Cars.com Consumer Satisfaction Award
The Cars.com Consumer Satisfaction Award, previously known as the DealerRater Consumer Satisfaction Award, was first introduced in 2015, to recognize the top-performing dealerships on DealerRater. Through this award program, a percentage of DealerRater's top-ranked dealerships throughout the United States and Canada are awarded for outstanding customer satisfaction as evidenced through customer reviews submitted on Cars.com and DealerRater.com.
For all dealerships which meet the minimum criteria (listed below) for the award, a percentage of the top-performing dealers based on their PowerScore™ will receive a Consumer Satisfaction Award.
Every Year, Consumer Satisfaction Awards are awarded based on the previous calendar year. For example, the 2024 Consumer Satisfaction Awards are based on the 2023 calendar year.
Award Criteria
To qualify for a Consumer Satisfaction Award, a dealership must meet the following criteria:
Minimum of 25 reviews on Cars.com or DealerRater for the previous calendar year.
Minimum of 1 review in each calendar quarter of the previous calendar year.
An average rating greater than 4.0 (out of a maximum of 5.0) for reviews received during the previous calendar year.
Must not have been blacklisted during the previous calendar year.
Who Will Receive a Consumer Satisfaction Award?
For all dealers that meet the above criteria, a PowerScore™ will be calculated based on the dealer's performance on Cars.com and DealerRater over the previous calendar year. A percentage of the top-performing dealers, based on their PowerScore, will receive the award.
You can view the full list of winners below:
For a list of U.S. winners, click here.
For a list of Canadian winners, click here.
What is a PowerScore™?
A dealer’s PowerScore is based on its average star rating, the number of reviews they received within the relevant calendar year, and the response rate to those reviews. We use a Bayesian algorithm to determine an eligible dealer’s PowerScore for the year. The algorithm compares multiple statistics against a baseline average. Essentially, we compare each eligible dealer to the average of all the other eligible dealers to see where they stack up, and this gives us one number which we can use to rank the award finalists.
When are the Consumer Satisfaction Award winners announced and how will I be notified?
These awards are typically announced early in the year - in late January or early-to-mid February - in the award year. The 2025 awards (based on the 2024 calendar year) are scheduled to be announced on March 11, 2025. Winners will be notified by email. Additionally, at the time of the announcement, a badge will be added to the winning dealership’s profile page on Cars.com and DealerRater, and a banner will be added to the DealerRater Dealer Panel to congratulate the winning dealership. Once the winners are announced, you can view a complete list of winners by following the links below:
As an award winner, what will I receive?
The perks and marketing collateral that a dealer award winner receives will vary by award category. For a Consumer Satisfaction Award winner, here’s what you’ll receive:
A Consumer Satisfaction Award banner on your Dealer Profile page for the duration of the year.
High-resolution Consumer Satisfaction Award graphics are available in your Dealer Panel, to be used however you choose.
A press-release template to help announce your award.
Customizable social media post templates to help spread the word throughout your social channels
Window clings will be mailed to all Consumer Satisfaction Award winners, to be displayed at your dealership to promote your award. In most cases, window clings should arrive by early April.