WHAT WOMEN LIKE
This article is from our archives and has not been updated and integrated with our "new" site yet... Even so, it's still awesome - so keep reading!
Published on Sun, Jul 25, 2010
By: The LACar Editorial Staff

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Top Auto Brands as Reviewed by Women A semi-annual 2010 report that tracks thousands of consumer reviews with regards to womenâs purchasing, browsing and service experience at car dealerships in the United States reveals Mercedes as the favorite brand among women. The report, commissioned by women-drivers.com, scores dealerships from 1.0 - 5.0 on the aforementioned factors. Dealers with Women Satisfaction Index, or WSIÂŽ scores between 3.80 â 5.0 are recognized and marketed as Certified Women-Drivers Friendlyâ˘. âWomen now account for over half of all car purchases. However, they influence and initiate almost 80 percent,â says Anne Fleming, President of Women-Drivers.com. âWhen shopping for a new vehicle, more than half of women buyers visit three or more dealershipsâone of the critical reasons the company captures âbrowsingâ experiences. Browsing is a key indicator of whether she will return to this dealership.â âCar manufacturers and dealerships that highly engage and support women during the purchase process are placing themselves in a strong position to convert more browsers to buyers, and, to get more referralsâall translating to increased sales,â says Fleming. âCredit the top performing brands; clearly these companies and dealerships are doing a great job with customer engagement.â WSIÂŽ scores in the report are placed into the four (4) categories: Overall, Purchasing, Browsing, and Service. The following are the Top 10 OVERALL* Brands with the average WSI Score being 4.05: 1. Mercedes: 4.68 2. Jeep: 4.41 3. Lexus: 4.37 4. BMW: 4.36 5. Chrysler: 4.35 6. Acura: 4.19 7. Honda: 4.18 8. Buick: 4.15 9. Dodge: 4.13 10. Nissan: 4.11 The next tier of Top 10 brands is: 1. Mazda: 4.03 2. Hyundai: 3.94 3. Chevrolet: 3.93 4. Subaru: 3.91 5. Ford: 3.86 6. Lincoln: 3.86 7. Toyota: 3.85 8. Volkswagen: 3.73 9. GMC: 3.70 10. KIA: 3.49 * Some brands are not represented in this report because they are no longer being marketed and sold in 2010 and beyond, or due to lack of statistically significant data. The Top 10 Brands for PURCHASING experiences at dealerships: Mercedes and Dodge dealers received the highest WSIÂŽ ranking among women buyers with a 4.83 score for Purchasing a vehicle. The average WSIÂŽ score for all brands in this category was 4.27. These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers who were very satisfied with the engagement and treatment by the sales person, their overall dealership experience, as well as the financing process. 1. Mercedes and Dodge: 4.83 2. Lexus: 4.78 3. Chrysler: 4.64 4. KIA: 4.62 5. Jeep: 4.45 6. Buick: 4.44 7. Toyota: 4.32 8. Mazda: 4.30 9. Nissan: 4.29 10. Chevrolet: 4.25 The Top 10 Brands for BROWSING experiences at dealerships: Mercedes dealers scored the highest, with a WSIÂŽ of 4.52 score among women customers who went into the dealership but did not purchase that day. The average WSI score for all brands in this category was 3.72. These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers who were very satisfied with the engagement and treatment by the sales person and their overall dealership experience. 1. Mercedes: 4.52 2. Mazda: 4.15 3. Nissan: 4.09 4. KIA: 4.07 5. Jeep: 4.03 6. Chevrolet: 3.92 7. Dodge: 3.91 8. Chrysler: 3.79 9. Acura and Ford: 3.75 10. Volkswagen: 3.73 The Top 10 Brands for SERVICE experiences at dealerships: Acura dealers scored the highest from women having their car serviced with a WSIÂŽ score of 4.80. The average WSIÂŽ score for all brands in this category was 3.91. These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers that had an easy time scheduling a service visit, received an estimate prior to work being completed, had alternative options provided, felt they were treated respectfully and paid an amount consistent with what was quoted. 1. Acura: 4.80 2. BMW and Mercedes: 4.57 3. Honda: 4.54 4. Chrysler: 4.47 5. Lexus: 4.29 6. Buick: 4.25 7. Subaru: 4.05 8. Nissan and Volkswagen: 3.88 9. Toyota: 3.76 10. Chevrolet and Ford: 3.58