On Wednesday, Edmunds announced it honored 817 dealerships throughout the country for delivering rewarding car shopping experiences with its Five Star Dealer Award.

The award  recognizes car dealers who have received the highest overall rating for customer satisfaction in Edmunds' dealer sales ratings.

"Today's car shoppers are incredibly savvy, and we know that more than 70 percent of them read dealer reviews before deciding where to buy their next vehicle," Avi Steinlauf, chief executive officer of Edmunds, said in a news release.

"Programs such as the Five Star Dealer Awards that recognize excellent customer service can make a real difference to dealers looking to stand out from the competition. We celebrate these exceptional dealers and congratulate them for going above and beyond for their customers."

The fifth annual Five Star Dealer Award recipients have maintained at least a 4.5-star average over the past two years to be honored.

Award recipients were also required to participate in the Edmunds Dealer Partner program and over the past year earned an overall sales rating of five stars on a minimum of 20 reviews on Edmunds.com.

For the full list of 2017 Five Star Award winners, visit Edmunds' new Dealer Center page. 

Dealers interested in participating in Edmunds.com's Dealer Partner program can visit http://www.edmunds.com/dealers for more information.