Gas dipping below $4 a gallon may feel like relief, but Cox Automotive’s data shows the real pain is still vehicle prices, interest rates, and loan approval.

Today’s episode breaks down why 79% of independent-dealer shoppers need a car instead of wanting one, how UVI and Carfax are using scanner data to rebuild trust, why hybrid SUVs are beating pure EVs on dealer margins, and how NHTSA’s Tesla investigation shows the danger of overtrusting driver-assistance tech.

Today's Key Headlines

~Cox Automotive says lower gas prices do not solve the larger auto affordability crisis

~79% of independent-dealer buyers say they need a vehicle rather than want one

~Only 21% of independent-dealer shoppers say they would return to the same dealer

~UVI scans more than 3 million vehicles a month and integrates Carfax history d ...