What CarMax and Carvana Know About Used Car Acquisition That Dealers Don’t with Brian Kramer

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What if the most overlooked department in your dealership is actually the most powerful growth engine you have?

That’s not a hypothetical. That’s the reality—and in this episode, Brian Kramer and I go straight at it.

If you’ve ever felt like used cars were treated as “the other department,” or you’ve struggled with acquisition, trade capture, or keeping up with CarMax, Carvana, and a rapidly shifting marketplace, this conversation will challenge the way you think—and the way you operate.

Brian doesn’t just talk theory. He’s lived it. From lot porter to GM to executive leadership at Cars Commerce, he’s been in the trenches fixing broken stores, scaling used car operations, and helping dealers rethink acquisition, pricing, and process from the ground up.

In this episode, we unpack:

  • Why the used car department is finally getting the respect it deserves—and why that matters now more than ever

  • The dangerous myth of “look-to-book” and why appraising more cars is the real unlock for profitability

  • How CarMax and Carvana rewrote the rules of acquisition—and what dealers still don’t fully understand about why it works

  • The counterintuitive truth about risk, over-allowances, and why “playing it safe” is costing dealers millions

  • How friction doesn’t disappear—you either transfer it to your customer or absorb it yourself

  • What AI, Carson, and marketplaces like Cars.com are changing about how consumers search, decide, and buy

  • Why acquisition strategy beats retail pricing strategy every single time

There are moments in this conversation where you’ll nod your head…and moments where you’ll feel uncomfortable—in the best possible way. Because this isn’t about doing what everyone else is doing. It’s about doing what actually works.

If you’re serious about fixing acquisition, building a sustainable used car operation, and future-proofing your dealership in a world of AI agents, marketplaces, and changing consumer behavior—this episode isn’t optional.

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