Santa Monica, Calif. - Edmunds.com announced the winners of the 2014 Edmunds.com Five Star Dealer Award. A total of 259 franchise dealerships won this year's award, which is given annually to dealerships who have earned a five-star rating on Edmunds.com's Dealer Ratings and Review page.

"The Edmunds.com Five Star Dealer Award is truly special because the judges are the people that matter the most: everyday car shoppers," said Seth Berkowitz, president, Edmunds.com. "And with almost 18,000 new car franchises across the country, these 259 winners essentially represent the top one percent of all dealerships. This is an extraordinary honor that recognizes the dealers that deliver the finest customer service day in and day out."

The 2014 Five Star Dealer Award winners are located in 51 U.S. metropolitan markets. The New York market is home to the most award winners (32 dealerships), followed by Chicago with 28 winners and Los Angeles with 25 winners.

To be eligible for the award, a dealership must be an Edmunds.com Promise Partners dealer and must have earned an average customer review rating that rounds up to five stars on Edmunds.com — with a minimum of 20 reviews during the previous two years — as of December 31, 2013.