Brandwave

Car marketplaces in United States:Which are searched most?

In September 2026, Carvana was the most searched among car marketplaces in United States, with an estimated 4.1M branded searches and 32.3% estimated Share of Search within this set.

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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Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the sites people buy and sell cars on. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Share of Search among 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%

This month’s ranking, September 2026

  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 leading brands

Which brand is most popular in search among car marketplaces in United States?

In September 2026, Carvana was the most searched among car marketplaces in United States, with an estimated 4.1M branded searches and 32.3% estimated Share of Search within this set. CarGurus is in 2nd place, 5.8 percentage points behind at 26.5% Share of Search.

United States car marketplaces, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
Carvana28.1% → 32.3%32.3%Sep 202624.2%Nov 20253rd → 1st
CarGurus28.1% → 26.5%29.6%Nov 202524.9%Apr 20261st → 2nd
CarMax28.1% → 26.5%32.3%Jan 202626.5%Sep 20262nd → 3rd
Carfax12.6% → 11.9%13.3%Nov 202511.1%Apr 20264th
Cars.com3.1% → 2.9%3.3%Apr 20262.7%Jul 20265th

Each finding as a sentence

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Carvana’s estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States increased from 28.1% to 32.3%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CarGurus’ estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States decreased from 28.1% to 26.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CarMax’s estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States decreased from 28.1% to 26.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Carfax’s estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States decreased from 12.6% to 11.9%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Carvana’s estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States peaked at 32.3% in September 2026 and was lowest at 24.2% in November 2025.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CarGurus’ estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States peaked at 29.6% in November 2025 and was lowest at 24.9% in April 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CarMax’s estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States peaked at 32.3% in January 2026 and was lowest at 26.5% in September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Carfax’s estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States peaked at 13.3% in November 2025 and was lowest at 11.1% in April 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Carvana rose from 3rd to 1st among car marketplaces in United States.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CarGurus fell from 1st to 2nd among car marketplaces in United States.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CarMax fell from 2nd to 3rd among car marketplaces in United States.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cars.com held steady: its estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

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%.

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