US Automotive Online Car Retailers - PPC Market Share Analysis September 2025

Leveraging Adthena’s Whole Market View, this analysis explores recent trends in Google Ads for the US Online Car Retailers category from the last month. Our Data Analyst, Ask Arlo provides commentary on key findings.

Online Car Retailers – US

Google AI Overview visibility for Automotive Online Car Retailers US

See how often AIOs appear and how search intent is distributed across buying signals.

AIO Frequency

How often a Google AI overview appears on search terms relevant to this category.

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 25.5084768899
74.4915231101
25%

Complex Query Frequency

A complex query is a longer, more detailed search that often contains multiple keywords, specific conditions, or multi-part questions.

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 68
32
68%

Search Intent Distribution

Breakdown of search queries by their underlying goal.

Intent Distribution
Investigational 27%
Transactional 31%
Navigational 3%
Seasonal 0%
Local 2%
Problem Solving 15%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Market Exposure

Share of Clicks for top 10 US Automotive Online Car Retailers brands

Here are the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Clicks for the last month.

Share of Clicks - Last month
Share of Clicks - Last month
Domain Share of clicks
carvana.com 27.27
kbb.com 14.18
cargurus.com 10.55
carmax.com 6.55
cars.com 6.01
autotrader.com 3.93
enterprise.com 3.54
edmunds.com 3.37
truecar.com 2.67
autonation.com 2.42
others 19.51
  • carvana.com - 27.27%
  • kbb.com - 14.18%
  • cargurus.com - 10.55%
  • carmax.com - 6.55%
  • cars.com - 6.01%
  • autotrader.com - 3.93%
  • enterprise.com - 3.54%
  • edmunds.com - 3.37%
  • truecar.com - 2.67%
  • autonation.com - 2.42%
  • others - 19.51%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana leads with 27.27% click share, followed by KBB at 14.18%. Others collectively hold 19.51%, highlighting diverse competition.

Market Exposure

Share of Spend for the top 10 US Automotive Online Car Retailers brands

Curious about your market position? Here you can see the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Spend for the last month. 

