by Terry MacCauley - Posted 11 hours ago
The auto industry in 2025 feels a lot like standing on the lot under a darkening sky. You can see the storm rolling in, lenders pulling back, tariffs rattling buyer confidence, and affordability stretching families to their limits. Automotive Credit Corporation (ACC) has stopped taking on new loans, major players like Credit Acceptance and America’s Car-Mart are showing signs of strain, and subprime delinquencies have climbed to levels we have not seen since the mid-’90s.
For many, it is enough to trigger a wait-and-see approach, to cut spending and hope for calmer waters. But the dealers making noise right now are not standing still. They are shifting gears. They are speaking directly to buyers’ worries and hopes. They are building lender relationships before they are desperate for them. They are ensuring their websites, advertising, and customer communications all speak the language of 2025 buyers. In other words, the doers are doing.
At Big Time Advertising & Marketing, we have seen this pattern before. Whether it was the great recession, the chip shortage, or the post-COVID supply whiplash, the same truth holds: the market punishes hesitation and rewards decisive, customer-first action. And this year is no different.
The U.S. economy still has muscle, but there is a tremor in its hands. Growth is easing from 3.0% to forecasts closer to 2.6%, weighed down by tariffs that drag on exports and squeeze household budgets. Job growth has cooled, unemployment has crept up to 4.2%, and inflation at 2.7% remains stubborn, thanks to housing and energy costs.
At first glance, the numbers are not catastrophic. But any seasoned dealer knows what they mean: buyers are splitting into two camps. One is ready to buy now before prices go higher; the other is holding back, convinced there will be a better time. The most successful dealers are not betting on one group over the other. Instead, they are talking to both at the same time, shaping offers that meet each mindset head-on.
If you have ever had a deal collapse in F&I, you know the gut punch of hearing “declined” after the handshake. That is happening more often. ACC’s retreat is just the most visible signal. Subprime delinquencies are at 6.6%, prime delinquencies are inching upward, and average loan balances are higher than ever.
The sharp dealers are not waiting for lender appetites to bounce back; they are building bridges now. Some are forging credit union relationships. Others are expanding in-house financing programs or running pre-approval campaigns that bring customers in with confidence.
I think about a Kentucky dealer in 2023 who lost two major subprime lenders in the same month. They could have panicked. Instead, they spent two weeks meeting with local credit unions. Within two months, their approval rate was back where it had been, and they had opened a fresh pipeline to a whole new group of customers.
For the first time in a long time, used car prices are drifting down, 14 weeks in a row, with an average price of $25,512 in July and inventory hovering around 45 days’ supply. It feels like relief, but the market never stays still.
Repos are expected to swell in Q4, which could flood auctions and push prices lower, at least temporarily. Dealers watching the lanes closely will have a chance to buy at the perfect moment. One Midwest dealer built an entire “Fresh from Auction” campaign around this strategy, posting walkaround videos within hours of a vehicle hitting their lot. Those units rarely lasted a week before selling, often to buyers who had never seen the car in person. This does not happen by accident. It happens by taking current circumstances and turning them into consumer buying opportunities.
Tariffs have split the market almost evenly. On one side, buyers are racing to get deals done before prices rise. On the other hand, shoppers are holding back, hoping for a break.
The most adaptable dealers are tailoring their messaging to both. One West Coast import dealer ran urgency-driven ads for the “buy now” crowd. “Lock in your price today,” alongside reassurance-driven ads for the cautious “Price protection for 90 days.” While competitors saw leads dip after a tariff hike, this dealer’s lead volume climbed 12% in the following quarter.
In 2025, your website is not just a brochure; quit treating it like one. It is your most important lot. More than 70% of shoppers form their first impression there, and too many dealer sites still feel like time capsules from another decade.
The dealers winning online are doing the basics brilliantly: lightning-fast load times, mobile-first design, real-time inventory, transparent pricing, and easy-to-find payment information. But they are also telling a story. Videos, customer testimonials, meet-the-team features: all of these work to build trust before the shopper ever clicks “Schedule Test Drive” or the "Get More Information" buttons.
At Big Time Advertising & Marketing, we have seen dealers double online conversion rates in under 90 days just by treating their site like a living, breathing sales tool. And now, through our newest company, Get Best Used Cars, we are building next-generation dealer websites on the DaraCoreAI platform designed for speed, SEO dominance, and seamless AI-driven inventory updates. That means your vehicles, your offers, and your story stay fresh 24/7 without you chasing updates manually.
When your digital lot makes customers feel understood and functions like a top salesperson who never sleeps, your physical lot gets busier.
Every dealer asks the same question: “Where should I put my ad money right now?” In 2025, the answer depends on your market and your mix, but the patterns are clear.
Though costs are rising in crowded metro markets, Google Search ads remain the king of high-intent traffic (bottom of funnel). Meta (Facebook and Instagram) ads excel at awareness and retargeting, especially when tied to dynamic inventory feeds that show shoppers the exact vehicles they have browsed. OTT/streaming TV offers reach in markets where traditional TV buys have gotten expensive. And TikTok is starting to pay off for dealers targeting younger buyers with authentic, low-production video content. Bonus Big Time tip: YouTube Shorts are crushing.
It is important to remember that not every buyer is at the bottom of the funnel. Dealers solely relying on high-intent search campaigns miss the chance to shape consideration early and often end up paying more per sale in the long run.
