April 18, 2014—Lexus and Hyundai rank highest among automotive manufacturers based on consumer-written dealership reviews, according to the consumer rating index (CRI) for auto manufacturers released by DealerRater on Thursday.
The CRI rankings are based on a five-point scale, in which consumers ranked their buying experience, including customer service, quality of work, friendliness, price and overall experience. This includes service and repair work.
More than 330,000 reviews over a 12 month period contributed to the rankings.
Along with overall rankings, the CRI ranked automotive manufacturers within the “Luxury” and “Mass Market” brand categories. Lexus ranked highest in the “Luxury” category, with a score of 4.741, followed by Volvo (4.704), Mercedes-Benz (4.703), Audi (4.693) and Acura (4.687). Among “Mass Market” brands, Hyundai was top ranked with a score of 4.719, followed by Buick (4.709), Honda (4.695), Kia (4.687) and Subaru (4.686).
“The CRI provides a comprehensive view of consumer sentiment because feedback is not limited to customers who purchased a vehicle and includes shoppers as well as service customers,” explains DealerRater CEO Gary Tucker. “A consumer can write a review about all aspects of their experience with a dealer on DealerRater. With this level of insight, dealers have a metric indicating whether they should reevaluate their business practices. Consumers can also use this index as a starting point when looking for a dealership that will provide the best shopping experience.”
The full CRI report can be found online.