Brandwave

How popular isCars.com in search?

In September 2026, there were an estimated 368K branded searches for Cars.com in United States which held steady over the last 12 months. Cars.com holds 2.9% estimated Share of Search among United States car marketplaces and is ranked 5th of 5 competitors for search popularity.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. Carvana32.3%
  2. CarGurus26.5%
  3. CarMax26.5%
  4. Carfax11.9%
  5. Cars.com2.9%
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Which car marketplaces compete with Cars.com?

Cars.com against car marketplaces in United States, by month

Share of Search by month for Carvana, CarGurus, CarMax, Carfax, Cars.com. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthCarvanaCarGurusCarMaxCarfaxCars.com
Oct 202528.1%28.1%28.1%12.6%3.1%
Nov 202524.2%29.6%29.6%13.3%3.3%
Dec 202528.1%28.1%28.1%12.6%3.1%
Jan 202626.5%26.5%32.3%11.9%2.9%
Feb 202628.1%28.1%28.1%12.6%3.1%
Mar 202628.1%28.1%28.1%12.6%3.1%
Apr 202630.3%24.9%30.3%11.1%3.3%
May 202630.3%24.9%30.3%11.1%3.3%
Jun 202626.5%26.5%32.3%11.9%2.9%
Jul 202630.5%25%30.5%11.2%2.7%
Aug 202630.3%24.9%30.3%11.1%3.3%
Sep 202632.3%26.5%26.5%11.9%2.9%

  1. 1.Carvana

    32.3%

    Moved from 2nd to 1st. 4.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2 points.

  2. 2.CarGurus

    26.5%

    Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 3.4M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.6 points.

  3. 3.CarMax

    26.5%

    Moved from 1st to 3rd. 3.4M estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -3.9 points.

  4. 4.Carfax

    11.9%

    Held 4th. 1.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.

  5. 5.Cars.com

    2.9%

    Held 5th. 368K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

Compare search popularity between Cars.com and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Cars.com

How has branded search demand for Cars.com changed in United States over the last 12 months?

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Cars.com in United States held steady at 368K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cars.com’s estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States held steady, from 3.1% to 2.9%.

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

  1. In September 2026, Carvana overtook CarMax to become the leader among car marketplaces in United States, with 32.3% estimated Share of Search.

  2. In September 2026, CarGurus overtook CarMax to rank 2nd among car marketplaces in United States, with 26.5% estimated Share of Search.

  3. In September 2026, Carfax gained estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States, from 11.1% to 11.9%.

  4. In September 2026, CarMax lost estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States, from 30.3% to 26.5%.

How is Cars.com measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cars.com’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.

1 branded search term

  • cars.com

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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