BMW has been voted the best value franchise for the ninth successive time in the 16th survey into franchised dealers' views by the National Franchised Dealer Association. Following BMW in the rankings is Chrysler Jeep, second for the third successive time while Hyundai and Volvo franchises continue to move up the rankings taking sixth and seventh spots respectively.

The survey says that executive and luxury car franchises have generally returned the most positive scores. Of the volume franchises, Vauxhall and Ford have lost ground but Rover has further improved in the rankings.

An NFDA spokesman said: 'Encouragingly, networks continue to state that manufacturers/importers are beginning to listen to the views of their dealers, with over 60% of those surveyed now returning neutral or positive ratings.'

The 10 franchised networks expressing the most confidence in the perceived value of their franchise are: BMW, Chrysler Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Jaguar, Hyundai, Volvo, Land Rover, Saab, Volkswagen.