Lexus dealer network named the best in the UK for 2018

Lexus' dealer network has been named the best in the UK in the 2018 Auto Express Dealer Power survey.

The Japanese franchise scored 90.23%, just ahead of Honda at 89.43% and its parent company Toyota in third place at 88.83%.

Land Rover, Renault and Dacia found themselves in the bottom three as the Japanese brands dominated the top four, with Jeep making its way into the top five.

Alfa Romeo and Volvo were the only other premium brands that made it into the top 10.

Dealers were rated on space for parking, how clean and pleasant the waiting areas were, whether staff were courteous and explained work they needed to do for servicing clearly and if that work was done well and finished on time.

The survey also asked drivers for opinions on whether dealers had courtesy cars available and whether they felt they got value for money from the dealers' rates and fees for any work carried out.

Auto Express said: "What really impresses about this result from Lexus, aside from the fact it didn’t rank any lower than fourth place in any individual category, is that Lexus has maintained its position while rival manufacturers have moved up and down the rankings over the years.

"Courteous staff go the extra mile, with excellent communication, workmanship and unsurpassed service. Clearly this VIP treatment means owners are more than happy with the value for money they’re getting; Lexus placed above Toyota in that category and rose six positions when compared with last year."

Ewan Shepherd, director of Lexus in the UK, said: “This result is an excellent reward for our entire UK network and has only been achieved thanks to our retailers’ commitment to continually improving the service they offer.

"Customer preferences and requirements are changing all the time and we have a fast-growing model range, so to be the best our retailers are constantly having to review and adapt the way they work to ensure service continues to go beyond our customers’ expectations.”

Land Rover was placed at the bottom of the table, slipping 10 positions from last year. Auto Express said record sales across the Land Rover network has put particular pressure on aftersales departments to satisfy customer expectations.

Auto Express said: "Poor communication, a lack of courtesy, disappointing workmanship and late jobs are all issues that need to be addressed if Land Rover wants to retain customers, especially because owners feel they’re paying over the odds for this lacklustre service. At least there’s a greater chance than most of getting a courtesy vehicle while waiting for their cars to be fixed."

Land Rover's Auto Express result is in stark contrast to placing first for customer service in JD Power's recent Customer Service Index (CSI) study.

In JD Power's survey, Land Rover ranked the highest among premium brands for a second consecutive year, with a score of 824 from a 1,000 point scale, a 16-point improvement from 2017, and was followed by Volvo (808) and Mercedes-Benz (805).

Auto Express Driver Power best and worst dealer results 2018