1954 Buick Roadmaster Riviera 2dr Hardtop on 2040-cars

Auto blog

These are the slowest-selling new cars of 2024

While overall sales numbers are a solid indicator of an automaker’s success, another metric can show how well its new vehicles resonate with buyers on the ground. iSeeCars recently released a list of the fastest- and slowest-selling new car companies on the market, and a handful of brands appear to have some catching up to do. Lincoln landed the “top spot” among slow-selling brands, taking an average of 82.6 days to move inventory. Infiniti wasnÂ’t much better, at 79.8 days, and Buick came third with 79 days to sell.  Slowest-selling new cars of 2024 Lincoln: 82.6 days to sell Infiniti: 79.8 Buick: 79 Audi: 75.1 Ram: 69.7 Ford: 68.1 Dodge: 67.4 GMC: 66.6 Acura: 65.4 Lexus: 64.5 iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer noted that the fastest-selling brands, which include Toyota, Alfa Romeo, and Cadillac, likely move inventory because they resonate with buyersÂ’ desire for value and a compelling product. The study also noted that seeing GMC, Ford, and Ram so low on the list likely indicates slowing truck sales, which comprise a significant portion of those brandsÂ’ numbers. ItÂ’s also possible that buyers are turned off by higher prices from those brands. Fast-selling new car brands also appeared on the used car list, where Honda, Lexus, and Toyota dominated. Unfortunately for Lincoln, it also made the slow-selling used list, between Maserati as the slowest and Alfa Romeo in third. iSeeCarsÂ’ analysis also examined EV and hybrid sales and found that hybrids tend to sell much faster than their electric counterparts. In March 2024, new hybrids took an average of 49.5 days to sell, while EVs took 70.6 days. That again brings us to the price and value arguments, where hybrids are significantly less expensive than EVs, though charging and range concerns also likely play a role. By the Numbers Green Buick Infiniti Lincoln Car Buying

J.D. Power customer survey of dealers counts Cadillac, Buick as big winners

Cadillac and Buick have taken the trophies in J.D. Power's latest Customer Service Index Study examining satisfaction with dealer service. Surveying more than 90,000 owners and lessees of 2009-2013 model-year cars, the study found that those with pre-paid maintenance packages were ten percent more likely to buy their next car from the same brand.
Dealer satisfaction scores have improved overall, Cadillac nabbed the luxury segment ahead of Audi and Lexus, taking the crown that Lexus held last year. Buick keeps the mass-market dealer satisfaction win in the family, finishing ahead of Volkswagen and last year's winner GMC. The study also found that service department use of tablets increased customer satisfaction, as did "best practices" like "providing helpful advice." Who knew?
You can find details on those and more findings in the press release below.

Safety group pans GM’s new Marketplace in-dash shopping

When it comes to our cars, is the Internet of Things a godsend? Or a hidden menace that will create more problems than it will solve? On the same day General Motors announced it will equip newer-model cars with its in-dash Marketplace e-commerce app, a prominent safety group was shooting it down. National Safety Council President Deborah Hersman tells Bloomberg the technology will only contribute to distracted driving and hurt efforts to stem the tide of rising auto fatalities, which grew 5.6 percent to more than 37,000 in the U.S. in 2016. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted driving was responsible for 3,477 fatalities and 391,000 injuries in 2015, the most recent year for which it has data. "There's nothing about this that's safe," Hersman told Bloomberg. "If this is why they want WiFi in the car, we're going to see fatality numbers go up even higher than they are now." Marketplace, developed with IBM, will allow drivers — or more often, one hopes, their passengers — to order coffee or food, find gas stations and reserve hotel rooms from their dashboard screens. The technology is set to be uploaded automatically to nearly 1.9 million GM vehicles model-year 2017 and later that are equipped with WiFi hotspots and compatible systems. By the end of 2018, about 4 million Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles will be equipped with Marketplace. The app will debut with a limited number of participating retailers, including TGI Fridays, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Starbucks, with more likely to join later. Online retail giant Amazon is also partnering with automakers such as Ford to bring e-commerce capabilities inside the car through its Alexa personal assistant. While convenience is nice, one other thing is becoming clear as the IoT wedges its way into our cars: It's taking aim at some decidedly first-world problems.Related Video: Image Credit: GM Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Infotainment in-car entertainment marketplace e-commerce