Brandwave

How popular isAutotrader?

In September 2026, people searched for Autotrader by name about 6,600 times in Australia, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 0.74% of all Australia car marketplace searches, placing Autotrader fifth out of six marketplaces. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about car marketplaces, Autotrader appeared in one of the four answers and was the fifth most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Autotrader is the fifth most searched of 6 competitors and the fifth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. carsalesShare of searches 92.1%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. CarsGuideShare of searches 3%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. CarmaShare of searches 2.5%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. DriveShare of searches 1.1%Mentioned in 1 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  5. AutotraderShare of searches 0.74%Mentioned in 1 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th

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Top car marketplaces in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Autotrader was mentioned in one out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Autotrader is the fifth most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. carsales1st
  2. Gumtree2nd
  3. CarsGuide3rd
  4. Drive4th
  5. Autotrader5th
  6. Carma–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • CarsGuide4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • carsales3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Gumtree3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Drive1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Autotrader1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Carma0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about car marketplaces

4 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which website should I use to buy a used car in Australia?”

    1. 1carsales
    2. 2CarsGuide
    3. 3Gumtree

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best car marketplaces in Australia?”

    1. 1carsales
    2. 2Gumtree
    3. 3CarsGuide
    4. 4Drive
    5. 5Autotrader

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best website in Australia to sell my car privately?”

    1. 1carsales
    2. 2Gumtree
    3. 3CarsGuide

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “used cars for sale”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “buy a car online”

    1. 1CarsGuide

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.

Which car marketplaces compete with Autotrader?

Autotrader against car marketplaces in Australia, by month

Share of searches by month for carsales, CarsGuide, Carma, Autotrader. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthcarsalesCarsGuideCarmaDriveAutotraderGumtree
Oct 202594.1%2.5%1.4%0.76%0.62%0.62%
Nov 202593.9%2.5%1.7%0.76%0.62%0.51%
Dec 202594.8%2.1%1.1%0.77%0.63%0.51%
Jan 202693.2%3.1%1.4%0.92%0.76%0.62%
Feb 202693.8%2.5%1.4%1.1%0.62%0.51%
Mar 202693.9%2.5%1.7%0.76%0.62%0.51%
Apr 202694.3%2.6%1.4%0.76%0.62%0.41%
May 202693.9%2.5%1.7%0.76%0.62%0.51%
Jun 202694%2.5%1.7%0.76%0.62%0.41%
Jul 202693.1%3.1%2.1%0.75%0.61%0.41%
Aug 202693.4%2.5%2.1%0.92%0.62%0.5%
Sep 202692.1%3%2.5%1.1%0.74%0.49%

  1. 1.carsales

    92.1%

    Held 1st. 823K estimated branded searches, -17.7% vs prior month. Share -1.2 points.

  2. 2.CarsGuide

    3%

    Held 2nd. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.

  3. 3.Carma

    2.5%

    Held 3rd. 22.2K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  4. 4.Drive

    1.1%

    Held 4th. 9.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  5. 5.Autotrader

    0.74%

    Held 5th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  6. 6.Gumtree

    0.49%

    Held 6th. 4.4K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Autotrader and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Autotrader

5 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Autotrader changed in Australia over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Autotrader in Australia held steady at 6.6K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Autotrader’s share of searches among car marketplaces in Australia held steady, from 0.62% to 0.74%.

How did search popularity change for Australia car marketplaces in September 2026?

5 changes

  1. In September 2026, CarsGuide gained share of searches among car marketplaces in Australia, from 2.5% to 3%.

  2. In September 2026, carsales lost share of searches among car marketplaces in Australia, from 93.4% to 92.1%.

  3. Carma’s share of searches among car marketplaces in Australia has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.7% to 2.5% in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Drive in Australia rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 8.1K to 9.9K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Gumtree in Australia fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 4.4K in September 2026.

How are Autotrader’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Autotrader’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • autotrader australia

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns Autotrader?

Autotrader is owned by CarsGuide. Brandwave also tracks CarsGuide, owned by the same company, in Australia.

Do you work for Autotrader? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

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