Share of Spend - Last Month
Share of Spend - Last Month
Date carvana.com cargurus.com cars.com carmax.com edmunds.com enterprise.com truecar.com carfax.com autonation.com driveway.com
2025/09/01 25.57% 13.09% 6.65% 12.12% 2% 4.12% 2.51% 3.31% 2.78% 3.31%
2025/09/02 33.19% 13.36% 4.65% 9.29% 3.33% 2.55% 6.78% 1.96% 5.08% 2.26%
2025/09/03 43.92% 9.81% 4.81% 8.6% 2.8% 3.04% 2.32% 2.02% 2.93% 1%
2025/09/04 33.5% 14.32% 5.06% 7.94% 2.64% 2.74% 2.78% 2.21% 5.01% 2.29%
2025/09/05 36.65% 13.19% 6.23% 7.74% 3.23% 2.68% 2.64% 2.39% 4.04% 2.23%
2025/09/06 34.18% 11.46% 6.12% 8.26% 3.25% 3.31% 3.63% 3.1% 2.82% 1.73%
2025/09/07 25.09% 12.55% 4.74% 10.08% 3.03% 3.13% 3.72% 2.55% 5.39% 1.98%
2025/09/08 34.41% 10.92% 5.15% 9.73% 2.57% 3.36% 2.76% 1.67% 3.7% 3.12%
2025/09/09 20.91% 12.66% 5.32% 10.08% 3.7% 7.28% 3.14% 2.09% 4.91% 4.01%
2025/09/10 33.52% 11.16% 5.81% 6.38% 3.07% 3.51% 3.21% 2.07% 4.14% 2.72%
2025/09/11 29.62% 11.74% 5.24% 7.5% 2.2% 4.13% 3.62% 1.61% 3.71% 3.19%
2025/09/12 29.5% 12.51% 6.42% 7% 2.94% 3.97% 4.15% 2.22% 3.75% 4.28%
2025/09/13 21.58% 15.96% 6.15% 10.54% 4.01% 5.42% 4.38% 2.18% 3.02% 4.7%
2025/09/14 29.63% 12.68% 5.12% 10.19% 3.03% 3.83% 4% 2.45% 4.15% 2.46%
2025/09/15 36.13% 11.65% 5.45% 9.17% 2.71% 3.46% 3.08% 1.86% 2.44% 5.22%
2025/09/16 28.79% 12.84% 5.79% 11.24% 4.83% 4.74% 3.74% 2.04% 1.28% 4.25%
2025/09/17 31.43% 13.16% 4.88% 7.27% 4.16% 3.22% 3.63% 1.08% 4.35% 4.7%
2025/09/18 42.36% 9.89% 5.69% 7.72% 3.74% 2.8% 2.27% 1.41% 3.03% 4.25%
2025/09/19 37.55% 10.23% 6.06% 6.78% 3.3% 6% 2.93% 1.54% 1.67% 4.22%
2025/09/20 32.27% 12.23% 6.92% 9.45% 4.43% 3.78% 2.81% 1.8% 2.14% 2.94%
2025/09/21 40.44% 13.42% 6.86% 5.35% 3.57% 4.09% 2.93% 1.52% 1.95% 2.81%
2025/09/22 24.25% 14.76% 8.39% 7.78% 4.5% 5.94% 4.52% 1.78% 2.91% 3.32%
2025/09/23 23.92% 14.83% 6.82% 9.85% 5.05% 5.92% 3.42% 2.11% 2.95% 2.83%
2025/09/24 32.4% 13.66% 7.24% 9.79% 4.86% 3.25% 3.37% 1.79% 2.51% 1.86%
2025/09/25 30.28% 12.5% 7.96% 6.81% 4.87% 4.91% 3.99% 2.14% 1.63% 1.69%
2025/09/26 32.6% 13.57% 5.93% 7.26% 3.97% 3.83% 3.08% 1.86% 4.09% 3.11%
2025/09/27 24.18% 14.83% 5.89% 12.33% 6.8% 2.98% 3.43% 2.1% 1.59% 3.97%
2025/09/28 20.01% 13.02% 7.1% 11.26% 6.58% 2.36% 4.37% 1.46% 3.57% 5.48%
2025/09/29 32.06% 14.36% 6.86% 8.41% 5.32% 3.28% 3.46% 1.41% 2.55% 1.96%
2025/09/30 22.69% 14.32% 10.41% 10.3% 5.19% 4.14% 3.01% 2.87% 1.69% 1.61%
  • carvana.com
  • cargurus.com
  • cars.com
  • carmax.com
  • edmunds.com
  • enterprise.com
  • truecar.com
  • carfax.com
  • autonation.com
  • driveway.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana led September with fluctuating spend, peaking at 43.92% on the 3rd. Cargurus and Cars.com followed, showing steady trends. Carmax and Edmunds had moderate shares, while Enterprise and Truecar saw varied activity. Autonation and Driveway had lower, yet dynamic, shares.

Market Exposure

Competitor Count for US Automotive Online Car Retailers

Ever wondered how many competitors you’re up against in your industry? Well look no further, here we can see the number of advertisers bidding over the last month. 

Competitor Count - Last month
Competitor Count - Last month
Date Competitor Count
2025/09/01 955
2025/09/02 1022
2025/09/03 1077
2025/09/04 1107
2025/09/05 1153
2025/09/06 1028
2025/09/07 986
2025/09/08 991
2025/09/09 962
2025/09/10 1002
2025/09/11 923
2025/09/12 913
2025/09/13 905
2025/09/14 896
2025/09/15 968
2025/09/16 937
2025/09/17 765
2025/09/18 769
2025/09/19 992
2025/09/20 996
2025/09/21 1042
2025/09/22 1027
2025/09/23 1050
2025/09/24 1163
2025/09/25 1210
2025/09/26 1121
2025/09/27 1063
2025/09/28 1080
2025/09/29 1175
2025/09/30 1158

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

September saw a dynamic shift in distinct advertisers, starting at 955 and peaking at 1,210. The month concluded with a robust 1,158, indicating a vibrant advertising landscape.

