Special Finance Lead Provider

Overall, dealers are happier with their special finance lead providers this year. The group average of 101.3 points is the highest it’s been since the 2006 awards. The increased average is likely a result of dealers closing more SF leads due to both higher-quality leads and an improving special finance market.

CarsDirect won the Diamond Award with a score of 109.9—the highest score achieved by a provider in this category since 2006. A returning champion, CarsDirect won a Gold Award in this category in 2009. “We are very proud of our day-to-day efforts to drive quality over quantity to dealers. This award affirms that we’re on the right path. It’s a great feeling to be recognized for something we have worked very hard to achieve,” said Ken Potter, vice president and general manager of automotive sales and industry relations at CarsDirect.

For a second consecutive year, Auto-Pro Network prevailed as an award winner in the special finance lead category. The company nabbed the Platinum Award this year and was last year’s Diamond Award winner. “To be recognized two years in a row is a real honor, especially with the quality of the competition,” said Steve Ridenour, CEO of Auto-Pro Network.

For three straight years, Autobytel (Car.com) has scored above average in the special finance lead category. This year the company achieved a Gold Award, a nice improvement on an impressive fifth-place finish in 2010. “We continue to focus our efforts on driving qualified consumer traffic to Car.com along with key partnerships with destination automotive sites,” said Mike Gargano, vice president and general manager of finance leads for Car.com. “In addition, our leads go through rigorous internal validation as well as being verified through RiskWise by LexisNexis.”

Dealerlink scored above average and placed fourth this year, marking the company’s fifth year to score above average in the special finance lead category.