IRVINE, Calif., July 18, 2019 -- With more than 350 automotive models available in the marketplace and new nameplates being introduced each year, the process of choosing a new car can be overwhelming. To provide shoppers with helpful, bite-sized lists they can use to start their new-car research with confidence, the editors at Kelley Blue Book have named the 10 Most Awarded Cars of 2019 and the 10 Most Awarded Brands of 2019.

Kelley Blue Book's experts recently sorted through the winners from all of the company's 2019 awards programs, compiling lists of the vehicles and brands that were recognized most often this year. Kelley Blue Book's major annual awards programs include the Best Buy Awards, Best Auto Tech Awards, Best Resale Value Awards, 5-Year Cost to Own Awards and Brand Image Awards. In addition, the various car accolade lists created by Kelley Blue Book's editorial staff this year – including the 10 Coolest Cars Under $20,000, Best Family Cars, 10 Best SUVs Under $30,000, and many more – also were factored into the final count.

"Kelley Blue Book's expert editors drive and review nearly every new car on the road each year, so we have an abundance of knowledge that fuels our editorial awards and accolades, while our analysts evaluate tremendous amounts of data to help determine which vehicles make the cut for Kelley Blue Book's awards," said Matt DeLorenzo, senior managing editor for Kelley Blue Book. "Kelley Blue Book's Most Awarded Car for 2019 is the Jeep Wrangler, a recently redesigned icon and perennial favorite that excels in many categories, while Honda leads as the Most Awarded Brand for 2019."

Kelley Blue Book's 10 Most Awarded Cars of 2019

"With its decades-long established reputation for strong resale value and reliability, Honda came out on top as Kelley Blue Book's Most Awarded Brand this year," said DeLorenzo. "The Accord, Fit, Civic, HR-V, Odyssey, Pilot, Clarity, CR-V, and Ridgeline all earned accolades this year – including six Best Buy Awards – for an incredible total of 31 Kelley Blue Book awards in 2019."

Kelley Blue Book's 10 Most Awarded Brands of 2019

To see KBB.com's complete coverage of the 10 Most Awarded Cars of 2019, visit https://www.kbb.com/car-reviews-and-news/top-10/most-awarded-cars-2019/2100007609. For full coverage of the 10 Most Awarded Brands of 2019, including editors' comments about each automaker, visit https://www.kbb.com/car-news/most-awarded-brands-2019/2100007608.

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb, and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kbb_com/ (or @kbb_com).

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides market-reflective values on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor tool, which provides a range for what consumers can reasonably expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. Car owners looking to sell immediately can also get a redeemable, transaction-ready offer with Kelley Blue BookSM Instant Cash Offer. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. coxautoinc.com

Cox leadership donates $20,000 between two charities in San Antonio and the Philadelphia area

ATLANTA, Ga. (July 16, 2019) – An organization that helps veterans with housing and employment needs and a nonprofit that fights hunger are the big winners of a corporate challenge among Manheim locations nationwide. The east-versus-west contest to raise awareness for the Manheim Express app sparked a friendly wager among top leadership at Cox Automotive and parent company Cox Enterprises. Consistent with the company’s ongoing emphasis on giving back to the community, the friendly wager resulted in $10,000 donations to charities selected by the winning location in each region.

Manheim San Antonio chose their local chapter of. The organization helps veterans and their families find stable housing and meaningful employment.

“GI Forum does wonderful work for our community’s veterans, including our location’s security officer, who is a GI Forum resident,” explained Manheim San Antonio General Manager Mike Browning. “This donation is so important to their mission because it provides unrestricted funds to help fulfill needs that are not covered by grants or government funding.”

Manheim Philadelphia chose longtime charity partner. Located just four miles from the Manheim site, the organization is dedicated to ending hunger in northern Pennsylvania.

“Seven years ago, we were searching for a local nonprofit to support and we found it right in our own backyard,” explained Charlie Pollina, general manager of Manheim Philadelphia. “With less than one percent of its budget coming from public funding, Manna relies heavily on corporate and community donations to serve the hungry throughout Montgomery County.”

Cox Enterprises President and CEO Alex Taylor and Cox Automotive President Sandy Schwartz spearheaded the corporate challenge among Manheim locations. Together, they made good on their bets by making special visits to each location for a check presentation.

