Lexus and Hyundai remain the highest ranked auto brands based on consumer-written dealership reviews, according to a mid-year update of the 2015 DealerRater Consumer Rating Index (CRI) for Auto Manufacturers.
The DealerRater CRI is calculated by averaging consumer ratings of individual dealerships posted on the company’s website. The index is released annually in April at the New York International Auto Show, with a mid-year update for the following year’s index calculated in October.
The mid-year update of the 2015 CRI is based on nearly 352,000 verified reviews submitted from September 2013-2014 (up from 330,000 reviews used for the 2014 CRI), with ratings based on consumer feedback across all levels of the buying experience, including customer service, quality of work, friendliness, price, and overall experience.
OEMs within the “Luxury” and “Mass Market” categories are ranked separately in the CRI. In the “Luxury” category, Lexus is currently the highest ranked OEM with a score of 4.808 (up from 4.741 in April 2014), followed by Mercedes-Benz (4.770), Audi (4.769), Porsche (4.760) and Acura (4.750). Among “Mass Market” brands, Hyundai continues to be the top ranked OEM with a score of 4.762 (up from 4.712 in April 2014), followed by Honda (4.744), Subaru (4.743), Kia (4.727) and Ford (4.726).
For consideration in the mid-year update, “Mass Market” OEMs must have received 1,000 reviews and “Luxury” OEMs must have received 500 reviews during the time period of September 2013-2014. Based on a five-point scale, the rankings are determined by numerical averages of all reviews attributed to a specific OEM.
