EchoPark Automotive Awarded a 2021 DealerRater Consumer Satisfaction Award

Dealership among top auto dealers who demonstrate excellent customer service, as rated by online consumer reviews

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--()--Sonic Automotive, Inc. (“Sonic” or the “Company”) (NYSE:SAH), a Fortune 500 Company and one of the nation’s largest automotive retailers, today announced that its EchoPark Automotive business, offering a wide assortment of high quality, one to four-year old pre-owned vehicles, has been awarded a 2021 DealerRater Consumer Satisfaction Award, an annual recognition given to auto dealerships that deliver outstanding customer service as rated by online consumer reviews.

DealerRater, the world's leading car dealer review website, created the Consumer Satisfaction Award program to let online car shoppers instantly spot dealers that provide high-quality customer service. This award was given to EchoPark locations in Colorado (Thornton, Centennial, and Colorado Springs), North Carolina (Charlotte) and Texas (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and New Braunfels).

“We couldn’t be prouder of our teammates at EchoPark. This award acknowledges the strong relationship we have fostered with our guests and highlights how transparent and positive our interaction is with them, both in the digital and physical space. It is at the core of our business to offer our guests and teammates an experience that ultimately fulfills dreams, enriches lives and delivers happiness,” said Jeff Dyke, President Sonic and EchoPark Automotive.

“We’d like to congratulate EchoPark Automotive and all of our Consumer Satisfaction Award winners,” said DealerRater General Manager Jamie Oldershaw. “DealerRater’s extensive review database allows shoppers to identify dealerships that provide excellent customer experiences and are at the forefront of their business, and it’s clear that EchoPark Automotive stands out amongst its peers.”

Consumer Satisfaction Awards are reserved for the top 10 percent of U.S. new-car dealers based on their PowerScore™, as well as top independent and Canadian dealerships that receive at least 25 annual reviews and maintain a minimum average PowerScore™ rating of 4.0 out of 5.0. The PowerScore™ is determined using a Bayesian algorithm that factors the dealership’s average DealerRater consumer rating and the total number of reviews written about the dealership during the 2020 calendar year.

About EchoPark Automotive

EchoPark Automotive is a growing operating segment within the Company that specializes in pre-owned vehicle sales and provides a unique guest experience unlike traditional used car stores. More information about EchoPark Automotive can be found at www.echopark.com.

About Sonic Automotive

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the nation’s largest automotive retailers. Sonic can be reached on the web at www.sonicautomotive.com.

About DealerRater

Founded in 2002, DealerRater, a Cars.com Company, is the world's leading car dealer review website that connects consumers with the right person at the right dealership. The site offers over 6.5 million sales and service reviews across 44,000 U.S. and Canadian dealerships, including a network of more than 5,000 Certified Dealers. DealerRater content has a reachable audience of more than 34 million consumers across the web each month. By offering a product suite that allows qualified dealerships to manage their reputations and achieve higher SEO rankings, DealerRater supports new customer connections by growing online presence.

Forward-Looking Statements

Included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding anticipated pre-owned vehicle sales projections and the opening of additional EchoPark points. There are many factors that affect management’s views about future events and trends of the Company’s business. These factors involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or trends to differ materially from management’s views, including, without limitation, economic conditions in the markets in which we operate, new and used vehicle industry sales volume, anticipated future growth in our EchoPark Segment, the success of our operational strategies, the rate and timing of overall economic expansion or contraction, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government-imposed restrictions on operations, and the risk factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and other reports and information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required under federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Contacts

Investor Inquiries:
Heath Byrd, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (704) 566-2400
Danny Wieland, Vice President, Investor Relations & Financial Reporting (704) 927-3462
ir@sonicautomotive.com

Press Inquiries:
Danielle DeVoren / Anthony Feldman
212-896-1272 / 617-921-0984
ddevoren@kcsa.com/afeldman@kcsa.com

Release Summary

EchoPark Automotive Awarded a 2021 DealerRater Consumer Satisfaction Award

Contacts

Investor Inquiries:
Heath Byrd, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (704) 566-2400
Danny Wieland, Vice President, Investor Relations & Financial Reporting (704) 927-3462
ir@sonicautomotive.com

Press Inquiries:
Danielle DeVoren / Anthony Feldman
212-896-1272 / 617-921-0984
ddevoren@kcsa.com/afeldman@kcsa.com