Subaru of America recently announced the winner of its 2016 Auction of the Year award, which honors auctions for sales effectiveness and service quality.
This year’s title went to Manheim Southern California.
“A numerical score is calculated at the conclusion of every sale at every location on a monthly basis and the auctions are ranked monthly based on the final score,” Subaru nationalf fleet remarketing manager John Manchin said in a news release.
Subaru said it evaluates auctions by tracking and measuring three key components which include: total sale percentage, retention to goal price and the number of unique buyers.
Manheim Southern California is among several auctions that host combined Subaru factory sales, which features company promotional and program vehicles.
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.
Auto Remarketing is now accepting nominations for the Women in Remarketing Class of 2017.
Don't miss the opportunity to honor the exceptional women of the used-car industry, who drive businesses such as auctions, consignors, dealerships, captive finance companies and more.
The April 1 issue of Auto Remarketing will contain a special section designed to honor those women that will be chosen for its 2017 Women in Remarketing Class.
They will also be honored at the Used Car Week Conferences this fall.
Please note: the deadline for nominations is Friday, March 3. All nominations must be done through the website link above.
We will include a brief profile on each honoree in our April 1 edition.
Special advertising will also be available for this Women in Remarketing issue.
For more information or to purchase space, please contact publisher Bill Zadeits at bzadeits@autoremarketing.com.
Vincentric has revealed the winners of its 13th annual Best Value in America Awards, which name brands and vehicles that provide cost-of-ownership value in various vehicle categories.
Vincentric awarded Toyota two of its best value brand awards, one for passenger cars and the other for SUVs/crossovers/vans.
“Toyota delivered its impressive performance with eight different model-level awards, led by 13-time winner Toyota Tacoma,” Vincentric said in a news release.
Other brands awarded include best value luxury brand winners Acura and Lexus, as well as Ford for top truck brand.
“The Lexus brand award was a hard-fought win, as Audi also showed strong value with four model-level winners including the A3, A5 and A7,” Vincentric explained.
Vincentric measures cost-of-ownership according to eight different cost factors: depreciation, fees & taxes, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, opportunity cost and repairs.
“Using a statistical model, Vincentric identified the Best Value in America winners by measuring which vehicles had lower than expected ownership costs given their market segment and price,” the company said.
Vincentric evaluated over 3,000 vehicle configurations in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. by analyzing a range of annual mileage intervals and insurance profiles.
“Our analysis benefits consumers by providing them insight to great value when it comes to the complete picture of owning and operating a vehicle,” Vincentric [resident David Wurster said in a news release. “The 2017 Vincentric Best Value in America awards show that when manufacturers measure and manage a vehicle’s total cost of ownership, they are able to consistently deliver high value to consumers.”
Vincentric's automotive insight data is currently used by organizations such as AOL, BMW, Business Fleet Magazine, Cars.com, Chevrolet, Fleet-Central.com, Mercedes-Benz, NADA Guides and Toyota.
