FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- America's largest automotive retailer, today announced its thirty-sixth store to be certified in the J.D. Power 2019 Dealer of Excellence Program,^SM , Mercedes-Benz of Naperville, located in Naperville, IL. This achievement demonstrates AutoNation's continued commitment to exceeding customer expectations. This also marks two consecutive years of recognition for Mercedes-Benz of Naperville as a certified J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence.

"This certification sets us apart, especially coming from such an authority as J.D. Power," said Eric Hoffman, General Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Naperville. "In one way or another, everyone in this dealership contributes to making our customers happy, and every member of our team shares in this achievement."

Known for its "Voice of the Customer" research for 50 years, J.D. Power and, subsequently, its Dealer of Excellence Program help consumers identify leading retailers that will go the extra mile.

According to J.D. Power, buying a vehicle is a significant financial transaction and can be stressful because there's so much information to digest. The Dealer of Excellence Program assists auto buyers who are looking for an exceptional dealership where they can confidently buy a vehicle. Certified dealers also benefit by leveraging the J.D. Power brand and promoting their dealership's commitment to an outstanding customer purchase experience.

Dealer of Excellence is an exclusive program and not all dealerships can qualify. Those that do must pass a three-step process:

As the first qualification criterion, J.D. Power limits the percentage of eligible dealerships by nameplate based on each brand's performance in the most recent J.D. Power U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study.^SM Thus, proportionally more dealerships from top-performing brands can become a J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence.

Second, dealerships must rank among their brand's top performers in key customer satisfaction areas consistent with measurements found in the SSI Study.

Finally, qualifying dealers must pass an audit to show they meet or exceed J.D. Power sales best practices. Those best practices include, but are not limited to, listing vehicle inventory and pricing on the dealership website; negotiating in an efficient and transparent manner; offering a fair trade-in value; and presenting a clear and easy-to-understand menu of finance and insurance products.

About AutoNation, Inc.
AutoNation, America's largest automotive retailer, is transforming the automotive industry through its bold leadership, innovation, and comprehensive brand extensions. As of June 30, 2019, AutoNation owned and operated over 325 locations from coast to coast. AutoNation has sold over 12 million vehicles, the first automotive retailer to reach this milestone. AutoNation's success is driven by a commitment to delivering a peerless experience through customer-focused sales and service processes. Launched in 2015, AutoNation's Drive Pink initiative, which has raised over $20 million, is committed to drive out cancer, create awareness, and support critical research. AutoNation continues to be a proud supporter of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and other cancer-related charities.

Please visit www.autonation.com, investors.autonation.com, www.twitter.com/CEOCherylmiller, and www.twitter.com/AutoNation, where AutoNation discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations. Please also visit www.autonationdrive.com, AutoNation's automotive blog, for information regarding the AutoNation community, the automotive industry, and current automotive news and trends.

Disclaimer: J.D. Power 2019 Dealer of Excellence Program recognition is based on achievement of high scores from automotive manufacturer customer research and completion of an in-dealership best practices verification visit. For more information, visit jdpower.com/DOE.

SOURCE AutoNation, Inc.

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