Reputation’s 2026 Automotive Rankings Reveal Shift From Reputation Management to Reputation Intelligence

SAN RAMON, Calif. - Reputation, the global leader in reputation intelligence, today released its 2026 North American Automotive Rankings, highlighting how the industry's top-performing brands, dealer groups, and dealerships are moving beyond reputation management to operate reputation as a continuous, AI-driven intelligence system.

The 2026 rankings are based on Reputation Score, a benchmark metric that reflects how consumers experience, trust, and engage with automotive brands across discovery, evaluation, and purchase moments. While Reputation Score remains a critical industry KPI, it is increasingly understood as the output of a broader reputation intelligence system - one that unifies signals across reviews, listings, social posts, and customer feedback to provide clarity, foresight, and action at scale.

This year's rankings show a clear pattern: leaders are no longer managing reputation reactively. They are using reputation intelligence as infrastructure for decision-making, performance improvement, and competitive differentiation.

"In today's automotive market, reputation is no longer just perception - it's infrastructure that shapes how car shoppers discover, evaluate and choose where to spend their dollars." said Joe Burton, CEO of Reputation. "The brands and dealers leading our 2026 rankings are using reputation intelligence to unify shopper signals, anticipate issues before they escalate, and turn trust into revenue"

From Periodic Snapshot to Continuous Intelligence

Unlike traditional reputation management approaches that focus on monitoring reviews after the fact, reputation intelligence reflects a fundamental shift in how trust is built and sustained. AI-driven intelligence insights now continuously interpret how brands are understood across platforms, algorithms, and customer touchpoints, shaping visibility, credibility, and choice in real time.

The 2026 rankings reflect this evolution. Top performers consistently demonstrate the ability to:

• Unify public and private reputation signals into a single source of truth
• Use AI to understand why trust is rising or eroding - not just where
• Route insight into action across operations, marketing, and customer experience
• Prove improvement through sustained performance, not short-term tactics

Customer Perspective: Reputation Intelligence in Action

"Nothing is more important to Acura than the experience of our clients, therefore we are pleased that Reputation tools supported the efforts of Acura dealers to elevate the online experience for Acura clients. In just one year, our dealers helped Acura move from fifth to third place-aligning with the goal of the Acura Dealer Digital Program to deliver a more responsive, premium and distinctly Acura experience across every client interaction." Jennifer Symington, Assistant Vice President, Marketing, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Patrick O'Connor, Director of Customer Relations at Ken Ganley Automotive Group said, "We are very pleased with our partnership with Reputation. They have given us the tools for monitoring, diagnosing, and improving not just our online reputation but our customer experience. It helped us identify our challenges and enhance our strengths. As our dealer group grows, Reputation helps us maintain the highest standards in customer care."

US Non-Luxury Brands

1. Subaru
2. Nissan
3. Honda

US Luxury Brands

1. Lexus
2. BMW
3. Acura

Private Dealer Groups

1. Hendrick Automotive
2. Ken Ganley Automotive Group
3. McGovern Automotive Group

Public Dealer Groups

1. Penske
2. AutoNation
3. Group 1 Automotive

US Dealers

1. Hendrick Lexus Charleston
2. Hendrick Volvo Cars of Charleston
3. Hendrick Lexus Northlake

To see the full rankings list, visit the 2026 North American Automotive Industry Leader Awards.

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