VADA Live S1:E45 – Party Crashers II: The Road Ahead with Cox Automotive's Brian Finkelmeyer

The "Party Crashers" have returned, and the stakes are higher than ever. To celebrate our one-year anniversary of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan welcomes back our very first guest, Brian Finkelmeyer of Cox Automotive. In this deep dive, Brian analyzes the massive $30 billion tariff impact hitting automakers and explains why the industry is seeing a "perplexing" shift in consumer behavior. From the normalization of new car inventory to the "bottom valley" of used car acquisitions and the sunsetting of EV incentives, this episode provides the roadmap dealers need for 2026. Brian also breaks down the "Two Americas" economy and how dealers must evolve their service and AI strategies to meet the needs of today's most affluent buyers.