TOGETHER WITH:
Howdy, Fam!
All last week, we kept coming back to how it feels to do business with you, from a coffee shop that remembers a tea order to a trade value that should match in every department. Now the data is in, and it says two things.
First, buyers still want the dealership. Bain found 9 in 10 still finish their purchase in a store, even after doing their homework online and with AI.
Second, plenty of those buyers walk out worn down. In CDK’s September survey, 39% said the deal took longer than they expected, up from 33% in August, and one buyer described a five-hour negotiation.
That changes the job. Most people have already decided to come see you. Now the work is making every minute they spend in your store feel worth the trip, from the first handshake to the moment they pull off the lot.
The coffee bar and the bowl of crackers are nice touches. They may not be enough to bring someone back for the next one.
In today’s email...
Nine in 10 buyers still close at the dealership, and the visit is getting harder
A federal judge keeps California dealers’ Scout lawsuit alive
Three 40 Under 40 honorees we know well, plus lithium from oilfield wastewater
Keep Pushing Back,
—Chris with Paul, Kyle & Kristi
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Nine in 10 car buyers still finish the deal at a dealership.
Bain & Co. surveyed more than 12,000 car buyers across 11 countries for its new Global Automotive Consumer Survey, which we broke down on yesterday’s show. More than six in 10 now start shopping online, more than 80% mix online and offline channels, and 55% of younger U.S. buyers use AI to shop. The showroom still closes.
What happens once those buyers walk in?
CDK’s September Ease of Purchase survey shows where the visit gets harder:
Step | September | Movement |
|---|---|---|
Said buying was easy overall | 79% | Down from 81% in July and August |
Picked a car off the lot | 45% | Down from a 50% average in 2025 |
Said applying for credit was easy | 56% | Down from 70% in August |
Said the paperwork was easy | 64% | Down from 68% in August |
Salespeople held steady through Q3, though product expertise was the only salesperson score to fall from both last quarter and last year.
Walk a deal through your own store this week and time every step where the buyer is waiting on you.
What Dealers Should Automate First
Mia is taking one of the most repetitive parts of dealership life and handing it to AI.
Their platform handles inbound and outbound customer conversations across sales, service, and reception, with more than 4M conversations and 420K appointments booked across its dealer network.
At ASOTU CON West, VP of Sales Scott Traylor is bringing the dealer perspective to the stage. His rule for AI is pretty simple: let it own the beginning and end of the process so your people can spend more time in the middle, where the relationship actually happens.
If AI is already on your 2027 plan, hear Scott's take before you buy another tool.
A federal judge has turned down Volkswagen and Scout Motors’ second attempt to end the California dealers’ lawsuit.
Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant’s Oct. 22 ruling sends the California New Car Dealers Association’s case into discovery. It keeps the case alive without deciding whether Scout can sell directly to California buyers.
How did the Scout case get to discovery?
2023: California passes AB 473, a CNCDA-sponsored law barring manufacturers from competing with their own franchised dealers.
March 30: The court denies VW and Scout’s motions to dismiss the core claims.
May 1: Fourteen California VW dealers file protests with the state’s New Motor Vehicle Board.
June: VW and Scout ask the court to end the case on the pleadings.
Oct. 22: Denied, with the court reaffirming that “indirectly through an affiliate” applies to a subsidiary like Scout.
CNCDA President Brian Maas said dealers “will continue to fight for their right to offer all models to their customers.”
Ask your state dealer association how your franchise law treats manufacturer affiliates before your OEM’s next direct-sales announcement.
What does it take to make Automotive News’ 40 Under 40?
For three honorees we know well, it took results like these, which we celebrated on yesterday’s show:
Akshay Mahajan, AM Ford: grew new-vehicle sales from roughly 40 units to 172 in 2025
Amir Alahwal, Unstoppable Automotive Group: went from receptionist in 2016 to leading customer experience, and he’ll be at ASOTU CON West on Nov. 18
Elizabeth Shults, McLarty Daniel: sold nearly 400 Buicks against a goal of 300
A Houston startup is pulling lithium out of oilfield wastewater.
Element3 is filtering lithium from the salty brine that comes up with Permian Basin oil, using research from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It was the story on yesterday’s show we never saw coming.
More than four barrels of water come up for every barrel of oil.
The company is still small, with about $20 million raised and 15 employees, but a domestic source could shift where EV battery materials come from.
🏁 Off the Lot
Cadillac opened orders for 252 Escalade-V 125th Anniversary Collector Series SUVs starting around $239,000, and buyers get to pick their own VIN and serial number.
Stivers Automotive Group bought Kia of Owings Mills from Asbury on Oct. 19, giving Stivers its first Kia store and its first Mid-Atlantic location.
🌎 Beyond the Showroom
1904: New York City’s first subway line opens, running from City Hall to 145th Street.
1954: Walt Disney’s “Disneyland” TV series premieres on ABC, helping fund the theme park.
1997: the DOW falls 554 points, triggering the NYSE’s circuit breakers for the first time.
