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.