Below is the full list of the Vincentric Best Value in America Awards winners in each segment:
BRAND AWARDS
Passenger Car Brand: Toyota
Luxury Car Brand: Lexus
SUVs, Crossovers, & Vans: Toyota
Luxury SUVs & Crossovers: Acura
Truck Brand: Ford
PASSENGER CARS
Subcompact: Toyota Yaris iA
Subcompact Hatchback: Honda Fit
Compact: Honda Civic
Compact Hatchback: Toyota Corolla iM
Mid-Size: Subaru Legacy
Large Sedan: Genesis G80
Sports Car: Fiat 124 Spider
Hybrid: Toyota Camry Hybrid
Electric/Plug-in Hybrid: Mitsubishi i-MiEV
LUXURY CARS
Luxury Compact: Audi A3
Luxury Coupe: Lexus RC 200t
Luxury Mid-Size Sedan: Lexus IS 350
Premium Luxury Mid-Size Sedan: Lexus GS 200t
Premium Luxury Mid-Size Coupe: Audi A5
Premium Luxury Large Sedan: Audi A7
Luxury Sports Cars: Audi R8
Luxury Hybrid: Lexus ES 300h
Luxury Convertible: BMW M4
Luxury Electric/Plug-In Hybrid: BMW i3
SUVS, CROSSOVERS, & VANS
Subcompact SUV/Crossover: Buick Encore
Compact SUV/Crossover: Subaru Crosstrek
Intermediate SUV/Crossover: Toyota 4Runner
Large SUV/Crossover: Toyota Land Cruiser
Minivan: Toyota Sienna
LUXURY SUVS & CROSSOVERS
Luxury Electric/Plug-In Hybrid SUV/Crossover: Volvo XC90 Plug-In Hybrid
Luxury Compact SUV/Crossover: Lexus NX 200t
Luxury Intermediate SUV/Crossover: Acura MDX
Luxury Large SUV/Crossover: Infiniti QX60
PICKUP TRUCKS
Small Pickup: Toyota Tacoma
Full-Size 1/2-Ton Pickup: Toyota Tundra
Full-Size 3/4-Ton Heavy Duty Pickup: Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Full-Size 1-Ton Heavy Duty Pickup: Ford F-350
On Tuesday, U.S. News & World Report announced the winners of its 2017 Best Cars for the Money awards, which recognize vehicles that provide consumers with the best combination of quality and value within 20 automotive categories.
Methodology for determining winners includes merging quality and value data into a composite score.
Within the 20 categories, the vehicle with the highest score is named the Best Car for the Money in that category.
Additionally, the rankings are updated regularly and compare cars on the basis of safety, reliability and a consensus of industry experts’ opinions.
The Toyota and Honda families won the most awards. Toyota and Lexus combined to five awards, while Honda and its luxury brand, Acura, earned four.
“Most consumers know to look to Toyota for value and reliability,” said Jamie Page Deaton, managing editor of the U.S. News Best Car rankings.
“However, these wins show that Toyota and Lexus go beyond the basics and impress reviewers with the performance, comfort and connectivity of their products, while also providing compelling pricing and ownership costs versus the competition.”
Trophies are scheduled to be presented to the winning automakers during press preview days at the Chicago Auto Show, on Thursday.
Highlights from the 2017 Best Cars For The Money awards include:
CATEGORY WINNER
Compact Cars 2017 Kia Soul
Sports Cars 2017 Fiat 124 Spider
Midsize Cars 2017 Hyundai Sonata
Subcompact SUVs 2017 Honda HR-V
Full Size Trucks 2017 Ford F-150
For the full set of winners and finalists, visit www.usnews.com/cars-money.
American Recovery Service (ARS) was recently awarded the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award for the company’s backing of employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.
ARS employee Christina Prado serves in the U.S. Army Reserves A Company 328th and submitted ARS as a nominee for the award. Prado was joined by her commanding officer as part of a committee to present the company with this prestigious honor.
ESGR is a Department of Defense program that promotes cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers. According to the ESGR website, “Encouraging employers to support and value the balance between employment and military services of members of the National Guard and Reserve, ensures that these ‘citizen warriors’ can defend and protect us at home and abroad with a continued promise of meaningful civilian employment for themselves and their families.”
ARS chief operating officer Dave Copeland explained how the company strives to aid employees who are involved in activities associated with the nation’s military.
“ARS enjoys interacting with employees to reach mutually agreeable arrangements to ensure their employment is maintained while serving our country,” Copeland said. “In addition to providing supportive employment opportunities for our reserve employees, we recognize the value and importance of family readiness support.
“It is our goal to support those who freely give of themselves for our nation,” he continued. “Providing sponsorship for events such as the local ESGR Family Day is another way we’ve been able to contribute toward that goal.”
In the award letter presented to ARS, James Combs, chairman of the California ESGR, offered congratulations and declared, “Your employer support of the Guard and Reserve Patriotic Employer Award reflects the high level of support that you have shown for your employees serving in the United States Armed Forces Guard and Reserve.
“This award recognizes employers, like you, that are providing outstanding support for their National Guard and Reserve employees,” Combs added.
Prado went on to say, “ARS’ support was the backbone of this event, but the support really goes farther than this one event.
