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Sales Down 6%, Shoppers Down 30%, EVs Up 200%: The 2026 Used Car Market Just Flipped

The 2026 used car market just flipped on dealers, and most of them didn't see it coming. Off-lease EV returns are projected to jump 200% year over year, hitting 300,000 units. US auto sales are down 6%. Shopper index is down 30%. RAM is gaining ground while Ford, Chevy, and Subaru bleed market share. So what do you do?In this episode of LotTalk, Chris Keene, John Anderson, and Renaldo Leonard unpack the 90-day consumer search data, the hybrid versus EV demand shift, and why two dealerships sitting on the same piece of asphalt can have wildly different results. They get into self-inflicted margin compression (the gross-killing habit most used car managers don't realize they have), the "pot roast rule" that's quietly costing stores tens of thousands, and what the top 150 dealer groups did to grow in 2026 without opening a single new store.If you're a dealer principal, GM, used car manager, or BDC manager trying to stay ahead of the EV wave, hybrid surge, and shifting OEM landscape, this one is required listening. It comes down to two things: process and discipline.Topics covered: • The 200% EV off-lease wave hitting dealer lots • Why hybrid search is still beating EV (and what that means for your inventory) • The OEM brands winning and losing the last 90 days • Self-inflicted margin compression and how to stop it • Why the top 150 dealer groups are growing without adding stores • Process, discipline, and the Indiana Hoosiers playbookWant help applying any of this to your store? Visit lottalkpodcast.com to connect with Chris, John, and Renaldo.

The Management Wake-Up Call: It's Time to Grow a Pair

John Anderson goes off on what he found auditing a dealer's CRM — and connects the dots between bad lead follow-up, aging inventory, and the margin compression every GM is blaming on the market. Plus: Amazon Autos is no longer a future threat. Episode 21 of LotTalk, Powered by LotPop.

Three Top Operators Reveal What's Working in 2026's Worst Markets

The market excuse just died. In Episode 20 of LotTalk, hosts Chris Keene, John Anderson, and Renaldo Leonard sit down with three dealers from three completely different markets to settle the oldest argument in the used car business: "My market is different." You'll meet: * Bobby Albert — Eastchester Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Bronx NY (heavily regulated, urban, franchise) * Justin Williams — Bozard Ford Lincoln, St. Augustine FL (450 employees, saturated market, 300+ used cars/month) * James Paye — Dells Auto, South Dakota (independent, 4 employees, 90+ used cars/month, $18K average retail)

Why Your Used Car Leads Stop Converting (And the 3 Fixes Every BDC Misses)

The seasonal shopper index drop is here — right on schedule, just like every spring for the last 15 years. But too many dealers are reading the dip as a slow market and reacting the wrong way: cutting prices on cars that already had hand-raisers at full sticker. In this episode of LotTalk, Chris Keene, John Anderson, and Renaldo Leonard break down why "less at-bats" doesn't mean less business — and why most managers are losing margin to themselves, not the market.

The 14-Day Kick Is Killing Your Used Car Gross (And Other Slow-Market Mistakes)

Lou Ramirez and Fred Lennartz from Car Guys Coffee join LotTalk to break down sold-car leads, follow-up game film, and why the 14-day lead kick is killing your gross.