Here are a two top 10 lists you will definitely want to pay attention to:

The Ten Most Traded-In Vehicles (vehicle’s EPA mileage)
1. 1998 Ford Explorer (14-17 mpg)
2. 1997 Ford Explorer (14-18 mpg)
3. 1996 Ford Explorer (14-18 mpg)
4. 1999 Ford Explorer (14-18 mpg)
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee
6. Jeep Cherokee
7. 1995 Ford Explorer (15-18 mpg)
8. 1994 Ford Explorer (15-18 mpg)
9. 1997 Ford Windstar (18 mpg)
10. 1999 Dodge Caravan (16-18 mpg)

The Ten Most Purchased Vehicles (vehicle’s EPA mileage)
1. Ford Focus (27-28 mpg)
2. Honda Civic (24-42 mpg)
3. Toyota Corolla (25-30 mpg)
4. Toyota Prius (46 mpg)
5. Ford Escape (20-32 mpg)
6. Toyota Camry (23-34 mpg)
7. Dodge Caliber (22-27 mpg)
8. Hyundai Elantra (26-28 mpg)
9. Honda Fit (29-31 mpg)
10. Chevy Cobalt (25-30 mpg)

(via Jalopnik)

Called the “Consumer Assistance Recycle and Save Act of 2009″, or more commonly, “Cash for Clunkers,” the $1 billion program will provide a voucher of up to $4,500 (effectively just knocking that much off the price tag — dealers will get electronic payments from the feds) to help offset the cost of new car purchases or leases over the next five months. The cars that you’re limited to must cost no more than $45,000. So that means I can’t trade in my old 1998 Dodge Caravan (MPG rating of 18) for a 2009 Lotus Elise (MPG rating of 26) because the MSRP is too high ($47,500). However, that awesome new 208HP 2009 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works (MSRP of $29,200) would not only get me the basic $3,500, but it’s combined cycle of 28 MPG (10 more than my current car) will get me an additional $1,000 for a total of $4,500 off the price of the car! Not a bad deal, in my humble opinion. This rebate also works with other rebates from the manufacturer or hybrid car rebates offered from the Federal Government.

So what is going to happen to all these old cars now that they are off the road? Most will have their engines taken out and destroyed (to ensure these “high polution” drivetrains stay off the road). However, miscellaneous parts like doors, bumpers and other non-drivetrain parts will still be around to make sure those cars that are running can be repairs and made roadworthy.

The House bill would go into effect within 30 days of enactment but it is not retroactive for new purchases made earlier this year. For a more complete description of all the applicable situations, see the chart below:

Passenger Car		Light-Duty Truck		Large Light-Duty Truck (6,000-8,500 lbs.)		Work Truck (8,500-15,000 lbs.)
Minimum fuel economy for new vehicle		22 mpg (EPA combined)		18 mpg (EPA combined)		15 mpg (EPA combined)		Not applicable
$3,500 voucher		Mileage improvement of at least 4 mpg.		Mileage improvement of at least 2 mpg.		Mileage improvement of at least 1 mpg or trade-in of a work truck.		Trade-in must be at least pre-2002.
$4,500 voucher		Mileage improvement of at least 10 mpg.		Mileage improvement of at least 5 mpg.		Mileage improvement of at least 2 mpg.		NA
Source: House Committee on Energy and Commerce

“We think we can redistribute any vehicles that any dealer wants us to,” spokeswoman Kathy Graham said. “Dealers are not going to be stuck with cars. We have dealerships that want the vehicles.”

Since Chrysler plants have recently stopped production due to the bankruptcy filing, dealers still want and need new cars. As of the end of last month, there were over 44,000 cars. We currently have no estimates left, but this does show a light at the end of the tunnel for dealers looking to unload their extra inventory as well as consumers who are looking for a great deal and want to buy a Chrysler car during this lull in their operations while they go through bankruptcy court.