“We are so proud of Charlie and his team for doing their part to make differences in the lives of others,” added Schwartz, who led the east region.

“I was touched by the special connection between the team at Manheim San Antonio and the GI Forum and thrilled to support their passion for helping veterans in the community.” said Taylor, who led the west region.

The east versus west showdown challenged Manheim locations to increase dealer awareness and use of the Manheim Express mobile app, which helps dealers buy and sell wholesale vehicles quickly and easily right from their phones. Launched nationwide in July 2018, Manheim Express offers the wholesale industry’s only Guaranteed First Bid and 360-degree imaging, which are huge benefits to dealers who need to turn inventory quickly. In 2019, Manheim has continued to enhance the app, with a new in-app Buyer Experience, integration with vAuto, and a nationwide Concierge workforce that provides expert assistance to dealers in listing their vehicles for sale from their lots.

About Manheim (www.manheim.com)

Manheim® is North America's leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With its omni-channel approach, Manheim Marketplace enables wholesale vehicle clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Approximately 17,000 team members help Manheim offer 7 million used vehicles annually, facilitating transactions representing nearly $61 billion in value. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.

Introducing real-time vehicle service status updates from the palm of your hand

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 17, 2019 – Dealerships and customers can both agree that the vehicle service experience needs improvement. Hindered by poor communication, the relationship between the two parties has hit a crossroads, hurting retention and business. Today, Xtime is unveiling a new Service Tracker feature, helping dealerships close this gap and build greater trust and loyalty by offering customers mobile access to real-time vehicle status updates.

“As service revenue continues to play an increasingly dominant role in dealership gross profits — 49.6 percent according to NADA Data 2018 — Xtime’s Service Tracker provides the advantage necessary for dealers to compete in a crowded market,” said Tracy Fred, vice president and general manager for Xtime. “Service Tracker’s core purpose is to bring trust, communication and transparency to the automotive service industry and ultimately, to keep dealers and their customers happy.” 

Until now, the automotive service industry lacked the tools necessary to provide the same level of on-demand convenience consumers have come to expect in the rest of their lives. Consequently, service advisors are often faced with a high volume of phone calls and text messages from customers requesting routine service status updates. This obstructs the ability to satisfy existing customers and displaces time which could be spent helping other clients standing in the service drive. Dealers now have a tool designed to meet this challenge head-on with Xtime’s Service Tracker, which offers the following benefits:

1. Real-Time Service Status: Dealers can offer their customers the ability to access real-time vehicle service status updates online through a customized URL link provided via email or text message.
2. Increased Consumer Transparency: Dealership trust and loyalty increase when consumers have visibility into the status of their vehicle throughout the service experience.
3. Reduce Phone Call Volume: Service advisors can spend less time answering the phone and focus on other tasks at hand, increasing department capacity and improving the customer experience.

“About 70 percent of inbound phone calls through the service center are customers checking the status of their vehicles,” said David Hult, chief executive officer, Asbury Automotive Group. “We clearly needed a solution that could simultaneously enhance our flow of information with customers and reduce demand on staff. With the introduction of Service Tracker, customers can independently check the status of their service in real time, allowing advisors to concentrate on the customers in front of them and provide higher levels of service.”

For more information about Xtime’s Service Tracker, soon available to all franchised dealers in the U.S. as an add-on to Xtime Inspect, visit https://xtime.com/xtime-spectrum/inspect/.

About Xtime
Xtime increases customer retention for automotive dealer service departments by using technology to transform the ownership experience. Improving customer satisfaction and retention drives dealer revenue and profitability. Xtime is committed to delivering the experience consumers demand – an experience which emphasizes value, convenience and trust.

Xtime books 52 million service appointments and processes 120 million repair orders annually. Twenty-nine global OEMs have chosen Xtime to drive that same type of success for their businesses, converting more than $13 billion in service revenue annually for more than 7,500 dealerships across three continents.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Media Contact:

Lisa Aloisio

Lisa.Aloisio@coxautoinc.com

m. 404.725.0651

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Redwood City, Calif. – July 15, 2019 – To help dealers build stronger customer relationships and drive lasting customer retention in the service department, Xtime today announces a new integration of its Inspect product with Auto/Mate, a national dealer management system (DMS) provider.

