HOUSTON — Russell & Smith Honda, a new- and used-vehicle dealership in Houston has been awarded the 2011 DealerRater Award for Car Dealer of the Year.

Managed by Jack Carney and Mark Rehkopf, Russell & Smith Auto Group became affiliated with the DealerRater’s network in 2009. This is the first time the dealership has received accolades from the review Website.

"We are extremely proud of our team of sales and service professionals at Russell & Smith Honda. This award is a huge accomplishment. Jack Carney does a phenomenal job of managing the most respectful and professional staff in the country. It's nice to now be officially recognized as the best of the best by the biggest car dealership review company in the world and by the great people of Houston," said Mark Rehkopf, general manager of Russell & Smith Auto Group.

Russell & Smith Honda ranked No. 1 with a total of 160 personal reviews and an average PowerScore of 4.9. Customers also rated their experience with the dealership’s service department. The dealership was awarded the top Honda dealership honor in addition to the top overall car dealership award for 2011. A total of 31 awards were given for top dealers in several categories.

Founded in 2002, DealerRater is a worldwide car dealer review Website. It has more than 30,000 U.S. car dealerships in its database and maintains over 190,000 stored user reviews. The site receives more than 3 million visits a year.