WHAT WOMEN LIKE

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 women’s 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 WSI® scores between 3.80 – 5.0 are recognized and marketed as Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™. “Women now account for over half of all car purchases. However, they influence and initiate almost 80 percent,” says Anne Fleming, President of Women-Drivers.com. “When shopping for a new vehicle, more than half of women buyers visit three or more dealerships—one of the critical reasons the company captures ‘browsing’ experiences. Browsing is a key indicator of whether she will return to this dealership.” “Car 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 referrals—all translating to increased sales,” says Fleming. “Credit the top performing brands; clearly these companies and dealerships are doing a great job with customer engagement.” WSI® 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 WSI® ranking among women buyers with a 4.83 score for Purchasing a vehicle. The average WSI® 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 WSI® 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 WSI® score of 4.80. The average WSI® 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