Cars.com Announces Its 2026 Dealer of the Year Awards
Rhea-AI Summary
Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) announced its 2026 Dealer of the Year Awards on March 18, 2026, naming top dealers across the U.S. and Canada.
The awards used Cars.com's review data — about 16 million total reviews and 1.3 million in 2025 — plus average star rating, review count and dealer response rate to select winners.
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News Market Reaction – CARS
In the Mar 18 session, CARS declined 0.75%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26 | Q4/FY 2025 earnings | Positive | -15.5% | Reported record 2025 revenue and solid profitability metrics. |
| Feb 12 | Earnings date notice | Neutral | +1.1% | Announced timing and webcast details for Q4/FY 2025 results. |
| Feb 05 | Vehicle awards news | Positive | -1.1% | Named 2026 Nissan Leaf Best Car and highlighted award winners. |
| Feb 04 | Dealer CRM collaboration | Positive | -1.1% | Unveiled DealerCloud CRM with Salesforce and DGDG showing strong lift. |
| Feb 02 | Product launch news | Positive | +0.3% | Launched AccuTrade IMS for appraisals and inventory management. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent positive product and partnership news often saw negative price reactions, while one product launch drew a modest gain, suggesting inconsistent responses to favorable announcements.
Over the last few months, CARS reported Q4 2025 revenue of $183.9M and record full‑year revenue of $723.2M, yet shares fell 15.46% after earnings. Earlier, the company announced its Best of 2026 vehicle awards and launched dealer-focused solutions like DealerCloud and AccuTrade IMS, with mixed single‑day moves ranging from about -1.08% to 0.35%. This Dealer of the Year awards release continues the theme of leveraging review data and software tools to strengthen dealer relationships and shopper engagement.
Key Terms
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AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Largest Automotive Review Platform Delivers Guide to Car Shoppers Highlighting Top-Rated Dealers Across the
View the full list of Cars.com Dealer of the Year Award Winners.
Cars.com hosts approximately 16 million consumer reviews¹ — and nearly 1.3 million² were submitted in 2025 alone to decide this year's Dealer of the Year winners. Award winners were chosen according to key drivers of repeat and referral business, including average star rating, total number of reviews and dealer response to those reviews.
"Buying a car is a big decision, and reviews offer the social proof consumers rely on to ensure they will have a great experience with a dealership. More than
The Dealer of the Year awards recognize dealerships that excel at listening and responding to consumer feedback for continuous improvement — and winners demonstrate high responsiveness to customer reviews: Nearly
This year's Cars.com Dealer of the Year Award winners include:
Regional Winners
- Mid-Atlantic: Mercedes-Benz of
Edison - A Ray Catena Dealership,Edison, NJ - Midwest: Phillips Chevrolet,
Frankfort, IL - New England: White River Toyota,
White River Junction, VT - Plains: Reliable Lexus,
Springfield, MO - Rocky Mountain: Courtesy Acura,
Littleton, CO - Southeast: Honda of
Concord ,Concord, NC - Southwest: D&M Leasing -
Fort Worth ,Fort Worth, TX - West: Lexus of
Pleasanton ,Pleasanton, CA
National Brand Winners
- Acura: Hendrick Acura,
Charlotte, NC - Alfa Romeo: Alfa Romeo Fiat of
Strongsville ,Strongsville, OH - Aston Martin: Park Place LTD,
Bellevue, WA - Audi: Audi Springfield,
Springfield, MO Bentley :Avondale Premier Collection,Dallas, TX - BMW: BMW of
Springfield ,Springfield, MO Buick : Woody Buick GMC ofGurnee ,Gurnee, IL - Cadillac: Trent Cadillac Buick GMC,
New Bern, NC - Chevrolet: Phillips Chevrolet,
Frankfort, IL - Chrysler: ODaniel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram,
Fort Wayne, IN - Dodge: ODaniel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram,
Fort Wayne, IN - Ferrari: Ferrari Maserati Alfa Romeo of
Fort Lauderdale ,Fort Lauderdale, FL - Fiat: Glenbrook Dodge Chrysler Jeep Fiat,
Fort Wayne, IN - Ford: Seelye Ford of
Kalamazoo ,Kalamazoo, MI - Genesis: Allen Turner Hyundai,
Pensacola, FL - GMC: Woody Buick GMC of
Gurnee ,Gurnee, IL - Honda: Honda of
Concord ,Concord, NC - Hyundai: Allen Turner Hyundai,
Pensacola, FL - Ineos: Crown Ineos Grenadier,
Pensacola, FL - Infiniti: Coulter Infiniti,
Mesa, AZ - Jaguar: Jaguar Land Rover St. Petersburg,
