McLEAN, Va. -

Dealer satisfaction with their respective manufacturers continued to climb this past year, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association’s latest Dealer Attitude Survey. This is especially apparent among the foreign OEMS.

The survey — conducted twice a year — measures dealers’ attitudes in what NADA sees as three key areas: “franchise value, automaker policy decisions that affect the dealership and the automaker’s field staff who visit dealerships.”

This year, a Korean automaker’s dealers one again expressed the best sentiments about their OEM out of the more than 14,700 franchises that responded to the 2011 summer survey.

Hyundai finished in the top overall spot for the third consecutive survey period, with affiliate Kia finishing fourth, NADA officials revealed.

And Subaru followed Hyundai, climbing back to second place for its fifth consecutive Top 3 finish.

Wrapping up the top three, luxury nameplate Lexus slid into the No. 3 spot.

Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz finished fifth, and Toyota and Volkswagen improved to sixth and seventh place, respectively. Porsche, Audi and Cadillac/Honda rounded out the Top 10.

Overall scores were calculated from 12 "core" questions that measured dealer attitude in three key areas. The survey results were presented to more than 325 senior automaker executives representing 30 automotive brands in a series of meetings over a two-month period.

Dealers Get Chance to Meet Top OEM Execs

And NADA doesn’t stop with just the survey results.

In early February, thousands of the nation’s dealers will have an opportunity to meet face-to-face with top automaker executives at 26 franchise meetings to discuss the outlook for sales, marketing plans and product launches during the  upcoming 2012 NADA Convention and Expo in Las Vegas, officials shared.

Highlighting some of the conference’s top events, NADA chairman Stephen Wade, also a new-car dealer in Utah and California, will join an industry panel discussion at J.D. Power and Associates’ 2012 International Automotive Roundtable in Las Vegas on Friday, Feb. 3.

The panel also includes some other big names from foreign and domestic OEMs.

The other panelists are Alan Batey, vice president of General Motors’ Chevrolet division; Reid Bigland, head of the Dodge brand; and Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America’s executive vice president of national sales. Mike Jackson, chief executive officer and chairman of AutoNation, will moderate the panel discussion.

NADA President Phil Brady will provide closing remarks.

Other industry keynote speakers include Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne and NADA’s Wade on Saturday, Feb. 4, and incoming NADA Chairman William Underriner, a new-car dealer in Montana, on Monday, Feb. 6.

NADA’s 95th annual convention runs Feb. 3 to 6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

For more information, visit www.nadaconventionandexpo.org.