disrupts Expectations

They demand transparency, flexibility, and speed. If your online promises and in-store reality do not match, trust breaks fast. Action: Audit your website language, pricing claims, and response time. Gen Z does not “shop,” they verify.

#9 Service Became the MVP

Fixed ops carried stability during sales volatility, but loyalty is slipping even as vehicle age rises.

Action: tighten communication, reduce friction in scheduling, and expand mobile service where possible.

#8 China Asserts Dominance

Scale and vertical integration are reshaping the global battlefield. Expect more pressure on pricing, manufacturing strategy, and competitive positioning in 2026.

Action: track what happens with tariffs and policy because it will influence inventory, consumer sentiment, and long-term product strategy.

#7 Autonomy Advances (Cautiously)

Waymo drove by the rules, Tesla tested them, and regulators watched closely.

Action: Keep an eye on autonomy as a customer expectation shift, not just a tech headline.

#6 AI Did the Mundane (and Everyone Loved It)

Not revolutionary, just reliable: calls, follow-up, scheduling, appointment-setting. That is why dealers are embracing it.

Action: Choose one workflow, tie it to a measurable metric, and deploy it cleanly.

Steve Greenfield’s advice: “Start with the metrics you want to drive… then use that as your filter to figure out which vendors you want to see.”

#5 Tech ≠ Efficiency

More dashboards did not fix the broken process.

Action: simplify, standardize, then add tools. Efficiency has to exist before automation can amplify it.

#4 Used Cars Were the Rock

Used absorbed affordability pressure while new remained high. Used EVs gained traction late in the year as price confidence improved.

Action: tighten acquisition strategy and appraisal speed.

Brian Kramer’s warning: “Your website is currently being indexed by the AI chatbots… and it’s grading you whether you know it or not. The word for 2026 is clarity.”

#3 Hybrids Became the Compromise

Consumers want electricity with a backup plan. OEM plans are shifting around that reality.

Action: merch hybrids and train teams to explain them simply.

#2 EVs Didn’t Die, They Rerouted

Incentive shifts forced OEM recalibration. The story became timing, infrastructure, and trust.

Action: build competence, not ideology, and prepare for the use of EV supply to become unavoidable.

#1 Affordability Dominated Everything

Record-high payments pushed consumers to trade down, extend terms, or hold longer.

Action: affordability messaging and trade-cycle strategy become core.

Brian Benstock’s play: “You’ve got to set up your fishing nets now… during low tide.” His north star is integration and trade-cycle management so dealers can proactively identify equity and present tailored options.

What 2025 Really Proved

The real story was fragmentation: customers, powertrains, pricing, platforms, and policies all splintered. 2026 will reward operators who can perform in multiple settings at once.

One more reminder, from Damon Lester’s episode this morning: the industry pace is real, and so is the cost. “I never stopped moving… I didn’t breathe.” 

Leadership in 2026 includes building systems and boundaries that keep your team healthy enough to execute well for years to come.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

Dealer Conferences and Industry Events (2026)

• January 22: Public Policy Day, D.C. Auto Show, DC

• February 3-6: NADA Show 2026, Las Vegas, NV (Looking for a party?)

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

News for Auto Dealers Today

• VinFast’s in-house EV taxi arm GSM is eyeing a Hong Kong IPO by 2027, with advisers floating a wild $20B valuation, mainly to bankroll regional expansion. 📈 

• Stellantis is bringing back the Hellcat-powered Ram TRX for late 2026 at about $100K, because nothing says “we’re tackling affordability” like a 777-hp halo truck with a six-figure sticker. 😺 

• GM’s big EV ambitions just turned into coupon stacking: Cadillac Lyriq and Chevy Blazer EV lease prices dropped hard in December as the tax credit vanished and automakers filled the gap with incentives. ✂️ 

• Ford basically admitted it couldn’t out-cheap Toyota and Hyundai, so it stopped trying and doubled down on what it can actually win at: high-margin trucks and “emotional” icons like Mustang and Bronco. 🤑 

• Social Security’s getting its annual tune-up for 2026: a 2.8% COLA, higher earnings limits for working recipients, bigger max checks, a higher payroll-tax wage cap, and pricier work credits.

Today in History

• 1788: Georgia is the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. 📜

• 1906: Willis Carrier receives a U.S. patent for an "Apparatus for Treating Air," the world's first modern air conditioner. ❄️

• 1974: The speed limit of 55 mph is imposed by President Nixon. 🪧

Thanks for reading, Friend! Enjoy your Friday and the weekend to come. If you’re recreating, recreate, and if you’re working, work. Getting the two mixed up is a waste of both.