“When I must report for duty, I can breathe easy knowing that the team can fill my responsibilities until my return. And I don’t live with the stress or worry about if I will have a job to return to ARS is an asset to the Army Reserve and National Guard and that is why they were granted the Patriot Award,” she continued.
The 2017 Automotive Website Awards honored 37 of the best automotive digital marketing companies and one individual for their automotive websites and technology.
More than 200 industry leaders were in attendance during an event that coincided with last week’s National Automobile Dealers Association Convention.
“This year’s lineup impressed our team and showed true innovation. We are honored to hand out awards to these deserving companies,” award organizers said.
The individual honored was Cory Mosley, who was the recipient of the 2017 AWA Lighthouse Award. The AWA Lighthouse award recognizes an individual who has achieved greatness in the automotive community.
The seven categories for the 2017 AWAs included websites, sales process, rising stars, social media, website merchandising, marketing solutions and fixed operations.
Among the award winners was LotLinx, which was recognized for the LotLinx TURN product. The accolade marked third year in a row that LotLinx has been recognized with an AWA.
“It's an honor to again be recognized as the best tool in the market helping car dealers maximize their digital ad spend,” LotLinx founder Len Short said. “We’re constantly striving to build products that empower dealers to take control over their digital sales. Being at the forefront of the movement to put dealers in the driver’s seat when it comes to digital marketing is thrilling.”
Brian Pasch, founder of PCG Companies and sponsor of the AWA, added, “I've long been impressed with the dedication LotLinx has shown when it comes to improving the ease with which dealers can effectively market and turn their entire inventory. The LotLinx solution simplifies VIN-specific advertising on Google, Facebook, and hundreds of automotive shopping and research portals, providing insights and optimization in one easy-to-use platform.”
Here is a full list of winners of 2017 Automotive Website Awards:
Lighthouse Award
Cory Mosley
Websites – U.S.
Dealer eProcess
Dealer Inspire
DealerOn
fusionZONE
Canadian Websites
Vicimus: Glovebox V3
Websites – EU
Smilenet
Sales Process
AutoAlert: AlertMiner
DealerSocket: DealerSocket Blackbird CRM
Digital Dealership System: dds.TV
ELEAD1ONE CRM
Nextup
Rising Stars
AutoAlert: Pando
CarNow: BuyNow
Dealer Inspire: Online Shopper
DealerSync
Orbee
TECOBI
Social Media
AutoAlert: FuzeCast/CuratorPro/FuzeShield
Dominion Dealer Solutions: Prime Response
Spectrum Reach: Guaranteed Performance Plus (GPP+)
Website Merchandising
AutoHook
CarChat24
CarNow: Visual Sales Manager
Dealer Inspire: Conversations
eAutoAppraise
Spectrum Reach: Targeted Content Library
SpinCar
TradePending: SNAP
ActivEngage
Marketing Solutions
3Birds Marketing: The Wire 3.0
Dealer eProcess: CAROi
Dealer Teamwork: Launch Control
LotLinx
Outsell
Fixed Operations
Conversica: Automotive Service Assistant
DealerSocket: DealerSocket Service
ELEAD Service1One
Cox Automotive presented Ford’s Linda Silverstein with its 12th annual Barbara Cox Automotive Woman of the Year Award during a breakfast at the NADA Convention on Saturday.
The remarketing and rental operations general manager was recognized for her business leadership, community advocacy and commitment to advancing the automotive industry.
“Linda is exactly the type of professional the automotive industry needs more of. By sharing her experiences through mentoring, she is helping develop future leaders,” said Cox Automotive president Sandy Schwartz.
“This award is named after the late Barbara Cox, one of our owners and the mother of Jim Kennedy, our chairman. Linda shares many of the same qualities and all of the values that we admire in Mrs. Cox, including showing her appreciation for the positive influences in her life by giving back. I am honored to present this award to Linda on behalf of Cox Automotive.”
Schwartz gave Silverstein her award during the Northwood University Dealer Education Award annual breakfast at NADA.
Silverstein began her career at the Ford Motor Co. in 1982 as an analyst in Ford Division's Detroit District Sales Office. Since, she’s held a variety of marketing and sales positions at Ford Division and Lincoln Mercury Division in Atlanta, Detroit and San Francisco.
