Welcome to the REV. A briefing that goes deep into the Widewail Automotive Reputation Index data, surfacing the most interesting insights. Every 3 weeks, we Rank, Explore & Visualize automotive reputation & sentiment data.
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RANK
Infiniti Starting the Year Strong
INFINITI has set the bar in 2024 with the most Google review volume growth year-over-year, growing 60%.
|
Rank |
Brand |
2024 Monthly Volume |
YoY |
Negativity |
Neg YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
INFINITI |
12 |
60% |
10% |
-13.91% |
|
2 |
SUBARU |
16.4 |
38.56% |
7.45% |
-9.72% |
|
3 |
HONDA |
24.1 |
33.60% |
8.58% |
-12.60% |
|
4 |
MAZDA |
11 |
33.60% |
8.82% |
-10.31% |
During that same period, INFINITI reduced its negativity by 13.9%, ranking #4 of all OEMs.
|
Rank |
Brand |
2024 Monthly Volume |
YoY |
Negativity |
Neg YoY |
|
1 |
PORSCHE |
6.3 |
28.31% |
6.25% |
-22.87% |
|
2 |
JAGUAR |
2 |
33.30% |
9.38% |
-21.62% |
|
3 |
LAND ROVER |
7.7 |
31.31% |
10% |
-14.29% |
|
4 |
INFINITI |
12 |
60% |
10% |
-13.91% |
Of the 26 OEMs I looked at, 25 grew their review volume YoY. The only OEM to see a reduction in review activity in 2024 vs. 2023 was MINI, with a monthly review volume drop of 11.95%.
|
Rank |
Brand |
2024 monthly volume |
YoY |
Negativity |
Neg YoY |
|
1 |
MINI |
3.8 |
-11.95% |
9.09% |
-3.80% |
I found all of these data points within the Widewail Automotive Reputation Index.
Here’s how to access the same data:
EXPLORE
Impact of Working Conditions on Google Ratings
Last week, Automotive News held its annual Best Dealerships to Work For awards event. The Widewail team was there to celebrate with some of the most successful dealerships in the industry.
“The program, now in its 13th year, recognizes new-car dealerships that create exceptional employee work environments, despite industry and economic challenges.” writes Automotive News.
There were 150 dealerships invited to the event, with Audi Tysons Corner (a Penske dealer out of Virginia) taking the top spot.
I pulled the reputation data for the award winners.
Ratings Outperform Industry
When looking at Google ratings, it is clear that an engaged and well-supported staff produces above-average customer experiences.
Of the winners, the median rating in 2024 was 4.68 stars which was higher than the industry benchmark of 4.59.
66% of winning dealers are rated above 4.59, and 90% are rated above 4.0.
Volume Not Mapping to Employee Experience
On the contrary, an engaged and well-supported staff has little to do with exceptional review volume performance. The winning cohort of dealers is quite average, with a median monthly Google review volume of 12.2. This is just above the 2024 industry benchmark of 11.5.
VISUALIZE
Among AutoNews Winners, Three are Review Volume Standouts
Here are the stats for the three dealers that have both award-winning working environments and exceptionally high monthly Google review volume averages:
Envision Toyota of Milpitas, Milpitas, CA
Rank: 15
Review volume average: 149
Atlanta Toyota, Duluth, GA
Rank: 109
Review volume average: 229
Wesley Chapel Toyota, Wesley Chapel, FL
Rank: 143
Review volume average: 297
Surprise! All three are Toyota. Never would have guessed that.
Congrats to the AutoNews award winners!
The Widewail team (Mark below) enjoyed sharing in your success in Nashville.
See you next month - Jake, Marketing at Widewail