Back to the original question, I do think that they've improved.
I think we are slowly, yet surely, moving towards something that is more consumer-centric.
I browse dealership websites almost every day to see what's happening. Most of the trends I'm seeing are:
1. Responsive - although this isn't the miracle solution everyone says it is, it's becoming popular
2. Clean Design - I'm seeing less clutter and more focus on information. I still see all the A/B testing prove that big, ugly buttons work better, but I'm seeing a great combination of both
3. Consumer Tools - Comparing cars, price drop alerts, service reminders, etc - what used to be many separate tools are becoming integrated into the dealership website in a fairly native way
Obviously there are many other things happening, but I see very little unique innovation in VDPs, VLPs, etc.
Some of the best website vendors I have seen have terrible VLPs. I think this area still needs vast improvements.