Celebrating Excellence in Automotive Retail
The largest dealership review platform, Cars.com, has unveiled the winners of its highly anticipated Dealer of the Year Awards. These awards highlight the best automotive dealerships across North America, with Subaru, Acura, and Volvo emerging as the top-rated brands. The recognition comes after analyzing over 1.3 million online consumer reviews submitted during the previous year.
How Winners are Selected
Every year, Cars.com presents these prestigious awards to dealerships that demonstrate exceptional service and customer satisfaction. The winning dealers are those who excel in key areas such as average star ratings, the total number of reviews, and how effectively they respond to consumer feedback. This year, the reviews emphasized the importance of customer experiences, showcasing the significant role local dealerships play within the automotive industry.
Valuable Insights for Automotive Businesses
According to Jamie Oldershaw, the vice president of customer experience at Cars.com, local dealerships are vital to the automotive landscape. They are showcased through these awards not only for providing excellent consumer experiences but also for actively engaging with customers via their online reviews. It's a critical component, as nearly 90% of the honored dealerships promptly respond to consumer feedback, creating a strong relationship with their customer base.
Regional and National Brand Winners
The award recognition is not limited to just a few dealerships. This year, a wide array of dealerships across various regions have been highlighted:
Regional Winners
- Mid-Atlantic: Mercedes-Benz of Edison - A Ray Catena Dealership
- Midwest: Phillips Chevrolet
- New England: Toyota of Braintree
- Plains: Reliable Lexus
- Rocky Mountain: Strong Volkswagen
- Southeast: Honda of Concord
- Southwest: D&M Leasing - Fort Worth
- West: Toyota of Hemet
National Brand Recognition
- Acura: Hendrick Acura
- Alfa Romeo: Alfa Romeo Fiat of Strongsville
- Aston Martin: Orlando Infiniti
- Audi: Audi Springfield
- Bentley: Foreign Cars Charlotte
- BMW: Bill Jacobs BMW
- Buick: Woody Buick GMC of Gurnee
- Cadillac: Ed Morse Cadillac of Delray Beach
- Chevrolet: Phillips Chevrolet
- Chrysler: Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
- Dodge: Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
- Ferrari: Foreign Cars Italia
- Fiat: Glenbrook Dodge Chrysler Jeep Fiat
- Ford: Arlington Heights Ford
- Genesis: Allen Turner Hyundai
- GMC: Woody Buick GMC of Gurnee
- Harley-Davidson: Manchester Harley-Davidson
- Honda: Honda of Concord
- Hyundai: Allen Turner Hyundai
- Ineos: Crown Ineos Grenadier
- Infiniti: Orlando Infiniti
- Jaguar: Jaguar Land Rover Hinsdale
- Jeep: Marino Chrysler Jeep Dodge
- Karma: Karma Westfield
- Kia: Paramount Kia of Hickory
- Lamborghini: Lamborghini Dallas
- Land Rover: Land Rover Princeton
- Lexus: Hendrick Lexus Northlake
- Lincoln: Bozard Ford Lincoln
- Lotus: Orlando Infiniti
- Maserati: Foreign Cars Italia
- Mazda: Sport Mazda
- McLaren: Avondale Premier Collection
- Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz of Edison - A Ray Catena Dealership
- Mini: Mini of Allentown
- Mitsubishi: Elder Mitsubishi - Killeen
- Nissan: Mike Rezi Nissan
- Porsche: Porsche Southpoint
- Ram: Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
- Subaru: Tucson Subaru
- Toyota: Toyota of Hemet
- Volkswagen: City Volkswagen of Evanston
- Volvo: Smythe Volvo
Evaluating Consumer Experiences
Cars.com focuses not only on individual dealerships but also on how well brands maintain consumer trust and satisfaction. By evaluating feedback in six significant areas—transparency, transaction speed, and review responsiveness, among others—Cars.com determines brand reputations.
In the evaluation of the last 24 months of consumer reviews, brands like Subaru, Acura, and Volvo received commendations for offering a superb car purchase experience, thereby reinforcing their positions as customer favorites.
Understanding the Award Methodology
The methodology for the Dealer of the Year Awards encompasses a comprehensive review process, requiring at least 25 consumer reviews for a dealership to qualify. The awards consider the dealership's star rating, the number of reviews submitted, and management's responsiveness. This holistic approach ensures that the awards celebrate dealerships that genuinely excel in customer service.
About Cars.com
Cars.com is the leading automotive marketplace, attracting around 30 million consumers each month. Founded in 1998, this platform empowers car buyers with the tools and insights necessary to make informed decisions. Cars.com is more than a vehicle listing site; it helps consumers connect with thousands of dealerships, simplifying the car-buying experience. The company is a part of Cars.com Inc., a technology-driven organization committed to transforming how automotive transactions are conducted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Dealer of the Year Awards?
The Dealer of the Year Awards celebrate the top automotive dealers based on customer reviews and dealership performance.
How are winners determined?
Winners are chosen based on average star ratings, review counts, and responsiveness to customer feedback.
Which brands were recognized this year?
Subaru, Acura, and Volvo were highlighted as the highest-rated brands across various categories.
Why are local dealerships important?
Local dealerships play a crucial role in shaping the consumer car-buying experience and fostering customer loyalty.
What does Cars.com provide for consumers?
Cars.com offers valuable data, content, and tools to help consumers make informed decisions when buying and selling cars.