Silverstein has been responsible for Ford’s vehicle remarketing since 2002, certified pre-owned since 2005 and rental operations since 2007.
“To be recognized for my participation in an industry that I love is quite an honor,” said Silverstein. “I often tell people that are just starting their careers that if they are passionate about what they do, they will never work a day in their life. I am passionate about the auto industry…it’s fast pace and the ever-changing nature of the business — coupled with great people — make it a fun and rewarding industry to be a part of.
“Cox Automotive’s genuine commitment to supporting women in a traditionally male-dominated industry – both inside the company and in the industry at large – is very powerful. I am honored to be the recipient of The Barbara Cox Automotive Women of the Year award. I am thankful for all of my mentors along the way that gave me the advice and support to succeed in this great industry.”
In 2009, Silverstein was inducted into the National Auto Auction Association Hall of Fame. She was also recognized as 2010 Consignor of the Year and was honored as a Warren Young Fellow.
In addition to presenting the Woman of the Year Award to Silverstein, Cox Automotive gifted a $10,000 scholarship to Alesandra D'Agostino, a Northwood University student.
D’Agostino is a junior studying automotive retail management and automotive aftermarket management who is active in her community by volunteering at a crisis shelter and soup kitchen as well as Rake a Difference, which helps seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Orchestrators of the second annual Diversity Volume Leadership Awards (DVL Awards) ceremony highlighted what they said is the tremendous impact that minority vehicle buyers have on the economy and brought awareness to what consider to be the lack of diversity that still remains present in the automotive industry.
National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) Damon Lester said, “Some 30 percent of new-vehicle purchases are made by multicultural consumers, but only 6 percent of dealerships are minority-owned.
“That means 18,000 dealerships exist in the USA and just 1,100 are minority-owned,” Lester contained.
With ethnic vehicle buyers growing at rapid rates, the dealer body is still lacking accurate representation from minorities. NAMAD and IHS Markit partnered to celebrate brands that are driving sales leadership with ethnic consumers while also addressing and educating the industry about the necessity of dealer ownership increasing to reflect a diverse population during the DVL Awards on Jan. 8 at Cobo Center in Detroit. The private awards ceremony was hosted by Kellie Aponte and brought together scores of top automotive industry executives.
Winners of the DVL Awards demonstrated the highest new-vehicle registrations with ethnic, women and millennial consumers. This year's awards were based on an analysis of more than 13 million personal new-vehicle registrations from IHS Markit.
“The Diversity Volume Leadership Awards were designed to educate the entire auto industry including manufacturers, dealers, suppliers and automotive media,” said Marc Bland, vice president of diversity and inclusion at IHS Markit.
This year, NAMAD and IHS Markit honored American Honda with the Top Overall Ethnic Vehicle DVL Award. The Top Overall Ethnic Vehicle is the most sought-after Diversity Volume Leadership honor for automotive brands dedicated to driving sales leadership with Asian, Native American, Hispanic and African-American buyers.
NAMAD and IHS Markit also presented awards for leadership in the following categories: ethnic volume leaders by IHS Markit Regions, volume leaders – millennials and women, and volume leaders by ethnic consumer group.
The best automotive brands that have dedicated marketing resources to ethnic consumers and are focused on capitalizing on the rapid growth of the industry were in attendance to collect their awards. Overall, General Motors and its brands received five DVL Awards while both Honda and Toyota collected seven DVL Awards.
Both Ford and Nissan garnered three DVL Awards and Fiat Chrysler was given one DVL Award.
