Americans work hard for their money. So, when it comes time to spend it, they want to make the best choices possible. The customer is the expert when it comes to what they want, need, and can reasonably afford. Particularly when it comes to making large purchases, consumers need time and space to consider all their options.
Unfortunately, dealerships (and “car salesmen” more specifically) have a reputation for being pushy. Understandably, they want you to commit to buying so they can lock in that commission, and they may use a wide range of tactics to get there. But this pushy behavior can leave buyers feeling pressured and uncomfortable and may even lead to buyer’s remorse later down the road.
To find which car dealerships have the pushiest salespeople, car service company Tinting Chicago examined 40,000 low-star Google reviews for nearly 7,000 dealerships in 100 cities, publishing the results here: Study Reveals the Pushiest Car Dealerships in the U.S. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the study, listing the 19 car brands and independent dealerships assessed in order of the percentage of reviews that considered the brand’s dealerships pushy — from least pushy to most. We also added sales figures for 2023 from GoodCarBadCar.
While branded dealerships offer a one-stop shop for buyers looking to purchase a specific vehicle, and as such may have an advantage, independent dealerships are less pushy than 75% of brand dealerships, according to the study.
The pushiest branded dealerships in the U.S. are Fiat, Kia, and Chrysler. It is worth noting that while these brands have the highest percentage of reviews related to their dealerships’ pushiness, the percentage is still rather small. For example, for the pushiest brand dealerships, the pushiness frequency ranges from 0.530% to 0.470%.
Interestingly, no luxury car brands made the list. The study supposes “that the more money you’re expected to spend, the less hassle from the sales rep.”
Why Are We Covering This
The car industry saw much turmoil when the pandemic hit. Supply interruptions resulted in new car shortages and, therefore, higher prices. And though sales levels have recovered in 2023 and 2024, they are still shy of pre-pandemic levels. In this environment, some dealerships have aimed to enhance their customer experience, but others have not, and it seems some brand dealerships remain relatively pushy.
20. Volvo
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.294% (112 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.5 out of 5 (on 92,179 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 128,701 (+26.2% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Zhejiang Geely Holding Group
19. Acura
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.317% (161 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.5 out of 5 (on 229,800 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 145,655 (+42.4% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Honda Motor Company
18. Jeep
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.330% (42 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.3 out of 5 (on 69,098 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 641,166 (-6.3% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Stellantis
17. Buick
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.338% (307 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.4 out of 5 (on 473,429 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 166,852 (+61.3% from 2022)
- Brand owner: General Motors
16. Independent
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.379% (1,747 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.2 out of 5 (on 1,245,643 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: N/A
- Brand owner: N/A
15. Subaru
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.384% (242 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.5 out of 5 (on 363,601 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 632,083 (+13.6% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Subaru Corp.
14. Chevrolet
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.386% (642 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.3 out of 5 (on 1,108,347 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 1,702,700 (+12.5% from 2022)
- Brand owner: General Motors
13. Mitsubishi
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.399% (170 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.4 out of 5 (on 200,371 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 87,342 (+1.8% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
12. Ford
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.401% (464 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.3 out of 5 (on 901,656 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 1,904,038 (+7.7% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Ford Motor Co.
11. Volkswagen
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.403% (240 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.4 out of 5 (on 304,531 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 329,025 (+31.3% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Volkswagen AG.
10. Honda
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.406% (406 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.4 out of 5 (on 1,044,425 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 1,156,591 (+31.3% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Honda Motor Co.
9. Dodge
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.410% (71 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.3 out of 5 (on 76,521 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 199,453 (+4.2% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Stellantis
8. Toyota
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.411% (380 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.4 out of 5 (on 1,266,583 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 1,888,941 (+9.3% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Toyota Motor Corp.
7. Gmc
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.427% (111 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.3 out of 5 (on 125,736 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 563,692 (+8.9% from 2022)
- Brand owner: General Motors
6. Nissan
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.445% (436 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.4 out of 5 (on 844,419 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 834,091 (+22.2% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
5. Hyundai
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.446% (329 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.3 out of 5 (on 572,260 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 796,506 (+11.1% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Hyundai Motor Group
4. Mazda
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.452% (226 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.5 out of 5 (on 257,529 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 365,044 (+23.8% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Mazda Motor Corp.
3. Chrysler
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.470% (477 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.3 out of 5 (on 949,727 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 133,839 (+18.7% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Stellantis
2. Kia
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.488% (266 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.3 out of 5 (on 445,682 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 782,468 (+15.3% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Hyundai Motor Group
1. Fiat
- Pct. of dealerships reviewed as pushy: 0.530% (100 dealerships reviewed)
- Rating average: 4.2 out of 5 (on 92,530 reviews)
- Total sales in 2023: 602 (-34.5% from 2022)
- Brand owner: Stellantis
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