Automotive Research & Insights
Data-driven analysis and insider knowledge to help you make smarter decisions.
Latest Insights
Negative Equity: The Silent Killer
Why negative equity is the #1 hidden trap in American car buying — how 84-month loans, deep depreciation, and payment-focused selling roll unpaid debt from one car to the next, and how to break the cycle.
Read article →How Dealers Profit on Your Trade-In
A 30-year dealership GM's playbook: 10 trade-in tactics dealers use to pad profit, and the exact steps to protect yours. Know your number, separate the deal, force competing bids.
Read article →Leasing vs Buying: How to Know Which One Is Right for You
A 30-year dealership GM breaks down the real math: when leasing saves money, when buying wins, and the hidden clauses that flip the answer either way.
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The Market by the Numbers
Average negative equity amount on trade-ins
(Cox Automotive, 2024)
Of trade-ins currently have negative equity
(Edmunds, 2024)
Average hidden markup added to financing rates
(CFPB, 2024)
Months is the new average loan term length
(Experian, 2024)
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John Schibi
30-Year Automotive Industry Veteran · Former Dealership General Manager
John spent three decades as a dealership GM building the systems dealers use to maximize profit. Now he uses that same insider playbook to protect car buyers from negative equity, hidden markups, and pressure tactics.
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