Winners of the 2017 Diversity Volume Leadership Awards are as follows:
Ethnic Volume Leaders by IHS Markit Regions
Great Lakes Region: Chevrolet Malibu
Mideast Region: Honda Accord
New England Region: Toyota RAV4
Plains Region: Ford F-Series
Rocky Mountain Region: Ford F-Series
Southeast Region: Toyota Corolla
Southwest Region: Ford F-Series
Western Region: Honda Civic
Volume Leaders — Millennials and Women
Top Women's Vehicle: Honda CR-V
Top Women's Luxury Vehicle: Lexus RX
Top Ethnic Millennial Vehicle: Honda Civic
Volume Leaders by Consumer Group
Top Vehicle African-American: Nissan Altima
Top Vehicle Hispanic American: Toyota Corolla
Top Vehicle Asian-Pacific Islander: Honda Accord
Top Vehicle Native American: Chevrolet Silverado
Top Luxury Vehicle African American: Buick Encore
Top Luxury Vehicle Hispanic: Lexus IS
Top Luxury Vehicle Asian-Pacific Islander: Lexus RX
Top Luxury Vehicle Native American: Buick Verano
African American Volume Growth Leader: Nissan Rogue
Hispanic Volume Growth Leader: Nissan Rogue
Asian-Pacific Islander Volume Growth Leader: Lexus NX
Native American Volume Growth Leader: Chevrolet Colorado
Women Volume Growth Leader: Honda HR-V
Millennial Volume Growth Leader: Jeep Renegade
Top Overall Ethnic Vehicle (Luxury or Non-Luxury): Honda Accord
IHS Markit recognized auto manufacturers and brands for loyalty leadership at its 21st annual Automotive Loyalty Awards during the Automotive News World Congress on Tuesday night.
General Motors received the evening’s top award, “Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer,” and winners in more than 30 categories were recognized, including Ford for “Overall Loyalty to Make.”
”We are proud to recognize so many loyalty leaders in the automotive industry,” said IHS Markit automotive senior vice president Joe LaFeir in a news release. “Our Automotive Loyalty Awards program highlights the ongoing successes of automakers and brands that continue to win back customers in this hyper-competitive environment. We commend those that are working to improve their efforts in this area.”
Manufacturers and brands are recognized for superior customer retention and conquest efforts during the 2016 model year..
As far as overall loyalty numbers, IHS Markit reports that in 2016 loyalty rate increased 1.3 percentage points.
Of the 17.5 million new vehicle registrations during the 2016 model year, 52.8 percent of customers purchased a vehicle from the same make they already owned, according to IHS Markit.
The following is a complete list of the 2016 Model Year Automotive Loyalty Award winners:
Manufacturer and Make Loyalty Awards
Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer – GENERAL MOTORS
Overall Loyalty to Make – FORD
Most Improved Loyalty to Make – TESLA
Highest Conquest Percentage – JEEP
Most Improved Conquest Percentage – VOLVO
Most Improved Super Loyalists – CADILLAC
Ethnic Market Loyalty to Make – FORD
African-American Market Loyalty to Make – FORD
Asian Market Loyalty to Make – MERCEDES-BENZ
Hispanic Market Loyalty to Make – TOYOTA
Segment Model Loyalty Awards
Luxury Compact CUV – ACURA RDX
Luxury Full-Size SUV – MERCEDES-BENZ GLS
Luxury Mid-Size CUV – LINCOLN MKX
Luxury Mid-Size SUV – MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS
Luxury Sport Car – PORSCHE 911
Luxury Traditional Compact Car – LINCOLN MKZ
Luxury Traditional Full-Size Car – MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS
Luxury Traditional Mid-Size Car – LEXUS ES
Luxury Traditional Sub-Compact Car – ACURA ILX
Non-Luxury Compact CUV – NISSAN ROGUE
Non-Luxury Compact SUV – JEEP WRANGLER
Non-Luxury Full-Size Three-Quarter To One-Ton Pickup – FORD F-SERIES
Non-Luxury Full-Size Half-Ton Pickup – RAM 1500
Non-Luxury Full-Size SUV – GMC YUKON DENALI XL
Non-Luxury Mid-Size CUV – SUBARU OUTBACK
Non-Luxury Mid-Size Pickup – TOYOTA TACOMA
Non-Luxury Mid-Size SUV – JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE
Non-Luxury Mid-Size Van – CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY
Non-Luxury Sport Car – VOLKSWAGEN GTI
Non-Luxury Sport Mid-Size Car – DODGE CHALLENGER
Non-Luxury Traditional Compact Car – CHEVROLET VOLT
Non-Luxury Traditional Full-Size Car – NISSAN MAXIMA
Non-Luxury Traditional Mid-Size Car – HONDA ACCORD