Dealers using Auto/Mate’s DMS will now be able to take advantage of Xtime’s Inspect module, part of the automotive industry’s leading cloud-based service management platform. Xtime Inspect helps dealers drive greater shop efficiency and can also help boost both revenue and customer satisfaction with digital, multi-point inspections, professionally presented recommended services and online customer approvals.

“With industry headwinds continuing to disrupt the service department and threaten dealership profitability as a whole, Xtime knew it was mission critical to invest in new relationships to ensure the benefits of Inspect were available to as many dealers as possible,” said Tracy Fred, vice president and general manager for Xtime. “Through the Inspect integration with Auto/Mate, more dealers will have the resources they need to provide a consistent customer experience that offers transparency, confidence and trust every step of the way to create lifelong customers.”

According to findings from Phase 2 of the Cox Automotive 2018 Service Industry Study, an estimated 70 percent of consumers who purchased or leased from a dealer did not return for service in the past year, indicating that dealers continue to struggle when it comes to customer retention. However, more than half of consumers reported they would be willing to travel farther and pay more for an enhanced service experience, creating an opportunity for dealers to continue to grow their share of total service visits.

Xtime Inspect helps dealers address this opportunity by enabling them to better streamline the vehicle inspection process internally and externally through instant communication with dealership chat, parts pricing and availability information, and centralized access to service history and previous recommendations. It also provides an integrated quote generation process from technician to parts to advisor.

“A comprehensive vehicle inspection is a valuable way to build trust, transparency and loyalty with our customers,” said Warren Lewis, dealer at Klick-Lewis Chevrolet in Palmyra, PA. “Having our Auto/Mate DMS deeply integrated with the Xtime Inspect module makes that critical relationship-building step so much easier and more efficient. Our service staff gets to spend their time meeting customers’ needs, instead of moving data around from one system to another.”

Leveraging its existing integration with Xtime Schedule, Auto/Mate dealers will now be able to import repair orders (ROs) into Inspect, and have access to real-time parts availability, parts on-hand, including bin and source location, descriptions and more.

“Xtime’s integration with our Parts Module will allow parts department users to save time and create more accurate parts quotes, as well as communicate pricing and availability throughout the entire dealership,” said Mike Esposito, president and CEO of Auto/Mate. “We have designed our Open/Mate program to expedite the integration process from third-party vendors for a low cost, which increases satisfaction for both parties’ dealership customers.”

To learn more about the Auto/Mate and Xtime integration, email Xtime at insidesales@xtime.com, or call 888-463-3888.

About Xtime

Xtime increases customer retention for automotive dealer service departments by using technology to transform the ownership experience. Improving customer satisfaction and retention drives dealer revenue and profitability. Xtime is committed to delivering the experience consumers demand – an experience which emphasizes value, convenience and trust.

Xtime books 52 million service appointments and processes 120 million repair orders annually. Twenty-nine global OEMs have chosen Xtime to drive that same type of success for their businesses, converting more than $13 billion in service revenue annually for more than 7,500 dealerships across three continents.

About Auto/Mate

Auto/Mate Dealership Systems is a leading provider of dealership management system software to retail automotive dealerships, typically saving dealers thousands of dollars per month from their current provider. AMPS® is a user-friendly, feature-rich DMS in use by more than 1,500 auto dealers nationwide. Auto/Mate has received multiple consecutive DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards.

Auto/Mate’s employees have more than 1,500 years of combined experience working in franchised auto dealerships, the foundation of its By Car People, For Car People™ slogan. Auto/Mate is committed to winning its customers’ business each and every month with no long-term contracts and free software upgrades.

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ATLANTA, Ga. (June 27, 2019) – For the second year in a row, Manheim Statesville’s exceptional efforts in the annual “Race to Give” charity program resulted in the donation of an emergency response vehicle to the local chapter of the American Red Cross. This year’s vehicle, a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu donated by Remarketing by Element, further expands the organization’s emergency response fleet used to deliver supplies and services to those in the Carolinas region who have been impacted by disasters.

Since 2016, Manheim and Remarketing by Element have partnered on the national “Race to Give” campaign that provides local support for the American Red Cross. Each year, Manheim locations across the country organize creative fundraising activities in a friendly competition that culminates with a vehicle donation by Remarketing by Element to the winning location’s local Red Cross chapter. Over the past three years, Manheim’s collective fundraising efforts have generated more than $350,000 and the donations of five Red Cross fleet vehicles.

