TORRANCE, Calif. — The publishers of Auto Dealer Today have announced the winners of the 14th annual Dealers’ Choice Awards. The awards are based on a survey open to dealers and dealership personnel throughout the month of May. This year’s program includes a total of 100 first-place Diamond, second-place Platinum, and third-place Gold awards for 70 winners.

Each voter was tasked with entering a write-in vote in at least five of 34 categories and scoring their vendors, suppliers, and finance sources on quality, value, customer service, and whether they would recommend the company to another dealer.

Representatives of the winning companies will be invited to take part in a special awards ceremony at Industry Summit, which will be held Oct. 8–10, 2018, at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Fla.

“We can’t thank the readers of Auto Dealer Today and F&I and Showroom enough for taking the time to cast their votes and rate their providers,” said the magazines’ publisher, David Gesualdo. “Congratulations to our winners, and we look forward to recognizing your efforts at Industry Summit.”

The winners of the 2018 Dealers’ Choice Awards are:

New-Vehicle Leads

  • Diamond: Dealer.com
  • Platinum: Autotrader
  • Gold: Cars.com
Used-Vehicle Leads
  • Diamond: Cars.com
  • Platinum: CarsDirect
  • Gold: Autotrader
Special Finance Leads
  • Diamond: CarsDirect
  • Platinum: Auto Credit Express
Digital Marketing
  • Diamond: Dealer.com
  • Platinum: eBizAutos
  • Gold: ELEAD1ONE
Digital Sales and F&I (NEW)
  • Diamond: Darwin Automotive
  • Platinum: Axiom
  • Gold: AutoFi
Website
  • Diamond: Dealer.com
  • Platinum: eBizAutos
  • Gold: Dealer eProcess
Mobile Media
  • Diamond: eBizAutos
  • Platinum: Dealer.com
  • Gold: Automotive Mobile Solutions
Social Media Management
  • Diamond: Naked Lime
  • Platinum: Ally
  • Gold: Cartifex
Reputation Management
  • Diamond: CDK Global
  • Platinum: AutoPoint
  • Gold: Dominion Dealer Solutions
Direct Mail
  • Diamond: ProMax
  • Platinum: Strategic Marketing
  • Gold: Action Integrated Marketing
Virtual BDC
  • Diamond: ELEAD1ONE
  • Platinum: AllCall Multi-Channel BDC
  • Gold: Dealer’s Greatest Assets
Inventory Management
  • Diamond: vAuto
  • Platinum: DealerSocket
  • Gold: MAXDigital
Hiring and Recruitment
  • Diamond: AutoCareersOnline
  • Platinum: GSFSGroup
  • Gold: Hireology
Sales Training
  • Diamond: American Financial & Automotive Services
  • Platinum: Joe Verde Group
  • Gold: Ziegler SuperSystems
F&I Training
  • Diamond: United Development Systems (UDS)
  • Platinum: American Financial & Automotive Services
  • Gold: Reahard & Associates
F&I Product Training (NEW)
  • Diamond: American Financial & Automotive Services
  • Platinum: National Automotive Experts (NAE)
  • Gold: RoadVantage
Special Finance Training
  • Diamond: DealerStrong
  • Platinum: American Financial & Automotive Services
  • Gold: NCM Associates
Compliance Training
  • Diamond: American Financial & Automotive Services
  • Platinum: United Development Systems (UDS)
  • Gold: Mosaic Compliance Services
Service Training
  • Diamond: DealerPro Service Solutions
  • Platinum: American Financial & Automotive Services
  • Gold: CDK Global
F&I Products
  • Diamond: RoadVantage
  • Platinum: National Auto Care (NAC)
  • Gold: ECP
Service Contract
  • Diamond: CNA National
  • Platinum: AUL
  • Gold: Protective Asset Protection
Service Contract Reinsurance 
  • Diamond: Portfolio
  • Platinum: CNA National
  • Gold: SouthwestRe
F&I Desking Software
  • Diamond: ProMax
  • Platinum: Reynolds and Reynolds
  • Gold: CDK Global
F&I Technology
  • Diamond: StoneEagle
  • Platinum: MaximTrak
  • Gold: F&I Express
CRM
  • Diamond: Reynolds and Reynolds
  • Platinum: ProMax
  • Gold: ELEAD1ONE
DMS
  • Diamond: Reynolds and Reynolds
  • Platinum: CDK Global
  • Gold: Dealertrack
Data Mining
  • Diamond: ELEAD1ONE
  • Platinum: DealerSocket
  • Gold: Dominion Dealer Services
Online Auction
  • Diamond: Ally SmartAuction
  • Platinum: Manheim
  • Gold: eBay Motors
Traditional Auction
  • Diamond: Manheim
  • Platinum: ADESA
  • Gold: America’s Auto Auction
Prime Captive Finance Company
  • Diamond: GM Financial
  • Platinum: American Honda Finance
  • Gold: Ford Motor Credit
Prime Non-Captive Finance Company
  • Diamond: Ally
  • Platinum: Chase
  • Gold: U.S. Bank
Subprime Finance Company
  • Diamond: Capital One
  • Platinum: Wells Fargo
  • Gold: Regional Acceptance
Biweekly Payments
  • Diamond: US Equity Advantage
  • Platinum: SMART Payment Plan
F&I Financing (NEW)
  • Diamond: PayLink
  • Platinum: Line5
  • Gold: Universal Lenders

This year’s program saw the addition of three new categories — Digital Sales & F&I, F&I Product Training, and F&I Financing — and the deletion of the Chat, Internet Training, and Online Inventory Listing Management categories.

Detailed coverage of this year’s Dealers’ Choice Awards will appear in a Special Awards Section in the Q4 issue of Auto Dealer Today.

About the author
Kate Spatafora

Kate Spatafora

Managing Editor

Kate Spatafora is the Associate Publisher for MG Business Media.

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