With this said, until June 9th, EasyAutoSales is going to help out Pohanka by displaying a new car for sale that they still must get rid of every day. We’ll even Twitter about it, in hopes the right person may see the car and Ray will get some his inventory out the door! So, let’s start out with the inventory:

Pohanka Chrysler-Dodge Inventory

Remember, Pohanka needs to get rid of their new car inventory. They can still sell used cars after the 9th. So, let’s pick out a first car to feature:
Let’s be honest, the truck is a legend. With a 5.7L Hemi and some healthy design updates, this is one sharp truck and one that can haul anything you can throw at it. Not only does it look good, but sounds pretty sweet too:

So let’s visit Pohanka and see what kind of deal Ray and his team can make for you on this new Dodge Ram 1500.

If you read our previous post outlining 10 reasons why car dealers need to engage car buyers online , than your next logical question would be, “Where is the best place online to engage these car buyers?”  We’ve crafted a list of where we believe are the 10 best places to engage car buyers online.  Depending on the make and model your selling, one online community may make more sense than another, but this list should at least get you started on finding where the relevant conversations are taking place.

10. Edmunds Carspace – “The Car Enthusiasts Automotive Lifestyle Social Networking Site”. Edmunds Carspace is one of the most popular forums on the web. As such, finding what you want can be a bit daunting and the conversations can be long. However, there’s a lot of great advice to be had and a wealth of information in archive. The interface is clean, but there are a lot of ads.

9. AutoMedia – “Car Advice You Can Trust”. Whereas Edmunds does forums by car, AutoMedia does it by topics. From car care to automotive performance, AutoMedia displays all sorts of information about making the car you already have, better. There’s lists on proper driving techniques, restoring tired cars, how to get better gas mileage, amateur motorsports and hundreds of other topics in addition to a simple buying guide for new cars.

8. Yahoo Answers – A specific section for questions about buying and selling vehicles. Yahoo Answers gives you the opportunity to ask questions to an entire community at once through their main page. Not only will members of their community answer your question, other members will rate the answers to give you a “best answer”. The incentive to give the best possible answer means there’s a lot less “noise” in Yahoo’s forums.

7. Ask.Cars.com – “Our Experts Answer Your Questions” Ask.Cars.com has one of the best interfaces of any forum out there. A simple “Question of the Day” takes up a majority of the homepage and subsequent answers are at the bottom of the page as “Recent Questions”. The unfortunate problem is that most questions only have a few answers. The questions jump between tax issues, new cars, problems with cars and hundreds of other things.

6. Cargurus – “Got a question about your car? Ask the CarGurus community and get a response within hours!” CarGurus is a sort of car rating site. It’s not so much a way to ask and answer questions as it is a “raves” vs. “rants” site. If you’re looking for what people who actually own cars think of them, this is a good place to go. Though, there is a very large gap in the models actually reviewed and those still awaiting reviews.

5. DealerRater – Allows dealers to promote their quality customer service. When searching for a new car, that moment comes when you finally say, “Yes. That’s the car I want.” Who are you going to buy from? DealerRater helps you decide by letting users comment on the quality of service they receive. Consumer Reports has noted that new car shoppers rate quality second only to safety as the aspect of owning a car most important to them. DealerRater helps you make sure you get quality service.

4. EasyAutoSales - The first and only social classifieds for cars! EasyAutoSales ties community to car classified listings with Facebook Connect. This allows questions and comments to be broadcast and interesting cars and topics to be shared with your network of friends on Facebook and beyond. EasyAutoSales’ free platform connects car buyers, car sellers and car experts to create one of the most exciting and fastest growing car communities.

3. MySpace – 62,192 automotive related groups. Most people know MySpace as merely a social network for communicating with friends, but MySpace also has one of the largest car communities too! With over 126 million users, MySpace can be a huge ally in discussing cars and, if utilized properly, selling cars.

2. Twitter – People talking and asking questions about cars in 140 characters or less. Twitter allows you to talk about cars in a very real-time, open forum with people who you know or associate with. As opinions on a car, where to get the best deal or what’s popular. Twitter is a great place to discuss cars as well as taking advantage of ancillary sites like TwitPic, where you can share pictures from your cell phone real-time.

1. Facebook.com – With over 500 groups related to “car buying” alone and 175 million users, Facebook is the final frontier in social networking. The combination of fan pages, applications, media sharing and a simple way to interface with all your friends and family on a daily basis, Facebook is a powerful marketing tool. Whether is be via Facebook Connect and sites like EasyAutoSales that use their technology or simply sharing a story or a picture, Facebook has the power to make your car buying or selling experience much easier and more fulfilling.