“Compassionate community partners like Manheim are essential to helping us meet our mission to alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies,” said Angela Broome Powley, CEO for the American Red Cross Greater Carolinas Region. “Their support allows us to mobilize volunteers, and provide hot meals and shelter when there is nowhere else to turn.”

In the most recent “Race to Give” campaign, Manheim Statesville emerged as the top auction location, raising $40,500 in addition to organizing blood drives, collecting hurricane relief supplies, installing smoke alarms, and stuffing 150 teddy bears for the Red Cross to give out to children at local shelters during times of natural disaster and when they respond to home fires.

“Our 450 team members feel it’s important to extend Manheim’s corporate partnership with the American Red Cross to the local level by helping individuals and families in our own backyard,” said, Ellie Johnson, general manager, Manheim Statesville. “These vehicle donations, along with the other activities that support our local Red Cross chapter, demonstrate the deep commitment we have to the community where we live and work.”

“We often think of the American Red Cross as a national organization, but their hyperlocal response helps individuals and families in communities every day,” added Paul Seger, vice president of asset remarketing at Element Fleet Management. “We are humbled to support the services they provide to people facing dark moments due to disaster.”

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org. 

About Element Fleet Management Corp.
Element Fleet Management (TSX: EFN) is a leading global fleet management company, providing world-class management services and financing for commercial vehicle and equipment fleets. Element's suite of fleet management services spans the total fleet lifecycle, from acquisition and financing to program management and remarketing – helping customers optimize performance and improve productivity. For more information, visit Elementfleet.com.

About Manheim

Manheim® is North America's leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With its omni-channel approach, Manheim Marketplace enables wholesale vehicle clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Approximately 17,000 team members help Manheim offer 7 million used vehicles annually, facilitating transactions representing nearly $61 billion in value. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.

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Expedited registration and title processing enables Indiana dealerships to meet customer expectations, streamline experience online

North Hills, NY, June 27, 2019 – The Automobile Dealers Association of Indiana (ADAI) has renewed its preferred endorsement of Dealertrack Registration and Title Solutions in a continued effort to bring a modern, streamlined and electronic registration and title process to Indiana dealers.

As a provider in the state of Indiana for 10 years, Dealertrack continues to deliver innovative technology to enhance the customer experience while helping dealers increase vehicle turn and optimize cashflow. With Dealertrack’s registration and title solutions, dealers can quickly and easily complete the car-buying process the way consumers want — online.

Consumers are looking to gain more power and control in the car-buying process — the Cox Automotive Future of Digital Retail Study reveals that 83 percent of car shoppers want to do one or more steps of the purchase process online. Dealertrack’s one-of-a-kind tools help Indiana dealers meet these needs and facilitate a transparent and expedited title process for vehicles taken in on trade as well as those sold in and outside of state borders.

“In today’s tumultuous auto retail market, dealers are working tirelessly to find new ways to streamline the car-buying process to protect their bottom line and exceed rising customer expectations,” said Kaitlin Gavin, vice president and general manager of Dealertrack Registration and Title Solutions. “Through state-of-the-art, easy-to-use technology, Dealertrack is working to help Indiana dealers turn complex and time-consuming registration and title work into a simple, easy and accurate process. We are humbled and honored to receive this renewed endorsement from ADAI to continue to aid Indiana dealers with their registration and title needs.”

“Renewing our preferred endorsement of Dealertrack Registration and Title Solutions closely aligns with our position to encourage an environment for Indiana dealers that best assures consumers obtain the highest level of value and service for their automobiles, trucks and motorcycles,” said Marty Murphy, executive vice president of ADAI. “We are pleased to share this news with our members, as this endorsement solidifies our commitment to providing industry-leading solutions that ease the registration and title process.”

By providing Indiana dealers with an electronic registration and title solution, Dealertrack and ADAI will continue to further the industry and enable a simplified, hassle-free process that drives greater value for all parties involved.

