Cars.com Announces Its 2026 Dealer of the Year Awards
Largest Automotive Review Platform Delivers Guide to Car Shoppers Highlighting Top-Rated Dealers Across the U.S. and Canada
CHICAGO, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Car-shopping marketplace Cars.com® (NYSE: CARS) today announced the winners of its Dealer of the Year Awards (DOTY), an annual honor awarded to the top automotive dealers across the U.S. and Canada and an important signal to car shoppers about the dealerships providing a standout car-buying experience.
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 90% of early-stage car shoppers are undecided on which dealership to choose. Our review data clearly shows consumers value fast, quality communication when making that decision," said Jamie Oldershaw, vice president of customer experience at Cars.com.
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 90% of honorees actively respond to reviews, compared to just 52% of non-winning dealerships.³
This year's Cars.com Dealer of the Year Award winners include:
Regional Winners
National Brand Winners
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 U.S., powering the car buying experience with artificial intelligence ("AI") shopping tools and comprehensive vehicle reviews and content. Our interconnected ecosystem of products enables dealers and OEMs to sell more cars by efficiently leveraging our marketplace, dealer websites, trade and appraisal tools, and proprietary in-market media solutions.
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 90% of 2026 Dealer of the Year winners consistently responded to customer feedback, compared to just 52% of non-winning dealerships.³
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.
SOURCE Cars.com Inc.