Compare
4 brands side-by-side
Compare up to 4 brands side by side
indicates the clear winner per row. Ties and missing data are not highlighted.
How winners are chosen
Lower is better for investment, liquid capital, franchise fee, royalty and ad-fund rates, SBA charge-off rate, and owner turnover.
Higher is better for disclosed revenue and owner earnings, verdict score, total units, net unit growth, and franchisee contacts. For the letter grade, A ranks highest.
A row is highlighted only when one brand clearly leads. Ties are never highlighted, and missing data never counts as a win. Some rows (earnings-metric type, loan counts, contract terms) are informational and have no winner.
These brands report different earnings metrics (Gross Margin, EBITDAR). Financial figures may not be directly comparable.
Focus by buyer type
| Brand |  AStrongest tierChristian Brothers Automotive Automotive Remove |  BAbove averageBig Al's Mufflers–Brakes & More Automotive Remove |  BAbove averageKwik Kar Automotive Remove |  AStrongest tierCARSTAR Automotive Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitals | ||||
Investment range | $515K – $650K | $100K – $1.1M | $291K – $917K | $298K – $804K |
Liquid capital | $30K – $40K | $15K – $20K | $35K – $75K | $10K – $84K |
Franchise fee | $85K | $15K | $40K | $10K |
Royalty rate | N/A | 5.5% | 6.0% | N/A |
Ad fund rate | 0.4% | 4.0% | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Performance | ||||
Avg gross sales | $2.9M | N/A | N/A | $3.2M |
Median gross sales | $2.7M | N/A | $874KCompany-owned only | $2.6M |
Avg owner earnings Metric varies by brand. Check type below | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Earnings metric | Gross Margin | Not classified | EBITDAR | Not classified |
| Risk | ||||
Rating | AStrongest tier | BAbove average | BAbove average | AStrongest tier |
Verdict score | 88 / 100 | 58 / 100 | 53 / 100 | 95 / 100 |
SBA charge-off rate | 0.0% | N/A | 7.7% | 0.0% |
SBA loans on record | 295 | N/A | 43 | 40 |
| Scale | ||||
Total units | 326 | 14 | 26 | 471 |
Net change (latest yr) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Turnover rate | 0.0% | 7.1% | 0.0% | 6.8% |
| Contract | ||||
Initial term (years) | 15 | 10 | 15 | 5 |
Renewal term (years) | 5 | 5 | 15 | 5 |
Initial training (hrs) | 545 | 298 | 72 | 22 |
| Contacts | ||||
Franchisee phones | 18 | 13 | 2 | 542 |
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