If you’ve had experience interacting with potential car buyers on any of these sites, or feel like we are missing one, please share in the comments below.  Remember, be helpful, be transparent, and be authentic.  Good luck engaging!

Until fairly recently, harnessing the power of word of mouth advertising has been virtually impossible.  Now, thanks to social media, the possibilities are becoming a bit more tangible.  If your dealership is not already engaging potential customers through social media online, these 10 data points will certainly set you straight.

10. 93% of consumers do research online before buying a car.

Whether your dealership and inventory is online or not, almost 100% of your potential customers are on the web searching for information, reviews and recommendations!

9. 67% of consumers say that recommendations and information from people online influences their purchasing decisions.

More than 2/3’s of consumers make their purchasing decision based on peer reviews and recommendations!  As long as you are transparent about your affiliations and are tactful with your approach, your recommendations could be just as influential as the next guy, maybe even more based on your unique expertise.

8. 56% of consumers feel a stronger connection with a brand if they are able to interact with the company through social media.

The days of large, faceless corporations are long gone! Individuals want to be heard and they want to connect on a one-on-one basis. Instead of blasting your advertising message through an air horn, cater your dealership’s voice by listening to your customers’ needs and use social media to allow for two-way communication.

7. 57% of consumers feel better served by a company when they can interact with them through social media.

When a consumer feels better served, that’s when they recommend you to their friends at the next cocktail party, write rave reviews on their blogs and recommend you online.  We are in the Recommendation Age.  Interact = Get recommended.

6. 33% of consumers visit blogs, communities or social networks to research products before buying.

Conversational media plays a significant role in car buying process and before the consumer even knows what car they want to buy, they are out there reading reviews, comparing specs and test-driving cars.  Shouldn’t you use your unique position to help them with basic questions and build a relationship? It’s time to engage!

5. Nearly 13% of new vehicle buyers commented on someone’s blog or forum (J.D. Power & Associates)

Not only are consumers searching for information, they are engaging and providing their own views of the presented information. By interacting with your customers and offering free help, you will build awareness for your brand online as they do their research.

4. 57% of consumers say they would likely take action based on information they received from an online brand representative.

You and your dealership are a brand. If you don’t represent yourself someone else will.  People are Googling you and your dealership, and your reputation is being built on those results.  Put your online reputation in your hands by joining the conversation.

3. 67% of consumers say they are likely to pass the information they received from an online brand representative along to others.

If you are willing to help out your potential customers, they will help you out.  It’s word of mouth hard at work for you

2. 45% of consumers say they pass along information they find on social media websites, compared to only 36% who pass information they received from company or news sites.

Why rely on customers coming to you?  People hang out on social media sites and word of mouth happens more often as a result of information found on social media sites.  Find, listen and engage.

1. According to eMarketer’s recent report, by 2013 an estimated 52% of all Internet users will be regular social network visitors. (Up from 41% in 2007)

Social media is not a fad and as technology improves, the number of people that will connect on a one-on-one basis will only continue to grow. Make your presence known in the conversation today and let the ripple effect help you grow through personal connections.

Most of the data above was provided by: http://www.sherpastore.com/socialmediabmg09.html – the above information doesn’t even scratch the surface of the invaluable information contained in this report – which I highly recommend!

Our automotive community, while in its early stages, is one great place to engage potential car buyers.  Sometimes establishing yourself as an authority voice while a community is still in its infancy can be a great benefit to your style of communicating.  Successful communities are shaped around their ambassadors, and ours will be no different.

Stay tuned for our list of the best places to engage with consumers online today….

Are the above stats enough to make you engage today?  What are your hesitations? What has been your experience communicating with car buyers if you are already engaged?

Wal-Mart, CostoCo, Sam’s and similar stores are known for their ultra efficient supply chain management. They are able to ship things more efficiently than smaller stores and thus, are able to sell them cheaper. Analysts and car makers who make ultra-cheap cars (the Chinese) will be able to utilize these amazing supply chains to market to a huge number of people (people visit Wal-Mart over 130 million times per week).

