As the dust settles on the first quarter of 2025, we’ve delved into the Google Review League results across UK franchise dealerships. These insights don’t just highlight who’s thriving, they reveal the strategic moves every dealership can take to improve customer sentiment and local SEO performance.
View the Q1 2025 Google Review League Results
The State of Google Ratings: A Competitive Landscape
Customer reviews remain a vital pulse check for any dealership, and Google ratings in particular are a defining metric of trust and service quality.
Here’s how the league breaks down:
Tier 1 (4.5+ stars): 43.1% of dealerships have achieved top-tier status
Tier 2 (4.0–4.5 stars): A majority 50.2% sit in this middle band
Tier 3 (Below 4.0 stars): 6.7% of dealerships risk losing customer confidence
These figures signal an urgent need for improvement among the bottom tier and a major opportunity for those pushing toward the 4.5+ star threshold.
Top 5 Manufacturer Brands by Average Google Rating
Shining a spotlight on brand-wide excellence, these five manufacturers lead the pack when it comes to delivering consistently outstanding customer satisfaction across their dealer networks:
Dacia – 4.78 stars
MG – 4.74 stars
Aston Martin – 4.74 stars
Lexus – 4.69 stars
Hyundai – 4.64 stars
These ratings reflect a culture of quality, service, and customer care embedded throughout their franchises. For retailers aligned with these brands, this strong digital reputation is a powerful commercial asset helping to attract new customers, build loyalty, and elevate the perception of the entire network.
Lowest-Rated Manufacturers by Average Google Rating
Some brands are facing more uphill battles than others when it comes to dealer reviews:
Manufacturer Average Rating
Jaguar 4.16 stars
Mercedes-Benz 4.23 stars
BMW 4.23 stars
Volkswagen 4.25 stars
While these numbers are still above 4.0, the pressure is on. With so many customers comparing options online, even a tenth of a star can sway a decision.
Brand Momentum: Who’s Gaining Ground?
While overall ratings paint a picture of consistency, it’s the year-on-year momentum that reveals the real winners. In Q1 2025, Volvo dealerships took the lead in raising their customer satisfaction scores, with an average increase of +0.015 stars across their network. Meanwhile, Smart Car dealers saw the biggest lift in customer engagement, clocking an average +54 new Google reviews per site. These gains highlight not just reputation management, but effective frontline experiences that are driving more customers to leave positive feedback.
Most Improved Dealership: Heritage Volkswagen – Salisbury
One dealership that truly turned things around is Heritage Volkswagen in Salisbury.
Previous Rating: 3.7 stars
New Rating: 4.1 stars
Improvement: +0.4 stars
A shift of this magnitude indicates serious investment in experience, service quality, or review collection strategy, likely all three. It’s proof that meaningful change is both achievable and measurable. With a current Google rating of 4.2 stars, (as of 25th May) it’s clear that Heritage Volkswagen are continuing to work hard on their reputation throughout Q2.
Biggest League Climber: Sandal Huddersfield MINI
From the bottom rungs to a mid-table surge, Sandal Huddersfield MINI made the most dramatic leap this quarter:
Old Position: 1969
New Position: 1037
Movement: +932 places
Whether driven by improved reputation management, staff training, or a targeted review campaign, this kind of progress is worth celebrating.
Top 5 Dealerships with 5-Star Ratings
A special round of applause goes to the following dealerships who not only received a perfect 5-star Google rating, but also did so with an exceptional volume of customer feedback, proving that high satisfaction and high engagement can go hand in hand.
1.Henry’s Suzuki Glasgow – 1,119 Google Reviews, 5-star rating
2. Porsche Centre Teeside – 944 Google Reviews, 5-star rating
3. Toomey Hyundai Basildon – 569 Google Reviews, 5-star rating
4. Startin Dacia Worcester – 447 Google Reviews, 5-star rating
5. Gravells Kia Hereford – 361 Google Reviews, 5-star rating
These dealerships are setting the gold standard. Their ability to consistently delight customers at scale is what every site operator should strive for—and what every brand partner should be proud to promote.
Review Volume Matters Too
Average Lifetime Reviews per Dealership: 471
Average New Reviews in Q4: 20
This shows the review ecosystem is both active and influential. Dealerships should consider integrating review generation into every key customer touchpoint, from test drives to service handovers.
What This Means for You
If you’re a dealer principal or marketing lead, now is the time to act. Here are three takeaways to consider:
1. Your Rating Is Your Reputation
Anything under 4.5 stars means there’s room to grow. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews. It’s a low-cost, high-impact strategy.
2. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Small Gains
A 0.4-star improvement (as seen in Salisbury) or a 900+ position climb (like Huddersfield MINI) can lead to huge reputational gains.
3. Monitor Manufacturer Trends
If your franchise is tied to one of the lower-performing brands, it’s even more crucial to stand out locally.
Final Word
As Q2 unfolds, the dealerships that succeed will be those treating Google Reviews not as vanity metrics, but as business-critical KPIs. Whether you’re chasing stars, climbing the league table, or simply aiming to protect your hard-earned reputation, this data is your roadmap.
Stay sharp, stay reviewed, and keep your dealership front of mind for UK car buyers.
Looking to improve your car dealership’s Google Rating?
Reputation management is more important than ever, and dealerships that actively engage with customer feedback and optimise their online presence will continue to thrive. To support this, we’re launching our brand-new, automotive-focused reputation platform, designed to help dealerships monitor, manage, and enhance their online reputation more efficiently than ever before.
Want to improve your rating? Get in touch with our team today!
