The AI Dealer is back — a free weekly newsletter for dealers

[AdamRafael]

I write The AI Dealer, a free weekly newsletter for dealers — short, practical, only about AI that actually matters to your store. No hype, no 20-tool roundups.

After a summer break, it's back this week. This issue covers three things from the last few weeks:

- Buyers now have AI agents negotiating for them. One report put the average saving at about $2,800 per transaction — which means your price has to be defensible and your desking has to be consistent.
- October was a rough month for dealer systems — VinSolutions had a cyber incident (a group claimed data on 214 users; ~7,000 dealerships use it) and Honda had a separate incident that knocked 1,100+ dealerships offline.
- 82% of dealers now use AI in some form (Cox Automotive AI in Auto Retail Tracker, Q2 2026), flat from Q1. Having AI isn't the edge anymore. Using it well is.

It's free, once a week: The AI Dealer | The #1 AI & Tech Guide for Car Dealers

And I'm curious — has a buyer used an AI agent with you yet? I'm collecting real stories for next week's issue.

 

[AdamRafael]

Issue 2 of The AI Dealer is out: 63% of buyers will shop with AI, only 29% of dealers are ready for AI search; the VinSolutions breach and the FTC's 30-day clock; and why data-driven dealers hit profit goals without buying more tools. Read it: 63% of buyers will shop with AI. Only 29% of dealers are ready. — free weekly, no pitch.

 

[Alex Snyder]

63% of buyers will shop with AI. Only 29% of dealers are ready.​

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I've been thinking about this a lot. Almost shared some thoughts on it this morning, but I don't have the strategy fully articulated yet. I'm leaning pretty hard on how much less important a dealership website will be in comparison to a broader content strategy. More to come...

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Get to articulating @Alex Snyder

Issue 2 of The AI Dealer is out: 63% of buyers will shop with AI, only 29% of dealers are ready for AI search; the VinSolutions breach and the FTC's 30-day clock; and why data-driven dealers hit profit goals without buying more tools. Read it: 63% of buyers will shop with AI. Only 29% of dealers are ready. — free weekly, no pitch.

Thanks for sharing. Keep it up!

 

[KennySmithAutoUnite]

Alex, I can see the dealer homepage becoming less of the starting point. I’m not ready to say the same about the VDP.

A shopper might do most of their research somewhere else, but once they’re down to a specific VIN, the questions haven’t changed much. Is it actually available? Does it have the equipment they want? Is the pricing clear? Are we showing incentives they may not even qualify for?

The other piece is the handoff. If a customer has already narrowed things down by budget, trim, and trade situation, why are we making them start from scratch when the lead hits the CRM?

A broader content strategy makes sense, but the SRP, VDP, and desk still need to tell the same story. Otherwise, we’re just moving the disconnect further up the shopping process.

Curious where you see the VDP fitting into that strategy.