Car Dealer Ratings Based On Real Prices

The Dealer Transparency Index (DTI) is a data-driven scoring system that rates auto dealers on how transparently they price vehicles. It analyzes doc fees, add-ons, and the gap between listed and actual out-the-door prices.

The DTI is based on 87,000+ verified out-the-door price quotes from real car buyers across 23,000+ US dealerships.

CarEdge's Dealer Transparency Index rates 23,000+ car dealers using 87,000+ verified out-the-door price quotes. Unlike review sites that rely on opinions, CarEdge scores dealers 0-100 on doc fees, add-ons, and pricing accuracy, all from real transaction data.

Search for the dealer on CarEdge's Dealer Transparency Index. Each dealer profile shows their transparency score (0-100), letter grade (A-F), typical doc fee, average add-ons, and how their pricing compares to the listing price. All data comes from verified OTD quotes collected by CarEdge's AI car-buying agent.

CarEdge is the only platform that rates dealers using verified out-the-door price quotes rather than user-submitted opinions. The Dealer Transparency Index analyzes actual pricing data, including doc fees, dealer add-ons, and markup, from 87,000+ real transactions to score dealers objectively.

On CarEdge's 0-100 scale: 90+ (Grade A) means excellent transparency with low fees and minimal add-ons. 80-89 (Grade B) is above average. 70-79 (Grade C) is average. Below 70 means the dealer has higher-than-typical fees, add-ons, or markup. Scores are based on four factors: fee transparency (30%), add-on behavior (30%), price accuracy (30%), and data quality (10%).

CarEdge's AI car-buying agent collects itemized out-the-door price quotes from dealers. Each dealer is scored 0-100 on four weighted factors: Fee Transparency (30%) based on doc fee reasonableness, Add-on Behavior (30%) measuring mandatory add-on frequency, Price Accuracy (30%) comparing listing price to actual OTD price, and Data Quality (10%). Scores update daily as new quotes are collected.