Cliff Banks - The Banks Report

TBR Weekly Top 10 – October 16, 2015

October 17, 2015 — Dealer sues Autotrader; Adam’s an idiot; Viper no more? Lexus’ F-bomb; Can U.S. automakers compete? Getting mean over green in CA; Ford’s push toward mobility; Preventing cyber attacks; Picky lenders; Mobile sites still have work to do.

The TBR Weekly Top 10 is our list of what we believe are the week’s must-read stories from various sources on the web. We look for stories that are thought-provoking, informative and provide different perspectives.

  1. Dealer Files Lawsuit Against Autotrader — From Automotive News. It was bound to happen sometime. Dealers have long complained about AutoTrader’s pricing, but the lawsuit takes it to a new level. This one will be interesting to watch, although, it will likely result in settlement with the terms remaining confidential.
  2. Adam’s an Idiot… — From Carscoops. Take your blood pressure medicine before watching this Adam Ruins Everything video. His take on car dealers is moronic and unbelievably uninformed. The problem is, this is the lie customers are being fed.
  3. The End of Viper, Again — From the Detroit Bureau. Another no surprise. Lackluster sales are apparently dooming this once proud sports car superstar, according to recent documents from the UAW’s negotiations with Fiat Chrysler. Unfortunately, it’s not a surprise as suppliers who work on the vehicle have shared with TBR that it’s a vehicle whose quality isn’t job one.
  4. Lexus Drops another F Bomb — From WardsAuto.com. Ok, not the kind of F-bomb you’re thinking (the folks at Wards are too classy for that). Although, the headline is catchy. Another hot vehicle from Lexus…
  5. Can U.S. Automakers Compete? — From WardsAuto.com. This one is from AutoLine’s John McElroy in which he offers an insightful take on the state of the U.S. auto industry (Of course, John is always insightful).
  6. Fighting Over Recharging Stations in CA — From the New York Times. The push for greener vehicles is making people meaner, according to the report.
  7. How Fields is Changing Ford’s Focus to Mobility — From Forbes. Mark Fields looks to the future as he seeks to make Ford a leader in solving global mobility issues while not sacrificing the company’s heritage. 
  8. Preventing Cyber Attacks — From the Detroit News. A new group is formed to prevent automotive-related cyber attacks. It’s great the industry is focusing on this important issue, but once again, dealers are left out of the conversation.
  9. Lenders Getting Picky About Which Dealers to Partner With — From WardsAuto.com. Even though this story is from this year, it’s similar to one I wrote in 2008 — just history repeating itself. Dealers have to up their game in compliance in addition to convincing lenders to work with them.
  10. J.D. Power Ranks Automotive Mobile Sites — From J.D. Power. This is one of those rare times we’ll go with a press release, but this is actually compelling information because so much of the research and shopping process is moving online and the study shows the industry still has a lot of work to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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