Which car brands provide the best after-sales service based on consumers’ willingness to recommend franchised dealerships to others? Cars.co.za’s OwnershipSatisfaction Survey holds the answers. Tell us about your car and you too will have a say in which brands and vehicles will emerge victorious in the next iteration of #CarsAwards…

Do you own a vehicle that is less than 5 years old and serviced by a franchised dealer? Participate in our survey

For the past 4 years, Cars.co.za and Lightstone Consumerhave conducted an in-depth Ownership Satisfaction Survey to gather real consumer input on local buying, servicing and ownership experiences. Since 2015, thousands of verified surveys have been completed by South African vehicle owners, resulting in one of the most comprehensive and significant databases of its type. What’s more, the survey’s findings have made critical impacts on the outcomes of all 4 iterations of the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank (#CarsAwards).

Toyota narrowly defeated Suzuki to win the 2018/19 #CarsAwards Brand of the Year title… which brand will triumph in 2020?

After-sales service ranked (by brand)

Among other questions, the survey asks owners to indicate the likelihood that they’d recommend the dealership where they serviced, repaired or maintained their vehicles (at a franchised outlet), to a friend or family member. According to our most recent data, based on their after-sales experiences, owners of the following brands were most likely to recommend their brands’ dealerships to other consumers (in descending order, note thatonly manufacturers/importerswith more than 150 respondents were taken in account):

SuzukiToyotaMazdaMercedes-BenzVolvo

When we mined the data from the Cars.co.za Ownership Satisfaction Survey at a similar stage last year, Mercedes-Benz was ranked first, followed by Suzuki and Honda.

The fact that Suzuki and Toyota have moved into the top 2 spots is quite telling… In the 2018/19 #CarsAwards,Toyota narrowly superseded Suzuki as the awardprogramme’s Brand of the Year. The prestigious title is determined entirely by market and customer data, the latter from the survey (brands’ sales and after-sales service ratings are particularly impactful). Toyota also won the title in the inaugural 2015/16 #CarsAwards, while Suzuki triumphed in 2016/17 and 2017/18, which means the Brand of the Year title has been dominated by those 2 Japanese companies.

Cars.co.za editorial and guest judges test #CarsAwards finalists back to back, but the public has an equally-big say.

50% impact on #CarsAwards category winners

#CarsAwards ­– conceived to be South Africa’s definitive automotive awards programme – has grown in stature, reach and influence since the inaugural event in 2016. Supported by WesBank, South Africa’s largest vehicle finance provider,the programme recognises the best model derivatives in respective segments of the new vehicle market and the multifaceted judging process for 2019/20 #CarsAwards will beginshortly…

There are several reasons why the #CarsAwards is of greater significance than most other automotive awards programmes. For one, the winners aren’t chosen exclusively by motoring journalists, who report on (and review) the latest new vehicles in the market.

VW's performance in the survey helped the Polo 1.0TSI Comfortline Auto win its category in the 2018/19 #CarsAwards.

Members of Cars.co.za’s editorial team choose the finalists and a combined judging panel (including guest judges from various backgrounds and fields of expertise) compile the finalists’ individual scores after they’ve evaluated the vehicles back-to-back during a thorough two-day test at the Gerotek facility. However, the judges’ findings only make up 50% of the finalist vehicles’ final scores, the rest is based on the findings of the survey.

“When it comes to what it's like to live with a vehicle, you simply have to enter into a conversation with the people that live with those cars every day… the owners," explains Cars.co.za Consumer Experience Manager, Hannes Oosthuizen."With 50% of a vehicle’s final score determined by a brand’s performance in the survey, a car only really stands a good chance of winning if its brand’s dealer network delivers solid after-sales service."

Will Suzuki break its tie for #CarsAwards Brand of the Year wins with Toyota and win the pinnacle trophy for the3rd time?

It’s time to have your say!

To reiterate, ongoing public participation in theCars.co.za OwnershipSatisfaction Surveyenables Cars.co.za to deliver the most relevant and accurate data-driven insights to consumers PLUSthe survey represents a golden opportunity for owners to have a say in the outcome of the #CarsAwards (the findings of the survey have a 50% bearing on which vehicles are named category winnersof theCars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBankas well as a100% bearing on which manufacturer/importer wins the prestigious Brand of the Year award).

To participate in the survey(even if you have before, you’re can do so again provided you've either bought a new car, or had a service experience)click below:

Do you own a vehicle that is less than 5 years old and serviced by a franchised dealer? Participate in our survey

Related content:

Winners: 2018/19 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards – powered by WesBank [w/Video]

Volkswagen SA rake it in at 2019 #CarsAwards

2018/19 #CarsAwards Testing Days a Resounding Success

Suzuki's Brand of the Year milestone