About Dealertrack

Dealertrack provides industry-leading software solutions that give dealerships and lenders the confidence to thrive in an ever-changing automotive market. The company’s integrated suite of powerful but easy-to-use products helps dealerships and their lending partners grow by increasing efficiency and improving decision-making. Dealertrack is part of the Cox Automotive family, a company that is transforming the way the world buys, sells, owns and uses cars. Dealertrack—along with its unmatched network of dealership and lending partners—is improving the car buying experience by embracing the technologies that will shape the future of automotive retail. For more information about Dealertrack, visit www.dealertrack.com.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

Emergency response vehicle to be donated to dealer’s local American Red Cross chapter

LAS VEGAS – Otto Hahne of City of Cars, Inc. in Troy, Michigan, was recognized on June 20th with the 2019 National Quality Dealer award at the 73rd Annual National Independent Automobile Dealers Association’s (NIADA) Convention and Expo. In recognition of this award, NextGear Capital and Cox Automotive will donate an emergency response vehicle to Hahne’s local American Red Cross chapter. 

This will be the ninth emergency vehicle donated to the American Red Cross through Cox Automotive. Since 2015, the company has donated more than $1 million to the American Red Cross to support disaster relief. The vehicle will be transported to the winner’s dealership where it will officially be donated to its local American Red Cross chapter.

“Otto and his team live out not only what it means to be a National Quality Dealer each and every day, but practice the very values NextGear Capital and Cox Automotive operate by,” said Randy Dohse, senior vice president of operations for NextGear Capital. “He embodies all that it means to be committed to quality, excellence, outstanding customer service and to making the community a better place for everyone. I could not be more pleased with this year’s recipient.”

Each year, the American Red Cross responds to nearly 64,000 disasters around the country— from home fires and tornadoes to severe winter weather, hurricanes and floods. Members of the Disaster Responder Program, like Cox Automotive, invest in disaster relief readiness to ensure supplies, shelters and emergency vehicles are ready to respond when disaster strikes.

The National Quality Dealer award is the highest honor bestowed upon an independent dealer in recognition of their business standards and community service. A single dealer from each state is recognized, and from that pool of dealers, one is selected as the National Quality Dealer by a committee of industry leaders.

About NextGear Capital
NextGear Capital is the largest independent inventory finance company in North America, providing flexible lines of credit for auto dealers to buy used vehicles from over 1,000 auto and other vehicle sources throughout North America. With a client base of more than 20,000 dealers, NextGear Capital provides comprehensive services and support enabling dealers to buy and sell more inventory through self-service management tools, title services, records management and collateral protection. Headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, NextGear Capital is a Cox Automotive brand. For more information, visit nextgearcapital.com.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling and owning cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. For more information, visit coxautoinc.com.

Vendors can now manage work requests and dealer relationships right at their fingertips

Oakbrook Terrace, IL. – June 20, 2019 – iRecon announced today the introduction of the all-new iRecon: Vendor, a mobile application to help vendors more efficiently and effectively manage their workloads and dealer interactions across the reconditioning process.

Acquired by vAuto in 2018, iRecon helps control, manage and maximize the entire reconditioning workflow. With the launch of the new mobile application, in-house reconditioning and all U.S. and Canadian vendor partners can easily track and handle work requests which can allow dealers to get their inventory turned and in front of customers faster. The iRecon tool on-the-go can be accessed on iOS and Android devices.

“As dealers fight to remain profitable, optimizing the reconditioning process is more important than ever. Every extra day it takes to get a vehicle front-line ready impacts a dealership’s turn rate and bottom line,” said Mike Boyd, senior director of business enablement and founder of iRecon. “With iRecon: Vendor, our vendor partners have the access, transparency and controlled workflow they need to minimize delays and meet the challenges facing today’s dealers.”

According to a 2017 survey conducted by Cox Automotive, dealers ranked reconditioning as one of the top three most important tasks when managing vehicle inventory and reported that the reconditioning process can take up significant resources. With dealer service bays already nearing full capacity for a single shift, according to the 2018 Cox Automotive Service Industry Study, it’s vital for dealers to consider what they should continue to manage in-house and what must be outsourced, especially when it comes to reconditioning work. iRecon: Vendor will enable vendors to better respond to these capacity limitations, help carry the load and drive much-needed efficiency.

“For each vehicle we take in, there are multiple phone calls, emails and text messages flying round to check status or get costs approved,” said Dan Stark, owner of Buck-Nut Detailing in Columbus, Ohio. “iRecon: Vendor cuts all that out and has all the information I need in one place, which not only improves my shop’s productivity but also makes my clients more satisfied with my service.”

