US Automotive Online Car Retailers - PPC Market Share Analysis September 2026

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 60.5070537316
39.4929462684
60%

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 43
57
43%

Search Intent Distribution

Breakdown of search queries by their underlying goal.

Intent Distribution
Investigational 15%
Transactional 31%
Navigational 18%
Seasonal 0%
Local 8%
Problem Solving 4%

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 52.78
enterprise.com 9.36
kbb.com 8.8
cars.com 3.96
cargurus.com 3.79
autotrader.com 2.02
carmax.com 1.66
edmunds.com 1.45
turo.com 1.37
iaai.com 1.3
others 13.51
  • carvana.com - 52.78%
  • enterprise.com - 9.36%
  • kbb.com - 8.8%
  • cars.com - 3.96%
  • cargurus.com - 3.79%
  • autotrader.com - 2.02%
  • carmax.com - 1.66%
  • edmunds.com - 1.45%
  • turo.com - 1.37%
  • iaai.com - 1.3%
  • others - 13.51%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana dominates with 52.78% click share, followed by Enterprise at 9.36%. Others collectively hold 13.51%, showcasing 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 enterprise.com carmax.com cars.com kbb.com edmunds.com autotrader.com turo.com sixt.com
2026/09/01 44.64% 2.97% 7.21% 5.16% 5.19% 6.11% 2.76% 1.15% 0.28% 1.02%
2026/09/02 49.01% 3.74% 7.02% 4.87% 3.84% 4.24% 1.75% 1.81% 0.37% 0.98%
2026/09/03 52.61% 4.27% 5.54% 4.38% 2.99% 3.65% 1.46% 1.56% 1.54% 1.11%
2026/09/04 41.7% 4.9% 7.29% 5.37% 3.78% 3.67% 1.52% 1.5% 3.41% 2.25%
2026/09/05 36.14% 5.03% 5.65% 5.67% 3.72% 4.88% 3.03% 1.53% 3.19% 3.4%
2026/09/06 35.49% 5.18% 6.28% 6.42% 3.34% 4.76% 3.63% 1.4% 3.01% 2.29%
2026/09/07 37.62% 4.44% 8.54% 5.89% 3.73% 4.6% 2.46% 1.07% 2.75% 2.06%
2026/09/08 38.24% 4.48% 9.26% 6.03% 3.07% 4.97% 2.17% 1.32% 2.94% 1.93%
2026/09/09 31.68% 5.56% 8.29% 6.95% 4.78% 5.12% 2.5% 1.45% 2.29% 1.08%
2026/09/10 27.74% 5.53% 7.72% 6.45% 4.85% 4.86% 2.46% 1.45% 2.48% 1.92%
2026/09/11 21.71% 6.07% 10.25% 7.39% 5.66% 5.34% 3.5% 2.11% 1.97% 3.06%
2026/09/12 33.21% 6.48% 7.54% 4.67% 4.95% 5.66% 2.15% 2.1% 0.44% 2.21%
2026/09/13 29.2% 6.1% 8.79% 4.94% 5.49% 4.58% 2.78% 2.9% 0.36% 1.61%
2026/09/14 28.58% 5.8% 12% 4.01% 6.17% 6.14% 3.12% 2.65% 0.25% 1.77%
2026/09/15 34.56% 7.75% 8.75% 4.56% 5.17% 4.66% 2.82% 1.87% 1.61% 2.38%
2026/09/16 32.06% 5.21% 7.47% 6.3% 4.69% 4.72% 2.19% 1.88% 1.96% 1.61%
2026/09/17 23.44% 7.16% 8.95% 6.33% 5.12% 4.4% 2.4% 2.66% 1.34% 2.64%
2026/09/18 27.15% 6.76% 10.63% 5.64% 5.95% 3.71% 2.55% 2.15% 1.17% 3.82%
2026/09/19 30.5% 6.1% 9.12% 4.69% 5.81% 3.52% 2.59% 2.15% 1.17% 3.62%
2026/09/20 33.11% 6.52% 8.04% 5.32% 7.35% 3.68% 2.32% 1.3% 0.36% 1.52%
2026/09/21 36.28% 7.56% 7.43% 4.23% 4.23% 3.1% 2.4% 1.6% 0.47% 2.1%
2026/09/22 37.33% 7.7% 8.7% 4.51% 5.04% 2.95% 1.94% 1.34% 1.25% 1.42%
2026/09/23 41% 4.68% 5.84% 5.26% 3.9% 3.12% 1.6% 1.31% 0.45% 2.51%
2026/09/24 35.97% 7.04% 8.22% 4.64% 4.03% 3.05% 1.54% 2.13% 0.49% 1.79%
2026/09/25 36.72% 7.79% 7.45% 5.12% 4.4% 3% 1.93% 1.69% 0.71% 1.25%
2026/09/26 48.81% 6.23% 3.39% 4.54% 3.56% 2.89% 2.07% 1.77% 1.67% 1.03%
2026/09/27 40.15% 8.49% 7.16% 5.08% 3.99% 3.05% 1.33% 1.83% 1.92% 1.11%
2026/09/28 35.84% 7.44% 10.28% 4.41% 4.5% 3.71% 1.2% 1.94% 1.71% 0.99%
2026/09/29 39.5% 6.78% 8.38% 4.04% 5.26% 4.12% 2.39% 1.88% 0.63% 1.99%
2026/09/30 34.78% 9.01% 6.12% 6% 5.3% 3.27% 2.64% 2.03% 1.77% 1.38%
  • carvana.com
  • cargurus.com
  • enterprise.com
  • carmax.com
  • cars.com
  • kbb.com
  • edmunds.com
  • autotrader.com
  • turo.com
  • sixt.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana’s spend share fluctuated, peaking early at 52.61% before declining. Cargurus rose steadily, ending at 9.01%. Enterprise saw a mid-month peak, closing at 6.12%. Carmax and Cars.com showed minor variations. KBB’s share decreased, while Edmunds and Autotrader remained stable. Turo and Sixt had sporadic increases.

