CHICAGO, Jan. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com has received the "Highest Rated" Used Car Advertising Award in the eighth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards. The awards, presented at a special event on January 27(th) in conjunction with the 2017 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo, are based on DrivingSales Vendor Ratings, which comprise 35,000 validated user reviews.

"We're honored to be recognized for our solutions in helping dealers connect with used-car shoppers," said Alex Vetter, president and chief executive officer of Cars.com. "As dealers experience a slow down in new-car sales, it is even more critical to efficiently and effectively promote their used-car inventory and get in front of the right audience. Cars.com is proud to deliver the best consumer experience regardless of device, which attracts today's high-quality shoppers, and superior solutions for local retailers to reach these ready-to-transact buyers."

According to the company's Consumer Metrics Study from December 2016, eight out of 10 Cars.com shoppers plan to purchase or lease a vehicle in the next six months, with 65 percent of those shoppers planning to purchase a used car, 32 percent CPO and 19 percent new. Approximately 38 percent of shoppers consider more than one of these options and are open to influence.

To reach these used-car buyers, Cars.com offers its customers a variety of innovative marketing solutions enabling dealers to merchandise their listings, connect directly with shoppers through several touchpoints, and leverage display to prominently position their dealership.

"I am pleased to present Cars.com with the 'Highest Rated' Used Car Advertising Award for consistently contributing the highest level of value to its dealership customers throughout 2016," said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. "DrivingSales Vendor Ratings help dealers make important vendor decisions by providing peer reviews on the solutions that were most successful in their dealerships and Cars.com was at the top of the list in its category. Congratulations to Cars.com for being recognized as one of the best-of-the-best by the dealer community."

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January - December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings. DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry's only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons. The site provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products / solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2017 issue of DrivingSales Buyers Guide which, in addition to being distributed at the 2017 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to more than 2,000 of the top used car dealers in the U.S. The DrivingSales Buyers Guide represents over 1,000 automotive solutions and over 35,000 dealer reviews of those products from DrivingSales Vendor Ratings, identifying the solutions that have risen to the top.

ABOUT CARS.COM
Cars.com is a leading online destination that helps car shoppers and owners navigate every turn of car ownership. A pioneer in automotive classifieds, the company has evolved into one of the largest digital automotive platforms, connecting consumers with local dealers across the country anytime, anywhere. Through trusted expert content, on-the-lot mobile app features, millions of new and used vehicle listings, a comprehensive set of research tools and the largest database of consumer reviews in the industry, Cars.com helps shoppers buy, sell and service their vehicles.

Cars.com properties include DealerRater, Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com(TM) and NewCars.com®. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Chicago. It is owned by TEGNA Inc (NYSE: TGNA).

About DrivingSales
DrivingSales serves automotive retailers with an integrated suite of technology, knowledge, community and performance insight designed to advance the success of retail professionals and their dealerships. Founded by a third-generation car dealer in 2008, today DrivingSales is utilized by two-thirds of franchised dealerships in North America as a resource to improve their business performance. To learn more about the DrivingSales community, news, dealer education or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com.

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SOURCE Cars.com