With the mobile application, vendors can:

• Manage work requests across partner dealerships using iRecon
• Document and complete work requests in real time
• View and respond to messages associated with work requests
• Build and digitally sign invoices for completed work items
• Receive push notifications for new work requests and messages

For more information on iRecon, visit www.vauto.com/ireconvendor.

About vAuto

vAuto® provides innovative technology, tools and business intelligence to thousands of dealerships across the United States and Canada, helping them compete more effectively and increase new/used vehicle sales volumes and profits. Founded in 2005, vAuto revolutionized dealers’ used vehicle operations with the groundbreaking Provision® suite of tools. Leveraging The Velocity Method of Management®, pioneered by vAuto founder, Dale Pollak, Provision helped dealers adopt a more transparent- and turn-focused approach to used vehicle acquisition, appraising, pricing and merchandising based on real-time, local market supply-and-demand data. In 2018, vAuto released the Provision ProfitTime metric and methodology to help dealers maximize inventory turn and gross profit based on the investment value or profit potential of each vehicle. The same year, the company acquired and launched iRecon, an online reconditioning workflow platform. The moves extend vAuto’s efficiency-focused used vehicle management solutions into vehicle merchandising and reconditioning.

vAuto’s solutions also include Conquest, a new vehicle inventory management and pricing system, and Stockwave, which enables dealers to efficiently find and purchase vehicles from leading wholesale sources via a single platform.

Headquartered near Chicago, Illinois, vAuto is a Cox Automotive™ brand.

About Cox Automotive 

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

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Company’s integrated suite of market data now available to all dealers using Stockwave

Oakbrook Terrace, IL. – June 12, 2019 – vAuto is helping more dealerships take advantage of today’s changing automotive retail landscape — characterized by a marked shift in consumer demand away from new and toward used vehicles — by expanding its proprietary suite of market data to all Stockwave users with the introduction of vAuto’s Live Market View and Autotrader’s Scarcity Index.

Stockwave is a vAuto solution that helps dealers effectively and efficiently find and purchase vehicles from top wholesale sources all through a single platform. Through this expansion, Stockwave users — both independent and franchise — will gain access to valuable market data from vAuto and Autotrader to help them make more confident and informed used-vehicle purchase decisions. 

While rising affordability concerns are causing new-vehicle sales volume to taper, the used-vehicle market continues to hold strong. In fact, dealerships may need to be more concerned about supply than demand. To date, wholesale market growth and supply has largely been driven by off-lease vehicles. However, Cox Automotive calculations suggest off-lease volume will peak in 2019, indicating supply moving forward could become a major headwind for the used-vehicle market rather than demand itself.

Both independent and franchise dealers are starting to take notice, with approximately 33 percent of all dealers saying limited inventory is holding back their dealership, according to the Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index for the second quarter of 2019. That’s an increase of 4 percentage points from last quarter.

“With the number of off-lease units at a peak and fewer consumers as a whole trading in their vehicles, the data and insights dealers have at their fingertips are more important than ever to ensure they are buying and selling the right inventory at the right time for the right price,” said Patrick Janes, business development director for Stockwave at vAuto. “As supply changes, so must dealer inventory strategies. By introducing Stockwave Market Data, both independent and franchise dealers will be better equipped with information to acquire the inventory they need and capitalize on rising demand.”

Previously only available to Stockwave dealers with vAuto Provision, all standalone Stockwave dealerships will now also have open access to the following four key metrics right in the platform:

1. Autotrader Scarcity Index: Gives dealers an understanding of online search demand for a car relative to the number available in a given market area.
2. vAuto rBook Market Days Supply: Lets dealers know at a glance whether a vehicle is likely to sell fast, given competing cars in the market and recent sales. 
3. vAuto rBook Adjusted Market Average Price: Uses proprietary technology to indicate what a vehicle’s real market average pricing is with inventory mileage from competitors factored in.
4. vAuto rBook Market Average Odometer: Specifies the average mileage of retail vehicles in a dealer’s given market.