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
2026/09/01 650
2026/09/02 841
2026/09/03 877
2026/09/04 901
2026/09/05 905
2026/09/06 911
2026/09/07 930
2026/09/08 853
2026/09/09 902
2026/09/10 879
2026/09/11 836
2026/09/12 849
2026/09/13 895
2026/09/14 842
2026/09/15 944
2026/09/16 976
2026/09/17 952
2026/09/18 912
2026/09/19 896
2026/09/20 912
2026/09/21 909
2026/09/22 869
2026/09/23 797
2026/09/24 1070
2026/09/25 938
2026/09/26 899
2026/09/27 941
2026/09/28 903
2026/09/29 933
2026/09/30 903

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

September saw a dynamic shift in advertisers, starting at 650 and peaking at 1,070 on the 24th. The month concluded with 903 advertisers, reflecting a significant increase.

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
cargurus.com 1.2%
enterprise.com 1.05%
cars.com 0.6%
iaai.com 0.55%
rvtrader.com 0.42%
edmunds.com -0.28%
cars-rentals.com -0.31%
boattrader.com -0.31%
kbb.com -2.04%
carvana.com -2.12%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

CarGurus.com surged by 1.20%, while Carvana.com dropped by 2.12% in click share.

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 carmax.com cars.com enterprise.com kbb.com edmunds.com autotrader.com driveway.com autonation.com
2026/09/01 41.09% 4.72% 9.49% 4.02% 4.59% 6.41% 2.42% 0.88% 1.24% 2.19%
2026/09/02 47.29% 6.1% 8.08% 3.9% 3.75% 4.16% 1.28% 1.44% 0.98% 0.19%
2026/09/03 50.8% 6.86% 6.47% 3.35% 3.57% 3.41% 0.93% 1.24% 1.25% 2.19%
2026/09/04 40.21% 7.65% 7.27% 4.7% 4.24% 3.68% 1.15% 1.24% 1.75% 0.9%
2026/09/05 33.55% 8.19% 7.81% 3.9% 3.05% 4.76% 4.53% 1.29% 2.65% 1.38%
2026/09/06 33.62% 7.79% 8.44% 2.82% 3.74% 4.8% 5.6% 1.13% 0.6% 2.6%
2026/09/07 35.56% 7.53% 8.15% 3.67% 4.58% 4.9% 3.09% 0.85% 1.7% 2.36%
2026/09/08 36.24% 7.36% 7.44% 3.02% 5.13% 5.09% 3.49% 1.11% 2.28% 0.71%
2026/09/09 29.2% 9.15% 9.04% 3.68% 5.54% 5.33% 2.84% 1.18% 3.37% 1.01%
2026/09/10 27.11% 8.13% 9.7% 4.72% 5.04% 4.85% 3.07% 1.15% 1.8% 1.6%
2026/09/11 18.97% 8.73% 11.34% 6.12% 5.36% 6.03% 3.92% 1.7% 0.96% 1.93%
2026/09/12 30% 9.67% 7.61% 6.6% 4.2% 5.47% 2.02% 1.68% 3.63% 1.2%
2026/09/13 28.3% 9.55% 8.55% 4.97% 5.16% 4.55% 2.52% 2.43% 0.76% 3.68%
2026/09/14 27.42% 8.01% 6.41% 5.94% 7.36% 6.46% 3.29% 2.38% 1.68% 2.58%
2026/09/15 31.13% 13.03% 7.2% 6.74% 5.6% 4.82% 3.33% 1.7% 0.24% 1.44%
2026/09/16 29.42% 8.12% 10.19% 4.78% 4.6% 4.84% 2.33% 1.63% 0.76% 0.48%
2026/09/17 19.17% 11.16% 8.15% 5.59% 5.81% 4.61% 2.91% 2.26% 1.65% 2.5%
2026/09/18 25.05% 9.88% 7.51% 6.91% 5.5% 3.85% 2.49% 1.98% 1.3% 2.73%
2026/09/19 27.49% 10.39% 6.28% 6.15% 6.79% 3.43% 2.23% 1.88% 2.64% 0.7%
2026/09/20 27.61% 10.62% 8.57% 5.4% 6.54% 4.25% 2.62% 1.26% 2.78% 0.15%
2026/09/21 34.17% 11.7% 6.01% 3.99% 4.81% 3.16% 2.52% 1.62% 1.91% 1.43%