Campaign Efficiency

Market Loss & Market Gains for US Automotive Online Car Retailers

Here we’re looking at the Top 10 biggest industry movers by market share gains and losses for the last 30 days.

Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Name Market Trend
kbb.com 4.95%
edmunds.com 1.18%
cars.com 0.68%
autotrader.com 0.45%
lincoln.com 0.22%
echopark.com -0.33%
carfax.com -0.48%
enterprise.com -0.5%
autonation.com -0.75%
carvana.com -5.39%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana.com saw a significant drop of 5.39% in click share, while kbb.com experienced a notable increase of 4.95%. Edmunds.com also rose by 1.18%, contrasting with declines for autonation.com and enterprise.com.

Campaign Efficiency

US Automotive Online Car Retailers Share of Impressions

Take a look at the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Impressions over the last month.

Date carvana.com cargurus.com cars.com carmax.com autotrader.com kbb.com edmunds.com truecar.com autonation.com driveway.com
2025/09/01 16.41% 14.33% 5.14% 12.79% 2.12% 8.23% 1.73% 2.1% 3.98% 3.25%
2025/09/02 22.23% 15.98% 4.88% 10.52% 2.94% 3.45% 3.33% 5.49% 5.87% 2.5%
2025/09/03 29.96% 12.05% 4.44% 9.93% 3.62% 2.5% 2.9% 2.45% 3.27% 0.97%
2025/09/04 23.34% 16.11% 4.4% 8.15% 3.79% 2.44% 2.44% 2.79% 5.31% 2.38%
2025/09/05 24.77% 15.08% 5.27% 7.98% 3.68% 4.58% 3.33% 2.73% 4.51% 2.24%
2025/09/06 23.44% 12.7% 4.77% 8.7% 3.36% 4.79% 3.27% 2.99% 3.08% 1.76%
2025/09/07 17.68% 13.27% 4.3% 10.17% 3.63% 2.76% 2.96% 3.29% 5.82% 1.99%
2025/09/08 24.83% 12.15% 4.67% 10.61% 2.92% 3% 2.69% 2.55% 4.25% 3.19%
2025/09/09 16.19% 13.66% 4.32% 10.65% 3.1% 3.71% 3.94% 2.88% 5.35% 4.14%
2025/09/10 25.23% 12.56% 4.72% 6.69% 2.49% 2.84% 3.27% 3.13% 5.03% 2.73%
2025/09/11 22.07% 12.33% 4.68% 8.15% 2.13% 4.87% 2.16% 3.37% 3.92% 3.23%
2025/09/12 22.62% 13.44% 5.13% 7.48% 2.96% 4.57% 3.12% 4.35% 4.18% 4.42%
2025/09/13 16.67% 15.67% 5.13% 10.77% 3.15% 5.31% 4.03% 3.76% 3.22% 4.71%
2025/09/14 21.54% 13.15% 4.46% 10.91% 2.81% 4.66% 3.21% 3.68% 5.17% 2.59%
2025/09/15 27.15% 12.45% 5.04% 10.07% 1.84% 3.67% 2.93% 2.97% 2.92% 5.63%
2025/09/16 20.46% 12.45% 4.83% 12.02% 3.42% 6.82% 5.08% 3.33% 1.37% 4.16%
2025/09/17 22.75% 12.91% 3.48% 8.27% 1.72% 6.38% 4.83% 3.09% 4.93% 4.83%
2025/09/18 31.29% 10.09% 4.31% 8.66% 1.87% 5.47% 4.12% 2.05% 3.43% 4.71%
2025/09/19 28.45% 10.52% 4.96% 7.61% 3.04% 5.6% 3.26% 2.65% 2.12% 4.81%
2025/09/20 22.93% 12.76% 5.63% 9.88% 2.42% 4.82% 4.42% 2.98% 2.7% 3.03%
2025/09/21 28.46% 14.42% 6.35% 5.8% 3.43% 4.72% 3.51% 2.66% 2.24% 3%
2025/09/22 18.17% 13.78% 6.74% 7.38% 3.22% 7.07% 3.9% 4.34% 2.81% 3.1%
2025/09/23 19.24% 14.53% 5.69% 9.82% 3.04% 4.7% 4.48% 3.61% 3.21% 2.72%
2025/09/24 24.92% 13.32% 6.42% 9.84% 2.63% 5.28% 4.26% 3.46% 2.97% 1.89%
2025/09/25 23.93% 12.25% 7.09% 6.54% 3.74% 5.24% 4.35% 3.82% 1.72% 1.76%
2025/09/26 27.19% 13.35% 5.24% 7.21% 2.61% 5.72% 3.28% 2.98% 4.51% 2.98%
2025/09/27 19.16% 13.81% 4.87% 11.51% 3.71% 7.14% 5.65% 3.26% 1.68% 3.7%
2025/09/28 16.44% 11.88% 5.93% 10.23% 3.87% 7.84% 5.76% 4.11% 3.72% 4.84%
2025/09/29 25.69% 13.63% 5.95% 7.76% 4.59% 4.85% 4.85% 3.25% 2.49% 2.03%
2025/09/30 17.99% 13.42% 9.17% 9.15% 5.58% 5.12% 4.53% 2.84% 1.65% 1.34%
  • carvana.com
  • cargurus.com
  • cars.com
  • carmax.com
  • autotrader.com
  • kbb.com
  • edmunds.com
  • truecar.com
  • autonation.com
  • driveway.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana’s impression share fluctuated, peaking at 31.29% on September 18. Cargurus maintained a steady presence, while Cars.com surged to 9.17% by month’s end. Carmax and Autotrader showed varied trends, with Autotrader ending at 5.58%.