“Having the Scarcity Index and Market Days Supply inside Stockwave will help my team save hours of scanning through search results to find the right cars,” said Craig White, pre-owned director at Ourisman Lexus of Rockville. “What we used to track through static spreadsheets is now all in one dashboard and available at a quick glance, enabling my team to make split-second decisions on vehicles that weren’t even on our original buy list. We are now nimbler, able to monitor multiple auctions at once and effectively growing our used-vehicle volume to meet rising demand.”

For more information on Stockwave, visit www.vauto.com/stockwavedata.

Above vAuto

vAuto® provides innovative technology, tools and business intelligence to thousands of dealerships across the United States and Canada, helping them compete more effectively and increase new/used vehicle sales volumes and profits. Founded in 2005, vAuto revolutionized dealers’ used vehicle operations with the groundbreaking Provision® suite of tools. Leveraging The Velocity Method of Management®, pioneered by vAuto founder, Dale Pollak, Provision helped dealers adopt a more transparent- and turn-focused approach to used vehicle acquisition, appraising, pricing and merchandising based on real-time, local market supply-and-demand data. In 2018, vAuto released the Provision ProfitTime metric and methodology to help dealers maximize inventory turn and gross profit based on the investment value or profit potential of each vehicle. The same year, the company incorporated Cox Automotive’s HomeNet unit into its organization and launched iRecon, an online reconditioning workflow platform. The moves extend vAuto’s efficiency-focused used vehicle management solutions into vehicle merchandising and reconditioning.

vAuto’s solutions also include Conquest, a new vehicle inventory management and pricing system, and Stockwave, which enables dealers to efficiently find and purchase vehicles from leading wholesale sources via a single platform.

Headquartered near Chicago, Illinois, vAuto is a Cox Automotive™ brand.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

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Strategic leadership role designed to strengthen operations, reconditioning processes to meet growth in the emerging fleet and mobility sectors 

ATLANTA, GA. (June 10, 2019) – Manheim has named Tony Markese vice president, Reconditioning, where he will be responsible for setting the company’s strategic direction for its reconditioning services.  Markese’ move supports Manheim’s goal of growing its quality reconditioning operations to prepare for emerging growth in the digital and mobility sectors

“Reconditioning is a significant part of our business and is growing fast as the mobility landscape shifts and new entrants come onto the scene,” said Fredrick Standfield, senior vice president, Assurance and Reconditioning, at Manheim. “With the fast-paced transformation of the automotive marketplace, Tony’s exceptional ability to manage change and help his teams and clients envision the big picture make him the ideal person to lead this growing area of our business.”

Markese brings deep operations experience and industry knowledge to the role. He joined the company in 1998 as controller at Manheim Orlando and went on to serve as general manager at several Manheim operating locations in Florida before his promotion to vice president, Operational Excellence, in 2012. In that role, he helped to lead large, transformational projects, including the $400 million initiative to modernize Manheim’s operating locations.

In this role, Markese will be tasked with ensuring the company attracts and retains top automotive technicians across its nationwide network. With the industry facing a projected shortage of qualified technicians, this will be no small feat. But with the company’s partnership with the TechForce Foundation, along with a forthcoming apprentice program for new and aspiring technicians, Markese is confident in Manheim’s future technician workforce.

“We know what bright futures automotive technicians can have, especially at a company like Manheim, which offers training, support and opportunities for career growth,” Markese commented. “Between our internal programs and external partnerships, we are doing everything we can to promote this important career path and highlight the role that it will play in the future of mobility.”

Manheim continually invests in its reconditioning shops, people, processes and technology to meet growing industry demand. In addition to reconditioning services that support the vehicles within the Manheim marketplace, over half of Manheim’s physical locations now offer reconditioning services that help dealers get their vehicles in front-line condition—enabling the company to produce over 100,000 retail-ready vehicles since 2015.

About Manheim (www.manheim.com)
Manheim® is North America's leading provider of end-to-end wholesale solutions that help dealer and commercial clients increase profits in their used vehicle operations. Through its physical, mobile and digital sales network, Manheim offers services for inventory management, buying and selling, floor planning, logistics, assurance and reconditioning. With its omni-channel approach, Manheim Marketplace enables wholesale vehicle clients more efficient ways to connect and transact business how and when they want. Approximately 17,000 team members help Manheim offer 7 million used vehicles annually, facilitating transactions representing nearly $61 billion in value. Headquartered in Atlanta, Manheim North America is a Cox Automotive™ brand. For more information, visit http://press.manheim.com.

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