2026/09/22 33.25% 11.81% 6.62% 5.05% 5.27% 3.21% 1.92% 1.37% 1.21% 1.43%
2026/09/23 38.23% 8.69% 8.36% 3.65% 2.75% 3.09% 2.03% 1.1% 1.75% 2.01%
2026/09/24 31.5% 10.27% 8.15% 3.89% 5.43% 2.99% 1.79% 2.03% 0.88% 1.44%
2026/09/25 26.76% 10.85% 9.18% 4.01% 5.44% 2.93% 1.56% 1.61% 2.34% 2.88%
2026/09/26 44.15% 10.49% 6.39% 4.42% 2.25% 2.96% 1.37% 1.69% 1.34% 1.38%
2026/09/27 33.83% 13.51% 6.26% 4.09% 4.02% 3.55% 1.2% 1.7% 3.36% 0.79%
2026/09/28 29.89% 12.85% 7.63% 4.45% 5.75% 3.87% 0.79% 1.89% 3.54% 2.28%
2026/09/29 32.9% 12.56% 6.6% 4.42% 5.78% 4.47% 2.64% 1.78% 2.15% 2.17%
2026/09/30 25.06% 14.32% 8.1% 4.84% 4.3% 3.49% 2.03% 1.6% 1.33% 1.3%
  • carvana.com
  • cargurus.com
  • carmax.com
  • cars.com
  • enterprise.com
  • kbb.com
  • edmunds.com
  • autotrader.com
  • driveway.com
  • autonation.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana’s impression share fluctuated, peaking at 50.8% on September 3rd, then declining to 25.06% by month’s end. Cargurus rose steadily, ending at 14.32%. Carmax and Cars.com showed minor variations, while Enterprise and KBB had moderate shifts. Edmunds, Autotrader, Driveway, and Autonation experienced smaller changes.

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
    CarGurus: Shop Used & New - Search Cars on CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com

    Find the best local deals on cars in your area. Compare prices side by side.

  2. 2
    Largest Used Car Retailer | Nearly 50,000 Cars Online https://www.carmax.com › shop › used-cars

    Shop the Nation's Largest Retailer of Used Cars. Nearly 50,000 Cars Available. Browse Our...

  3. 3
    What's Your Car Worth? https://www.carvana.com › trade-in-value

    See Your Value Today — Free Trade-In Value Estimator. See What Carvana® Will Pay — No Obligation. Find Your Car's Trade-In Value Instantly. Get A Real Offer From Carvana®...

  4. 4
    Reserve A Rental Car https://www.enterprise.com

    Car Rentals - Reserve Online — Choose from a variety of vehicles and find the rental car that suits your needs. Reserve a car with...

  5. 5
    Official Kelley Blue Book Site https://www.kbb.com › shop › kbb

    Find Your Car's Book Value — Kelley Blue Book® Empowering You in the Car Market. From Values To Service & Repair Guide. Kelley Blue Book®: Making Car Buying Easier Since 1918 Let Us Help You Shop Like a Pro.

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In the competitive world of online car retail, CarGurus leads with local deals, while CarMax boasts a vast inventory. Carvana offers instant trade-in values, Enterprise focuses on rental convenience, and 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