St. Petersburg, FL - Jeep: ODaniel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram,
Fort Wayne, IN - Kia: Seelye Kia of
Kalamazoo ,Kalamazoo, MI - Lamborghini: Lamborghini Dallas,
Dallas, TX - Land Rover: Land Rover Princeton,
Princeton, NJ - Leasing Company: D&M Leasing -
Fort Worth ,Fort Worth, TX - Lexus: Reliable Lexus,
Springfield, MO Lincoln : Bozard Ford Lincoln,St. Augustine, FL - Lotus: Park Place LTD,
Bellevue, WA - Maserati: Foreign Cars Italia,
Greensboro, NC - Mazda: Sport Mazda,
Orlando, FL - McLaren:
Avondale Premier Collection,Dallas, TX - Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz of
Edison - A Ray Catena Dealership,Edison, NJ - Mini: Mini of
Charleston ,Charleston, SC - Mitsubishi: RC Hill Mitsubishi-Ocala,
Ocala, FL - Nissan: Mike Rezi Nissan,
Atlanta, GA - Polaris: California Custom Trailers & Powersports,
Elk Grove, CA - Porsche: Champion Porsche,
Pompano Beach, FL - Ram: ODaniel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram,
Fort Wayne, IN - Rolls Royce: Braman Rolls-Royce West Palm Beach,
West Palm Beach, FL - Subaru: Subaru of
Jacksonville ,Jacksonville, FL - Toyota: Reliable Toyota,
Springfield, MO - Used-Car Dealer: Dallas Lease Returns,
Dallas, TX - Volkswagen: City Volkswagen of
Evanston ,Evanston , IL - Volvo: Hendrick Volvo Cars of
Charleston ,Charleston, SC
Platform for Progress: Dealer Reviews Fuel Improvements to the Car-Buying Journey
Cars.com has the automotive industry's largest dealership review platform, which provides data-driven insights that empower both shoppers and dealerships before, during and after the car-buying journey. Cars.com offers tools to dealers such as Smart Response, an AI-assisted tool that decreases response time, increases quality and improves SEO/AEO performance. The result is stronger communication with existing customers and more visibility and insight for consumers who are starting the car-buying journey. Dealers can also access their personalized Experience Report to stay competitive and better serve consumers.
Cars.com Dealer of the Year Award Methodology
The Cars.com Dealer of the Year Awards are presented annually to the top automotive dealers with 25 or more reviews based on the dealership's average star rating and the total number of reviews written about the dealership during the 2025 calendar year, as well as management response rate to those reviews.
¹ Internal Cars.com data, total reviews on the platform, February 2026
²Internal Cars.com data, total reviews captured Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2025
³Internal Cars.com data, responsiveness to reviews, February 2026
ABOUT CARS.COM®
Cars.com Inc. (NYSE:CARS) is a trusted audience-powered and data-driven technology platform that simplifies buying and selling cars. The flagship Cars.com marketplace connects millions of consumers to dealerships across the
Frequently Asked Questions: 2026 Cars.com Dealer of the Year Awards
How are Cars.com Dealer of the Year winners selected?
All awards are determined using consumer reviews submitted to Cars.com and DealerRater in 2025. Dealers must receive at least 25 verified consumer reviews in the 2025 calendar year to qualify. Eligible dealerships were evaluated based on three factors: average star rating, total review volume and management response rate to reviews.
How many consumer reviews were considered for the 2026 awards?
Nearly 1.3 million² reviews submitted to Cars.com in 2025 were evaluated to determine this year's Dealer of the Year award winners. Cars.com hosts nearly 16 million total dealership reviews — the most in the industry.²
What is the difference between regional and national winners?
Regional winners represent the highest-rated dealerships within a geographic region. National Brand winners represent the top-rated dealership for each automotive brand.
Why does review responsiveness matter for dealerships?
Active review engagement signals strong customer service, transparency, accountability and a commitment to continuous improvement. Nearly
What tools does Cars.com offer to help dealers manage reviews?
Cars.com provides dealerships with data-driven tools that simplify reputation management. Smart Response is an AI-assisted tool that helps dealers craft timely, professional review replies, improving response quality and speed. Dealers also have access to a personalized Experience Report, which provides insights into buyer sentiment and operational performance.
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SOURCE Cars.com Inc.