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Automobility LA: Why Every Car Shopper Is Overwhelmed Right Now with Jennifer Newman
Manage episode 522110792 series 3373437
This exclusive interview series from Automobility LA at the LA Auto Show is brought to you by Cars Commerce.
Car buyers are experiencing more than just stress. They’re panicking.
Cars.com Editor-in-Chief Jenni Newman joins us with a front-row view of the fear, confusion, and pressure buyers are carrying into showrooms today. She explains why auto shows have become one of the last places where consumers can reset, slow down, and get clarity by actually touching the thing they’re about to spend more money on than almost anything else in their lives.
But this isn’t just about shoppers — it’s about the industry waking up. Jenni shares how affordability has reshaped expectations, why tools like Cars.com’s new AI assistant matter right now, and what she learned driving global EVs the U.S. doesn’t even sell. From insurance shocks to BYD test drives, she makes one thing clear: understanding the modern car buyer requires empathy, transparency, and a willingness to face how much the world has changed.
Takeaways
0:00 Intro & Live From the LA Auto Show
0:57 Why Auto Shows Still Matter for Consumers
1:44 The Energy Auto Shows Bring to the Industry
2:16 How Hands-On EV Experiences Change Shopper Decisions
2:44 The 2025 Affordability Problem for Car Buyers
3:53 Payment Shock, Insurance Hikes, and Rising Anxiety
4:53 How Dealers Can Support Stressed-Out Shoppers
5:33 Carson: Cars.com’s New AI Shopping Assistant
6:22 The Shift Toward Conversational Car Shopping
7:03 Inside the World Car Awards Jury
7:39 What Jenni Learned Driving Global EVs (BYD and More)
10:16 Why Driving Feel Still Matters More Than Tech
Connect with Jenni Newman at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennilnewman/
Our coverage of Automobility LA is brought to you by our friends at Cars Commerce: https://www.carscommerce.inc/
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