Campaign Efficiency

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for US Automotive Online Car Retailers

Ever wondered how your rivals’ ads are doing? Here we can see the top-performing ads in the industry over the last month.

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for US Automotive Online Car Retailers - Last month
  1. 1
    Cheap Used Cars For Sale https://www.cargurus.com

    Largest Online Inventory — Best Prices From Local Dealers. Shop for Cheap Used Cars Today! Don't Miss Out.

  2. 2
    Find Used Cars For Sale | Upfront Prices, Zero Haggle https://www.carmax.com

    Today's the day you find your next set of wheels. Visit carmax.com to get started. Find it...

  3. 3
    Cars.com https://www.cars.com

    Official Cars.com Site — Inspire Your Next Journey With the Perfect Car. Choose From 2M+ Listings and Hit the Road

  4. 4
    Enterprise Rent-A-Car® https://www.enterprise.com

    Enterprise Official Site — Reserve a car directly with Enterprise® today to save time & money on your trip. Book now!

  5. 5
    Official Kelley Blue Book Site - Find Your Car's Book Value https://www.kbb.com

    Kelley Blue Book® Empowering You in the Car Market. From Values To Service & Repair Guide

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In the competitive landscape of online car retail, CarGurus leads with a focus on affordability and local deals. CarMax emphasizes transparency with upfront pricing. Cars.com inspires journeys with vast listings, while Enterprise highlights convenience in rentals. Kelley Blue Book empowers buyers with trusted valuations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Success Stories

Get the full picture

See this data specific to your brand performance

The data on this page is just a sample of the billions of data points we hold at Adthena. The insights generated by Ask Arlo, leverage real-time GenAI to answer questions about your search data.

Our search consultants can introduce you to Whole Market View data that is specific to your organization, based on the size of the relevant search term and competitor universe, and the locations that you need monitoring.

Related reports