2010 Semi-Annual Report Shows Women rank Mercedes, Jeep, Lexus, BMW and Chrysler Highest
PITTSBURGH
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
About Women Drivers
The pioneering resource www.women-drivers.com is meeting the demand for empowering women to have respectful and fair experiences at car dealerships across America each and every time. With the growing vehicle purchasing power of women, this one-stop site is filled with a dealer review system, tips to demystify the buying experience, and connects women to Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ car dealers.
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