Autobytel Receives “Highest Rated” DrivingSale

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL ), a pioneer and leading provider of online automotive services connecting consumers with dealers, has received the “Highest Rated” New Car Leads Award in the eighth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards . The awards, presented at a special event on January 27 ^th in conjunction with the 2017 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo, are based on DrivingSales Vendor Ratings, which comprise 35,000 validated user reviews.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...cb4e2a77a3

“We’re extremely proud of this award because it represents tens of thousands of dealers who value the quality of the new car leads Autobytel provides,” said Jeff Coats, president and CEO of Autobytel Inc.  “Today’s dealers face a multitude of challenges when it comes to reaching and engaging with quality car buyers at a low cost and that’s where Autobytel comes in.  In-market new car leads are just the tip of the iceberg.  Autobytel has evolved to offer a full suite of products and services that help dealers build their brands, drive showroom visits, and increase sales.  We extend our deepest appreciation to the dealers who weighed in and we will continue to provide quality products and services to help them sell more cars.”  

Autobytel, founded by a former car dealer, pioneered the automotive Internet in 1995 and has since delivered over 60 million leads to its industry partners.  In addition to quality new and used car leads, the company offers the AutoWeb paid search solution that drives quality website traffic to dealers and manufacturers; TextShield ^® , the premier lead management system for text; and tools that convert website visits into showroom visits, including WebLeads+ featuring Instant Retargeting, Payment Pro ^® , and SaleMove ^® Virtual Showroom Technology.

“I am pleased to present Autobytel with the ‘Highest Rated’ New Car Leads Award for consistently contributing the highest level of value to its dealership customers throughout 2016,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder, Jared Hamilton. “DrivingSales Vendor Ratings help dealers make important vendor decisions by providing peer reviews on the solutions that were most successful in their dealerships and Autobytel was at the top of the list in its category.  Congratulations to Autobytel’s New Car Leads for being recognized as one of the best-of-the-best by the dealer community.”

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings .  DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons. The site provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products / solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/ . Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2017 issue of DrivingSales Buyers Guide which, in addition to being distributed at the 2017 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to more than 2,000 of the top used car dealers in the U.S. The DrivingSales Buyers Guide represents over 1,000 automotive solutions and over 35,000 dealer reviews of those products from DrivingSales Vendor Ratings, identifying the solutions that have risen to the top. 

About Autobytel Inc.

Autobytel Inc. provides high quality consumer leads and associated marketing services to automotive dealers and manufacturers throughout the United States. The company also provides consumers with robust and original online automotive content to help them make informed car-buying decisions. The company pioneered the automotive Internet in 1995 with its flagship website http://www.autobytel.com/ and has since helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers; and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Investors and other interested parties can receive Autobytel news releases and invitations to special events by accessing the online registration form at investor.autobytel.com/alerts.cfm .

Autobytel Inc. Media Relations

Jennifer Lange 949-446-8980 jenniferl@autobytel.com or Autobytel Inc. Investor Relations Kimberly Boren EVP, Chief Financial Officer 949-862-1396 kimb@autobytel.com   or Cody Slach or Sean Mansouri Liolios Group, Inc. 949-574-3860 abtl@liolios.com

About DrivingSales

DrivingSales serves automotive retailers with an integrated suite of technology, knowledge, community and performance insight designed to advance the success of retail professionals and their dealerships. Founded by a third-generation car dealer in 2008, today DrivingSales is utilized by two-thirds of franchised dealerships in North America as a resource to improve their business performance. 

To learn more about the DrivingSales community, news, dealer education or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com .

DrivingSales Media Relations:

Madeleine Low ( maddy.low@drivingsales.com ), DrivingSales, 866.943.8371