However, these big box stores will have the same problems with these cars as they do with many of their toys. Quality. In the same way Korean cars like Kia and Hyundai had very sketchy beginnings in the US, the likes of Chery and BYD will have a tough time selling to Americans who have a higher expectation of quality. Their price will no doubt fund future generations of Chinese cars that are sure to have better quality and more mainstream design.

What does this mean for dealers today? It means that a bad economy might be the least of your worries. A combination of a falling dollar (with all the “stimulus” money Washington will print out of this air) and resultant lower purchasing power of our next generation will push buyers to look for alternatives to Hondas and Toyotas. The Chinese car makers will make an absolute killing with the favorable exchange rates and domestic brands will suffer without cheaper, better built cars.

So, how will dealers “deal” with everything going against them? In this writer’s humble opinion, tax brakes are the only hope we have. Right now, the corporate tax rate in the US is the highest in the world. Makes it pretty tough to compete when you’re cars have a 35% (plus state and local taxes) premium over that of your competitors. It makes sense to most economists that killing this tax rate will allow for car companies to sell cars cheaper and hire more people to make these cars. The government will in turn make money through the income tax revenue of those employees, thus recovering the money “lost” through lowing tax income. Cheaper cars means its easier to export them to foreign nations which, again, leads to more cars sold and more revenue for the Government. So the question is this: are we going to keep killing our manufacturers and dealers by keeping the corporate tax rate high (and in turn, allowing unemployment to stay high), thus empowering China and their economy or will we lower our tax rates so our companies can compete with the rest of the world and we can take the fight overseas? The current administration and congress seem to think they can will the economy through distribution of funds into “creating” wealth. Unfortunately, the more you fight economics, the more you will suffer. And by you, I mean the American people.

Inspiration: GasGoo

For those of you who find the regular SMART FourTwo either too mundane or not fuel efficient enough, I present the following. Not only does the car keep the same Euro chic image of the regular SMART FourTwo, but you also get the added benefit of a lithium-ion battery. With the electric SMART you also get a 0-60 of 7.1 seconds, top speed of 80MPH and a range of over 140 miles on single charge. The charge time is approximately 6-8 hours and you should get a duty cycle of around 1500 charges on the battery.

Want to know more about it? Discuss it with us on the EasyAutoSales forums and we’ll give you all the juicy information: Hybrid Technologies LiV “Dash” (SMART FourTwo)

As such, I’m starting out with a concept drawing of a Buick Lucern:

Buick has been known as a pretty stodgy brand in recent history. However, with recent effots via Tiger Woods spokesmanship (recently stopped due to cost) and designs that are more 21st century AD than 21st century BC. The above is a decent rendition of a modern “pimped out” Buick. It’s no 2010 Buick LaCross, but it’s forwards movement!

Tell me what you think about Buick in the forums: EasyRides – Buick Concept

What’s so compelling about the GMC name that keeps The General building Canyons, Sierras, Envoys, Yukons and the rest of the line? Would GM lose sales to Ford or Dodge if they killed the GMC line or is it something more? Is GMC the rugged workers brand? Is it something more? How does GMC fit into the rest of GM’s line?

I think the end question is: would GM kill a brand with their name right there in the title? I believe only if GM were at the end of their rope would they go so far as to kill a brand like GMC. Pontiac and Saturn have already been talked about being on the chopping block. Cadillac is growing and successful. Chevrolet is the largest domestic producer, so GM wouldn’t kill either of them anytime soon either. With all the brands in the GM portfolio, I would put GMC 3rd in line to be dropped. What do you think?

As long as the US Government keeps giving GM money, it’s something that they aren’t going to have to worry about. GM is going to keep doing what they have been doing because there’s no reason to change. All we can hope is that some people inside GM with foresight will begin to streamline their operations (keep the GMC models, just brand them as Chevys). Perhaps this will extend to other parts of their business, like branding and marketing. GM still has a stodgy image compared to Ford, and streamlining the manufacturing while expanding their media presence can only help their image and their business. Take some risks General! Show us what you’ve got!

Tell me what you think by discussing in the forums: GMC – Is It Brand Loyalty?