Franchise opportunities compared
CARSTAR vs Summit Auto Calibration
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Before you compare
- CARSTAR figures come from its 2025 FDD and Summit Auto Calibration figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
- CARSTAR discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (CARSTAR: 19, Summit Auto Calibration: 1). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  CARSTAR |  Summit Auto Calibration |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $23,500 – $804,300 2025 FDD · Item 7 | $160,550 Total initial investment (range 160550–1086500) 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 13 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | $30,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 7 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | $9.00 Royalty fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 8 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $500 Insurance and Marketing Fund Fee minimum 2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31 | $3.00 Brand fund maximum 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 8 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | Not available No reviewed outlet counts | 2 Outlets at end of 2024 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 31 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | Not available Only one year reported | +1 Calculated: 1 at end of 2022 → 2 at end of 2024 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — CARSTAR franchised facilities, Bottom 50% by 2024 average Gross Sales 198 units other Part A · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 78 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — CARSTAR franchised facilities, Top 50% by 2024 average Gross Sales 199 units other Part A · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 78 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part B franchisee-operated facilities converting existing repair businesses; FY… $1,340,572 other Part B · 2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80 +16 more groups in the full report | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record $69,376 other Cost of goods sold 2024 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 30 |
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
CARSTAR vs Summit Auto Calibration: common questions
- Which costs less to open, CARSTAR or Summit Auto Calibration?
- CARSTAR: $23,500 – $804,300 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Summit Auto Calibration: $160,550 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 13). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for CARSTAR. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Do CARSTAR and Summit Auto Calibration disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- CARSTAR has reviewed Item 19 figures for 19 location groups; Summit Auto Calibration has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.