AutoNation is the only publicly traded franchised auto retailer (as I discussed above) that is not in my top ten rankings.  But even with what I considered disappointing 4Q06 earnings results and my very publicly articulated concerns with the way management treats stakeholders, I wanted to begin with one of the things they are doing right. 

Specifically, the company’s pioneering effort (well aside from CarMax on the used side) to improve the customer experience with their “Smart Choice” program.  I think Jaclyn Glovis (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) does the best job of describing “Smart Choice” in an April 7, 2006 article:

“The company's new ‘Smart ...

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Related Companies: AutoNation
CarMax
Lithia Motors