2023 Gmc Terrain Fwd Slt on 2040-cars

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Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops

During the economic downturn, many car dealerships counteracted their slowing income by focusing on things that would set them apart from competition - things like the quality of customer service they provide. When the economy picked up and more sales and service followed, many also first invested those funds back into the business, improving their dealership facilities and service centers.
It looks like those investments are paying off, as J.D. Power and Associates' latest Customer Service Index Study shows that overall consumer satisfaction with dealer service has increased to 797 (on a 1,000-point scale), up from 787 in 2012 and 29 points higher than the score in 2011. The study also finds that people are more satisfied with the service they get at dealerships compared to independent service providers, despite the much higher average out-of-pocket cost per visit ($118 vs. $44).
Note, however, that this study only looks at how people are treated by a dealer's service department during the first three years of ownership (the survey is based on responses from 91,000 owners and lessees of 2008 to 2012 model year vehicles), so we're talking about the experience had when bringing a car in for repair or maintenance work, most likely under warranty. In fact, maintenance work is increasing in share and accounted for 77 percent of service visits (up from 72 percent in 2012 and 63 percent in 2011). This helps explain why customer satisfaction has also risen, since a properly maintained car is one that's less likely to require a dealer visit for an unexpected repair.

2023 Detroit Auto Show Editors' Rankings

The 2023 Detroit Auto Show was back in its traditional location, though in its fall spot in the calendar, and it was another pretty quiet event. By our count, only five new models, or model lines, were revealed and brought to the floor; all of which came from Detroit's own car companies. Still, some of them were quite significant, and the types were diverse. Naturally, we also had our favorites. So take a look to see how we ranked the reveals of the Detroit Auto Show. 2025 Cadillac CT5 View 15 Photos 5. 2025 Cadillac CT5 The refresh for the 2025 Cadillac CT5 is no great revelation, because it doesn’t have to be. An already solid, attractive design means only light tweaks were made to its appearance, and the new front fascia and redesigned lights just make the CT5 just that much more aggressive. So what was missing from the current model? Apparently, the answer was a gorgeous 33-inch curved LED display serving as both infotainment and instrument cluster. It has touchscreen capability to both the right and left sides of the steering wheel, and provides 9K resolution. Update some of the safety and driver assist tech, and — boom — the CT5 is properly modernized. Now bring on the updated Blackwing. –Senior Editor, Green, John Snyder 2024 Jeep Gladiator Live View 10 Photos 4. 2024 Jeep Gladiator Jeep carved out plenty of time for what is essentially a no-brainer mid-cycle refresh, but thereÂ’s one among us who is easily swayed: Me. I dumped the maximum number of points allotted on the 2024 Gladiator with only three words of explanation: "I like Jeeps." But this is kind of a big deal. The Gladiator pulled a lot of weight for Stellantis during the pandemic by providing an alternative to pickup buyers while Ram dealers were scraping the bottom of the supply barrel. To be fair, we're probably giving the Gladiator a bit of advance credit here for its promise to deliver a 4xe variant in 2025, but who else is talking about their PHEV pickup plans? Your move, Ford. –Associate Editor Byron Hurd. 2024 GMC Acadia AT4 View 17 Photos 3. 2024 GMC Acadia The 2024 GMC Acadia is the one reveal from this yearÂ’s Detroit Auto Show that was actually a totally new vehicle, and as far as three-row SUVs go, GMC aced it. The exterior has its own personality separate from its Chevrolet Traverse twin. Its AT4 trim is legit with more ground clearance, a torque-vectoring rear diff and sweet orange marker lights on the fenders.

Auto sales in March and first quarter down nearly across the board

Nearly every major automaker reported weak U.S. sales for March and the first quarter of 2019, citing a rough start to the year, but said a robust economy and strong labor market should encourage consumers to buy more vehicles as 2019 rolls on. GM, which no longer releases monthly sales figures, saw first-quarter sales fall 7 percent, with declines across all brands. Sales of Silverado pickup trucks fell nearly 16 percent and the high-margin Chevy Suburban large SUV dropped 25 percent. Ford also no longer releases monthly sales numbers, but is due to release its first-quarter sales figures on Thursday. According to industry data, Ford's sales fell 2 percent in the quarter and 5 percent in March. Ford representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. FCA reported a 7 percent fall in U.S. sales in March and a 3 percent drop for the first quarter. All of FCA's brands dropped in March, except for Ram, which saw a 15 percent increase in pickup truck sales. "The industry had a tough first quarter, but with spring finally starting to show its face and continued strong economic indicators ... we are confident that new vehicle sales demand will strengthen going forward," FCA's U.S. head of sales, Reid Bigland, said in a statement. Toyota reported a 3.5 percent fall in U.S. sales in March and 5 percent for the first quarter, hurt by declining demand for its Corolla sedans and Camry vehicles. "While some of our competitors are abandoning sedans, we remain optimistic about the future of the segment," Toyota said in a statement. Nissan posted a 5.3 percent drop in sales in March, and its first-quarter sales were down 11.6 percent. Honda and Hyundai bucked the trend. Honda's U.S. sales rose 4.3 percent in March and 2 percent in the quarter, while Hyundai's were up 1.7 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively. Passenger-car sales suffered throughout the January-March quarter compared with the same period in 2018 as Americans continued to abandon them in favor of larger, more comfortable pickup trucks and SUVs, which are far more profitable for automakers. The battle for market share in the particularly lucrative large-pickup truck market intensified in the quarter, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Ram brand outsold the U.S.' No. 1 automaker General Motors' Chevrolet-brand trucks. The two automakers have both launched redesigned pickup trucks.