Agreed here autohitch ^^^^^^. It's not surprise CG was started by guys who created...TripAdvisor...they do a good job of cultivating what shoppers wantl
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TAKE POLL Cars.com VS AutoTrader VS CarGurus
- Thread starter Jeff Kershner
- Start date
Wow, Teddy, that was one of the best plugs I've seen in a long time- It looked like you really cared....
Unfortunately, I never actually said that cultivation was bad for the consumer so you tipped your hand that you were here to speak and not have a discussion, a typical sign of a shill.
I actually agree that sending the consumer as many cars as possible is advantageous for anyone car shopping, the only problem is that the consumer isn't the one cutting the ever-increasing check each month.
What I was shooting to highlight is that the system is so aggressively cultivating other vehicles that it's taking away the advantage the dealership is paying to have- The coveted "1st contact". I got the right car, I took great pictures, I wrote a better description, and I got the phone call. How did CarGurus reward me? They quickly sent an email/link that essentially said, "Well what about these?".
I'm not saying don't help someone find a car, but my test was to go on, go straight to the dealer, make contact, then sign off. Where in that interaction was the intent that might suggest to CarGurus that I needed help, or that I even remotely had any interest in any other dealer?
You want to cultivate, have at it! But if dealers paying hundreds and thousands of dollars, you should at least have a system that shows some respect. Not clickbait used to pad stats that you later take with you to the dealership when you tell them their bill is going up.
Unfortunately, I never actually said that cultivation was bad for the consumer so you tipped your hand that you were here to speak and not have a discussion, a typical sign of a shill.
I actually agree that sending the consumer as many cars as possible is advantageous for anyone car shopping, the only problem is that the consumer isn't the one cutting the ever-increasing check each month.
What I was shooting to highlight is that the system is so aggressively cultivating other vehicles that it's taking away the advantage the dealership is paying to have- The coveted "1st contact". I got the right car, I took great pictures, I wrote a better description, and I got the phone call. How did CarGurus reward me? They quickly sent an email/link that essentially said, "Well what about these?".
I'm not saying don't help someone find a car, but my test was to go on, go straight to the dealer, make contact, then sign off. Where in that interaction was the intent that might suggest to CarGurus that I needed help, or that I even remotely had any interest in any other dealer?
You want to cultivate, have at it! But if dealers paying hundreds and thousands of dollars, you should at least have a system that shows some respect. Not clickbait used to pad stats that you later take with you to the dealership when you tell them their bill is going up.
- Feb 11, 2015
- 2,491
- 756
- First Name
- Alex
I'm being chased / followed by https://carsavvy.com. Looks heavily like a link farm. I don't get it...!?
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I hate CG. It puts a dealer in a very disadvantage position. It shows how long your car is listed. Buyer sees that the car has been in dealership for 3 months the negotiate to the bone. Another point is Not sure where CG gets their valuation, but its impossible to sell a quality used car and make a living. Example Look for a used 2000-2005 Tacoma.
Finally, their reduclous advertising cost. They will sign up and will double their price in no time. I used CG for a year. I wont even use them if they offer me free. Instead, I use Facebook market place, auto trader and KBB, cars.com. the combine cost of al these 3 outlet, is still cheaper than CG. My advise stay away from CG.
Cargurus simply due to lead volume. All 3 close in the single digits for us so we dropped AT and Cars to pay for the CG yearly vig increase. CG is the only one I see running national advertisements. Cars and AT like to say they get as much traffic but I don't believe it. Plus, I am convinced that a used car shopper that is on AT or Cars is going to touch CG as well. So I don't think you are missing any eyeballs by being on CG and not the others.
✨ AI Highlights
Dealers debate which single automotive classifieds platform—Cars.com, AutoTrader, or CarGurus—delivers the best ROI, with several respondents favoring CarGurus for superior lead volume and lower costs. However, experienced dealers counter that the question is flawed because each platform serves different purposes at different stages of the buying process, and success depends more on proper listing optimization, pricing accuracy, and diligent follow-up than platform selection alone. The consensus leans toward using multiple platforms simultaneously rather than choosing one, while monitoring actual showroom visits and phone calls (not just online submissions) to measure true value.
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