MOTOR TREND Certified dealers close out first full program year with strong unit sales and profitability numbers

ATLANTA  – MOTOR TREND® and EasyCare® announced today that the 2010 Motor Trend Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) dealers delivered 10,010 Certified Pre-Owned vehicles in 2010. 

“This is a huge success for a program that is just completing its first full year since the national launch.  Created to complement OEM CPO programs, MOTOR TREND Certified focuses on OMM (Other Make and Model) vehicles on dealers’ lots. We’re thrilled that dealers have been able to simultaneously grow customer satisfaction scores and profitability on those vehicles,” said Ira Gabriel, Executive VP of Motor Trend and Source Interlink Media.  “For the car lovers at MOTOR TREND, it’s an amazing feeling to know that we have helped make the car-buying experience a more positive one for over 10,000 drivers this year through the MOTOR TREND Certified program.”

Larry Dorfman, Chairman and CEO of EasyCare, the company that administers the program and provides the warranty coverage and other benefits associated with MOTOR TREND Certification, added, “Having helped develop and launch two very successful OEM CPO programs, Volvo and Land Rover, launching the first OMM CPO program with this level of success is really exciting. It’s a challenge in any market to provide additional value that consumers understand and are happy to pay for.  Obviously, consumers recognize there is a clear benefit in knowing that the dealership and the pre-owned vehicle they are considering has been held to MOTOR TREND national standards. These customers are enjoying a significantly better buying and ownership experience and that’s what the program is all about.”

The program, which officially launched on September 9, 2009, is enjoying increased consumer interest as the brand has grown and has expanded its direct-to-consumer advertising through Motor Trend/Source Interlink channels and other online and offline automotive media.  Additionally, the strong relationship between the MOTOR TREND Certified program and NCM® Associates continues to deliver significant additional value to the dealerships aligned with the brand.  NCM is the official 20 Group Moderator for MOTOR TREND Certified and provides other value added training and analysis services for the dealers in the program.
 
Paul Faletti, President and CEO of NCM Associates, said, “Our in-depth support of MOTOR TREND Certified dealers includes a deep analysis of how the MOTOR TREND Certification is impacting overall dealership performance for participating dealers.  The evidence is convincing that there is tremendous value in the processes and coverage that MOTOR TREND certification brings to the vehicle.  This trusted third-party certification creates a very rare ‘win-win-win’ for consumers, dealers, and OEMs – the consumer has the added assurances and benefits of a Certified vehicle, the dealer benefits from the additional value the customer places in the vehicle, and OEMs benefit from the higher residuals on all pre-owned units sold through dealers, even those not sold through their own franchise dealerships.”

For more information on MOTOR TREND Certified, please visit www.motortrendcertified.com, or call the program hotline at 800-404-1938. 

About MOTOR TREND Certified (www.motortrendcertified.com)
Officially launched on September 9, 2009, MOTOR TREND Certified Advantage vehicles provide consumers with the assurance that the pre-owned vehicles they buy meet the strict standards of the MOTOR TREND program, as well as providing other enhanced benefits typically associated only with luxury vehicle purchases.

MOTOR TREND Certified Advantage participation is made available only to a select group of dealers across the country who have been thoroughly vetted and trained by EasyCare under MOTOR TREND’s national specifications, to deliver a noticeably better buying and ownership experience in accordance with the requirements of the program. These dealers agree to ongoing training and monitoring of the consumers’ experience to ensure the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any certified program available.  www.motortrendcertified.com.

About MOTOR TREND® and Source Interlink  (www.sorc.com)
MOTOR TREND magazine, a publication of Source Interlink Media, LLC, was founded in 1949 and has a circulation of 1.1 million and a total readership of 7.6 million. Internationally recognized as the leading brand in automotive publishing, MOTOR TREND comprises MOTOR TREND magazine, the award-winning web site http://www.motortrend.com; MOTOR TREND Radio; Truck Trend; a MOTOR TREND channel on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/motortrend), MOTOR TREND International Auto Show; internationally syndicated content; and the renowned MOTOR TREND Car, Sport/Utility and Truck of the Year Awards Program.

About EasyCare, an Automobile Protection Corporation – APCO Brand (www.easycare.com) 
Founded in 1984, Automobile Protection Corporation – APCO is the leading independent provider of automotive benefits specifically created to enhance a consumer’s vehicle buying and ownership experience in ways that create long-term bonds between the consumer and their dealership.  APCO’s benefits are provided under the EasyCare brand as well as on behalf of some of the most preeminent manufacturers in the automotive industry, including Jaguar, Land Rover, and Mazda. EasyCare benefits include vehicle service contracts, dent removal coverage, GAP insurance, key replacement coverage and personal concierge service.

EasyCare is the exclusive provider of the MOTOR TREND Certified Advantage program, “a better way to buy a better car,” that allows franchise dealers to provide a highly valued certification program for their Other Make and Model (OMM) pre-owned vehicles.

03/02/11