In last December’s issue of the Dealix Dealer Newsletter, we ranked the vehicles with the highest overall close rates in 2003. We decided to take an early look at what’s closing the best so far in ‘04. In addition, we broke out makes and models according to their vehicle classes. Overall, the vehicle category with the highest close rates was SUVs - this class shows no sign of losing favor with auto consumers. While it's hard to tell exactly causes some vehicles to have higher close rates than others, one thing ISMs can do, no matter what franchises and models you're selling, is influence. You can always influence the sale. In other words, worry about what you can control, and forget about the rest. The key to high close rates will always be good quality leads and a strong sales process.

Cars with the Highest Close Rates
Rank	Make	Model	Score
1	Lexus	ES 330	1000
2	Hyundai	Elantra	930
3	Volkswagen	Jetta Wagon	928
4	Infiniti	I35	906
5	Lexus	RX 330	836
6	MINI	Cooper	830
7	Toyota	Corolla	794
8	Honda	Civic	794
9	Lincoln	LS	788
10	Honda	Civic Coupe	757

Trucks with the Highest Close Rates
Rank	Make	Model	Score
1	Nissan	Titan	1000
2	GMC	Sierra 2500HD	905
3	Chevrolet	Silverado 2500HD	868
4	Chevrolet	Express	855
5	Nissan	Frontier	854
6	Toyota	Tundra	847
7	Chevrolet	Avalanche	814
8	GMC	Sierra 1500	782
9	Ford	F150 Styleside 2WD	779
10	Toyota	Tacoma PreRunner	759

SUVs with the Highest Close Rates
Rank	Make	Model	Score
1	Lexus	GX	1000
2	Honda	Element 4WD	952
3	Saturn	VUE	889
4	Honda	Element	852
5	Honda	CR-V	804
6	Mazda	Tribute	718
7	Buick	Rendezvous	705
8	GMC	Envoy XUV	705
9	Acura	MDX	698
10	Mercedes-Benz	M-Class	666

Minivans with the Highest Close Rates
Rank	Make	Model	Score
1	Honda	Odyssey	1000
2	Kia	Sedona	890
3	Toyota	Sienna	713
4	Dodge	Grand Caravan	661
5	Dodge	Caravan	590
6	Mazda	MPV	573
7	Nissan	Quest	561
8	Chrysler	Town & Country	515
9	Ford	Freestar	374
10	Chevrolet	Venture	314

About the Study
The Dealix Vehicle Close Rate Index^SM is a weighted index based on the number of Internet sales leads that are generated from the Dealix Lead Trading Platform^SM and result in a sale.  The vehicle in each class with the highest close rate was given a perfect score of 1000 and all subsequent vehicle close rates were weighted against the leading vehicle in each class.  Primary data is derived from email and phone surveys conducted on customers that Dealix Corporation delivers to its dealer partners as Internet sales leads.  The smallest accepted sample size per vehicle was 50 surveys.  This study does not intend to represent data for close rates for all vehicle sales leads. This report is brought to you by Dealix Business Intelligence^SM  (DBI).