One of the fastest ways to waste money is to benchmark your results against a completely different market. A rural dealer in Iowa will not get the same cost per lead as a franchise in Atlanta, and that is not failure; it is reality.
Your market’s income levels, competition density, lender mix, and product lineup shape your performance. The best operators take time to understand those factors and set goals and budgets that fit.
Stop comparing your ROI to that dealer in the 20 Group who sells in a totally different market.
Your results are shaped by:
Local income levels (affects price sensitivity)
Lender presence (more approvals = more sales)
Competition density (more rooftops = more ad noise)
Product mix (highline luxury vs. entry-level sedans)
Quick Market Self-Audit:
What’s the average household income in your PMA?
How many same-brand competitors are within 20 miles?
Which lenders dominate your deals — and are they tightening?
What’s your average response time to leads compared to the competition?
Even in a dip, every unit has to earn its keep. The best dealers use dynamic ads that pull directly from their inventory feeds so shoppers see current pricing and photos. They add creative overlays with payments, mileage, or warranty info. They shoot 15-second video walkarounds for social instead of relying only on stills. And they use scarcity honestly- “Last One Left” or “Only 2 in Stock” to push action.
When lenders tighten, creativity matters. Dealers are bundling warranties or service plans to reduce lender risk, partnering with fintech companies offering flexible terms, and launching down payment assistance programs where legal. The F&I teams that win are the ones that turn “We can’t” into “Here’s how we can” without breaking trust.
Your website is the front door; your CRM is the follow-up that keeps it from closing too soon. Dealers adding “Get Pre-Approved Now” buttons to every listing are seeing more leads. Remarketing lists that target shoppers who did not buy the first time pull people back into the funnel. Some are even doing live video walkarounds directly through the site to turn interest into commitment on the spot.
But here is one often-overlooked edge: keeping your texting, follow-up email, and phone call scripts razor-sharp for today’s conditions. In a volatile market, the words you use matter. That is why we recommend dealers fully leverage ChatGPT-5 to keep their scripts fresh, relevant, and based on what is working right now. The right script does not just answer questions. It removes doubt, builds urgency, and moves the customer closer to a “yes.”
The rest of 2025 will be defined by how dealers respond to policy shifts and lender behavior. If tariffs rise further, affordability will get worse before it gets better. If rate cuts hit late in the year, demand could pop fast, and only those with inventory, lender connections, and marketing muscle will be ready.
Segments to watch: used hybrids under $25K, work trucks for small business buyers, and older SUVs with third-row seating.
Add at least two new financing sources within 60 days
Run campaigns for both urgency buyers and hesitant buyers
Monitor auctions weekly for repo opportunities
Treat fixed ops like a profit center
Audit ad spend and shift to high-ROI channels
Make affordability part of every message
Train your team to talk tariffs and financing with confidence
Audit your website for speed, mobile, and connection
Update texting, email, and phone scripts regularly using ChatGPT-5 to reflect current buyer concerns and proven messaging
The dealers who win this year will not be the ones who hide from the headlines. They will be the ones who use every channel, from the auction lane to the Instagram feed, from their CRM to their call scripts, as a competitive advantage.
At Big Time Advertising & Marketing, we have built our name on helping dealerships not just survive tough markets, but own them. The sky may be dark, but the right move right now can make it the perfect moment to take more ground than you ever thought possible.
-by Terry MacCauley, Founder & CEO
Pickup trucks and compact SUVs continue to dominate America’s best-seller list in 2025. The Ford F-Series holds a commanding lead with 412,848 units sold, followed by the Chevy Silverado at 284,038 and the Toyota RAV4 at 239,451.
Together, the top five models make up a staggering 42% of all sales among the top 20 vehicles. Sedans are losing ground, with the Toyota Camry the only one to crack the top 10 in eighth place. From workhorse trucks to versatile crossovers, the market is clearly favoring utility, capability, and flexibility.
Dealer Takeaways:
📊 Stock What Sells – Prioritize inventory in truck and SUV segments to match buyer demand.
🎯 Target by Lifestyle – Gear marketing toward work, adventure, and family use cases for these top segments.
💡 Capitalize on Trends – Promote fuel efficiency, tech packages, and safety features that help these vehicles stand out.
Data/chart source: Visual Capitalist.
This week's Big Time video is a must-watch for any business owner: "Full Social Media Marketing Strategy in 8 Minutes" by GaryVee. He provides tactical, platform-specific advice you can use immediately—from capturing attention to mastering creative execution.
You'll learn:
✅ Know which content works where
✅ Capture attention through creative execution
✅ Avoid wasting time on the wrong things
In 2025, attention isn’t just short, IT IS INSTANT. Shoppers decide in seconds whether to stay or click away. A slow site means missed leads, lost sales, and a clear win for your competition.
We build dealership websites designed to outrun the scroll. Lightning-fast load times, SEO that gets you found, is not cookie-cutter, and mobile-first designs that make your inventory pop. Every feature is built to capture, engage, and convert.
Why dealers are listening and moving to DaraCoreAI
⚡ Speed that sells – sites load in seconds, not ages.
📱 Mobile-first design – built for the way shoppers browse today.
📊 SEO & structure that convert – optimized for both Google and your customers.
