Women-Drivers.com has released its semi-annual 2010 report showing the Top
Auto Brands as rated by women's dealership reviews. Each year, the company
tracks thousands of consumer reviews with regards to women's Purchasing,
Browsing and Service experience at car dealerships in the United States.
The consumer review website connects women and families to women-friendly car
dealerships by showcasing dealers in a respective zip code radius with the
highest scores. Getting reviews from female consumers is free for all
dealerships.
On the site, individual dealerships' scores range
from 1.0 - 5.0. Dealers with Women Satisfaction Index, or WSI scores between
3.80 - 5.0 are recognized and marketed as Certified Women-Drivers Friendly.
Dealers use this online reputation management tool to distinguish and leverage
their business. Reviews are optimized for search engines.
The WSI data
comes from audited consumer reviews. Women now account for over half of all car
purchases; however, they influence and initiate almost 80%. When shopping for a
new vehicle, more than half of women buyers visit three or more dealerships; one
of the critical reasons the company captures 'browsing' experiences. Browsing is
a key indicator of whether she will return to this dealership.
"Car
manufacturers and dealerships that highly engage and support women during the
purchase process are placing themselves in a strong position to convert more
browsers to buyers, and, to get more referrals - all translating to increased
sales. Credit the top performing brands; clearly these companies and dealerships
are doing a great job with customer engagement", said Anne Fleming, President &
Car Buying Advocate of the company.
WSI scores in the report are placed
into the four (4) categories: Overall, Purchasing, Browsing, and Service.
The following are the Top 10 OVERALL* Brands with the average WSI Score
being 4.05:
1. Mercedes: 4.68
2. Jeep: 4.41
3. Lexus: 4.37
4. BMW: 4.36
5.
Chrysler: 4.35
6. Acura: 4.19
7. Honda: 4.18
8. Buick: 4.15
9.
Dodge: 4.13
10. Nissan: 4.11
The next tier of Top 10 brands is:
1. Mazda: 4.03
2. Hyundai: 3.94
3. Chevrolet: 3.93
4. Subaru: 3.91
5. Ford: 3.86
6. Lincoln: 3.86
7. Toyota: 3.85
8. Volkswagen: 3.73
9. GMC: 3.70
10. KIA: 3.49
* Some brands are not represented in this
report because they are no longer being marketed and sold in 2010 and beyond, or
due to lack of statistically significant data.
The Top 10 Brands for
PURCHASING experiences at dealerships:
Mercedes and Dodge dealers
received the highest WSI ranking among women buyers with a 4.83 score for
Purchasing a vehicle. The average WSI score for all brands in this category was
4.27. These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers who were
very satisfied with the engagement and treatment by the sales person, their
overall dealership experience, as well as the financing process.
1.
Mercedes and Dodge: 4.83
2. Lexus: 4.78
3. Chrysler: 4.64
4. KIA: 4.62
5. Jeep: 4.45
6. Buick: 4.44
7. Toyota: 4.32
8. Mazda: 4.30
9.
Nissan: 4.29
10. Chevrolet: 4.25
The Top 10 Brands for BROWSING
experiences at dealerships:
Mercedes dealers scored the highest, with
a WSI of 4.52 score among women customers who went into the dealership but did
not purchase that day. The average WSI score for all brands in this category was
3.72. These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers who were
very satisfied with the engagement and treatment by the sales person and their
overall dealership experience.
1. Mercedes: 4.52
2. Mazda: 4.15
3.
Nissan: 4.09
4. KIA: 4.07
5. Jeep: 4.03
6. Chevrolet: 3.92
7. Dodge:
3.91
8. Chrysler: 3.79
9. Acura and Ford: 3.75
10. Volkswagen: 3.73
The Top 10 Brands for SERVICE experiences at dealerships:
Acura dealers scored the highest from women having their car serviced with a WSI
score of 4.80. The average WSI score for all brands in this category was 3.91.
These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers that had an easy
time scheduling a service visit, received an estimate prior to work being
completed, had alternative options provided, felt they were treated respectfully
and paid an amount consistent with what was quoted.
1. Acura: 4.80
2.
BMW and Mercedes: 4.57
3. Honda: 4.54
4. Chrysler: 4.47
5. Lexus: 4.29
6. Buick: 4.25
7. Subaru: 4.05
8. Nissan and Volkswagen: 3.88
9.
Toyota: 3.76
10. Chevrolet and Ford: 3.58