Can a used Nissan with over 100,000 miles and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) survive the salt flats of Bonneville and the rock crawling trails of Moab?

In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Tim Pohanka, Executive Vice President of the Pohanka Automotive Group, to discuss his hit new YouTube series, "Tour Detour: The Good, The Bad, & The CVT."

Tim and two fellow dealers set out to bust the myths surrounding Nissan’s CVT reliability by taking three high-mileage vehicles on a punishing 1,500-mile road trip across the American West. From river crossings to desert sand dunes, they wanted to prove that these cars could handle conditions no engineer ever intended.

Watch the "Tour Detour" Series here: https://thetourdetour.com/episodes

The 2026 Virginia General Assembly session is officially underway, and for the retail automotive industry, the stakes remain as high as ever.

Join VADA Live host Dan Carrigan for our Season 2 premiere as he sits down with experts Mimi Perka, VADA Director of Legislative & Legal Affairs, and Ralston King, President of RivCo Government Affairs and VADA Lobbyist.

With 18 new members entering the House of Delegates, VADA’s mission this year is focused on education, relationship-building, and protecting the franchise system. As the saying goes: "If you are not at the table, you're on the menu." Now is the time for every member of the Virginia automotive community to engage, stay informed, and make their voices heard. Register for Dealer Day 2026 (Wednesday, January 28): https://vada.com/event/dealerday26

In this conclusion to our special end-of-year series, VADA President and CEO Don Hall shifts the focus from external threats to the internal dynamics that will define dealership success in 2026. Hall shares candid takeaways from his recent time at the NADA Academy, specifically highlighting the critical, often undervalued role of service technicians. He argues that the service drive touches far more customers than the sales floor and that building a culture where employees feel valued is the only sustainable way to protect the business. Hall also issues a warning about upcoming regulatory attacks targeting processing fees and spot deliveries, urging dealers to prepare now rather than later. He challenges owners and general managers to "lead from the front" by being visible and engaged in the daily grind of their stores. With the 2026 legislative session and Virginia’s 250th anniversary on the horizon, the message is clear: your presence—whether in the dealership or at the General Assembly—has never mattered more.

VADA's Don Hall sat down for a candid, two-part interview on the threats facing the franchise system–from manufacturers like VW and Scout pushing for direct sales to the new political landscape in Richmond.

In Part 1 Don delivers a message to dealers who think they can coast through 2026:

"Manufacturers have made it clear... they would love to be able to take off certain vehicles and sell them direct. We need to care and we need to get engaged. This is a big deal. It's not going to go away."