Best Car Dealerships in Des Moines, Ranked by CarEdge Data

This is the CarEdge Dealer Transparency Index ranking for car dealerships in the Des Moines metro — every brand, scored on verified out-the-door quotes, not Google star ratings.

We graded 10 dealerships across the Des Moines area; below are the 10 most transparent by score.

Last updated November 3, 2026. CarEdge refreshes these rankings daily as new verified out-the-door quotes come in.

What is the best car dealership in Des Moines?

The best car dealership in Des Moines by verified out-the-door price data is Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat (Chrysler, Urbandale, IA): A grade, 100/100 across 5 verified quotes, with no dealer add-ons in any verified quote.

Close behind:

2. Stivers Ford Of Waukee (Ford, Waukee), A grade, 100/100 across 4 verified quotes, with no dealer add-ons in any verified quote.
3. Granger Ford (Ford, Granger), A grade, 98/100 across 5 verified quotes, with no dealer add-ons in any verified quote.

Best for:

• Lowest doc fee: Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat (Chrysler, Urbandale), $180.
• No dealer add-ons: Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat (Chrysler, Urbandale), none in any of its 5 verified quotes.
• Selling price under the listing: Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat (Chrysler, Urbandale), quotes average 10.5% below the advertised price.
• Most verified quotes: Stew Hansen Hyundai (Hyundai, Clive), 11 verified quotes behind its A.

Among the A and B dealers ranked on this page.

Full ranking, fees and add-on data for every graded dealer are below.

Top 10 Car Dealerships in Des Moines

Ranked by CarEdge transparency score across all brands, highest to lowest.

#1 — Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat

Chrysler · Grade: A · Score: 100/100 · Urbandale, IA

Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat is an A-grade Chrysler dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 100/100 across 5 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
• Listing accuracy: 10.5% below the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 5

See full review & verified quotes →

#2 — Stivers Ford Of Waukee

Ford · Grade: A · Score: 100/100 · Waukee, IA

Stivers Ford Of Waukee is an A-grade Ford dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 100/100 across 4 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
• Listing accuracy: 1.3% below the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 4

See full review & verified quotes →

#3 — Granger Ford

Ford · Grade: A · Score: 98/100 · Granger, IA

Granger Ford is an A-grade Ford dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 98/100 across 5 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $219 — well above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
• Listing accuracy: 0.7% below the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 5

See full review & verified quotes →

#4 — Stew Hansen Hyundai

Hyundai · Grade: A · Score: 95/100 · Clive, IA

Stew Hansen Hyundai is an A-grade Hyundai dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 95/100 across 11 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: 27% of quotes, avg $145
• Listing accuracy: 1.7% above the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 11

See full review & verified quotes →

#5 — Bob Brown Chevrolet, Inc.

Chevrolet · Grade: A · Score: 95/100 · Urbandale, IA

Bob Brown Chevrolet, Inc. is an A-grade Chevrolet dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 95/100 across 4 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
• Listing accuracy: 0.5% below the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 4

See full review & verified quotes →

#6 — Karl Chevrolet Of Stuart

Chevrolet · Grade: A · Score: 92/100 · Stuart, IA

Karl Chevrolet Of Stuart is an A-grade Chevrolet dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 92/100 across 5 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: None detected in verified quotes
• Listing accuracy: 3.0% below the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 5

See full review & verified quotes →

#7 — Ramsey Subaru Of Des Moines

Subaru · Grade: B · Score: 88/100 · Urbandale, IA

Ramsey Subaru Of Des Moines is a B-grade Subaru dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 88/100 across 10 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: 60% of quotes, avg $330
• Listing accuracy: 2.3% below the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 10

See full review & verified quotes →

#8 — Gregg Young Chevrolet Of Norwalk Inc

Chevrolet · Grade: B · Score: 88/100 · Norwalk, IA

Gregg Young Chevrolet Of Norwalk Inc is a B-grade Chevrolet dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 88/100 across 4 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: 50% of quotes, avg $748
• Listing accuracy: 0.7% above the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 4

See full review & verified quotes →

#9 — Honda Of Altoona

Honda · Grade: B · Score: 86/100 · Altoona, IA

Honda Of Altoona is a B-grade Honda dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 86/100 across 4 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: 75% of quotes, avg $299
• Listing accuracy: 1.5% above the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 4

See full review & verified quotes →

#10 — Willis Cadillac

Cadillac · Grade: C · Score: 79/100 · Des Moines, IA

Willis Cadillac is a C-grade Cadillac dealer in Des Moines on verified out-the-door data — 79/100 across 4 verified quotes.

• Doc fee: $180 — above the IA average of $171
• Add-ons: 100% of quotes, avg $871
• Listing accuracy: 5.4% below the advertised listing
• Verified quotes: 4

See full review & verified quotes →

About the CarEdge Dealer Transparency Index

Most dealer rankings come from Google star ratings and Yelp reviews — easy to game, impossible to verify. The CarEdge Dealer Transparency Index is different. We score every dealer using verified out-the-door quotes: real PDFs, emails, and screenshots from actual transactions.

Each dealer’s transparency score (out of 100) is weighted across four dimensions:

• Fee Transparency (30%) — Is the doc fee reasonable compared to the state average?
• Add-on Behavior (30%) — How often does the dealer bundle add-ons, and at what cost?
• Price Accuracy (30%) — Does the listing price match the actual OTD price?
• Data Quality (10%) — More verified quotes mean higher confidence in the grade.

Grades: A (90–100), B (80–89), C (70–79), D (60–69), F (below 60).

Des Moines Car Dealer Rankings at a Glance

#	Dealer	City	Grade	Score	Doc Fee	Add-Ons	Quotes
1	Stew Hansen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat	Urbandale	A	100	$180	$0	5
2	Stivers Ford Of Waukee	Waukee	A	100	$180	$0	4
3	Granger Ford	Granger	A	98	$219	$0	5
4	Stew Hansen Hyundai	Clive	A	95	$180	$145	11
5	Bob Brown Chevrolet, Inc.	Urbandale	A	95	$180	$0	4
6	Karl Chevrolet Of Stuart	Stuart	A	92	$180	$0	5
7	Ramsey Subaru Of Des Moines	Urbandale	B	88	$180	$330	10
8	Gregg Young Chevrolet Of Norwalk Inc	Norwalk	B	88	$180	$748	4
9	Honda Of Altoona	Altoona	B	86	$180	$299	4
10	Willis Cadillac	Des Moines	C	79	$180	$871	4

How to Use This Data When You Shop

1. Get an OTD quote in writing before you visit. Any dealer can send a worksheet by email — if they won’t, that’s a red flag.
2. Ask for a quote with zero add-ons. Everything in the F&I office is optional. Say “please remove all dealer add-ons” and see what the price does.
3. Anchor to the OTD, not the listing. Dealers with a gap between advertised price and final OTD aren’t being straight with you. Don’t negotiate off the listing number.
4. Compare three dealers minimum. Even within the same metro, doc fees, add-on policies, and listing accuracy vary widely. Use this ranking as your shortlist.

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Rankings are generated from the CarEdge Dealer Transparency Index, a public methodology that scores dealers on verified out-the-door quotes — not Google star ratings or paid placements. CarEdge refreshes the rankings daily as new verified quotes come in.