Critical Shifts:
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Shoppers Are Moving Faster Than Dealers: Consumers are leveraging AI early in their buying journey to research vehicles and show up more prepared, while dealers are lagging behind in adapting their search strategies. 32% of dealers acknowledge needing to adjust to AI-driven search but have yet to take action.
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Adoption Is High, but ROI Measurement Is Missing: While 82% of dealers actively use AI and 69% expect it to drive revenue growth, only 22% have seen that growth so far. One-third of dealers lack clear metrics to measure AI’s performance, creating a gap between expected financial gain and actual productivity benefits.
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External Partnerships Drive Superior Results: Dealerships that work with external AI partners outperform those operating alone. They report higher optimal usage rates (66% vs. 46%), greater confidence in AI outputs (30% vs. 8%), and a higher likelihood of revenue growth (36% vs. 21%).
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While 82% of dealers report using AI, many have yet to align with how consumers are shopping, particularly in vehicle search, where disruption is well underway.
That’s according to the new Cox Automotive AI in Auto Retail Tracker, a survey of dealership decision-makers and in-market vehicle shoppers on AI adoption, impact, and attitudes. This first set of findings, released Aug. 11, combines survey results from Q1 and Q2 2026.
Cox Automotive AI in Auto Retail Tracker study finds only about one third of dealership respondents feel on par with or ahead of AI trend.
“AI is changing where car shopping starts, and it’s bringing dealers a more informed, more decisive buyer,” said Lori Wittman, president of Retail Solutions at Cox Automotive Inc. “Consumers have already changed how they shop, and dealers are well positioned to meet them where they are.”
AI is changing where car shopping starts, and many consumers are increasingly using AI tools to research vehicles before engaging with dealerships. Dealers see the shift but most haven’t acted on it. The share who know they need to adjust to AI-powered search but haven’t started rose from 26% to 32% – highlighting a growing gap between shopper expectations and dealer strategy.
“AI is no longer something we are testing. It has become part of how we operate every day. Across both sales and service, AI helps us engage customers, answer questions, and make sure opportunities are not missed. We are still early in the journey, but the impact is already significant, and we are excited about what lies ahead,” said Brian Wieland, senior director of used vehicles at Van Horn Auto Group.
Cox Automotive AI in Auto Retail Tracker establishes an industry baseline, with the Q1-2 results finding:
1. Consumers use AI to prepare for dealership interactions – shoppers are adopting AI faster than dealers are adjusting to it, and they’re using it to show up better informed for the conversations that still happen in the store.
- 24% say AI helps them feel more prepared when working with dealerships.
- 63% say they will definitely or probably use AI on their next vehicle purchase.
2. Adoption is high, but measurement is lagging – many dealers are using AI without a clear way to see what it’s delivering.
- 82% of dealers use AI today.
- Top three AI uses: automating routine and/or complex tasks (40%), coordinating customer follow-up (40%), generating content and creative (38%).
- 69% of dealers expect AI to drive sales and revenue growth, but about 1 in 3 either aren’t measuring AI’s impact or have no clarity on how they’re measuring – so most can’t yet see what it’s delivering. Only 22% of AI users report seeing that growth so far.
- The most commonly cited benefits of AI were improved customer experience (28%) and employee productivity (26%).
3. Dealers working with an external AI partner were more likely to report positive AI-related outcomes. They are:
- More likely to say they are using AI optimally (66% vs. 46% without).
- More likely to express high confidence in AI outputs (30% vs. 8% without).
- More likely to report they’ve experienced sales and revenue growth from AI (36% vs. 21% without).
“AI is going to be very beneficial in the future as far as the lead funnel goes. It’s going to take a lot of the guesswork out of determining who’s an actual strong lead, so our people can spend their time and focus on the person who’s most likely to purchase a vehicle,” said Jim Urso, director of pre-owned operations at Bob Loquercio Auto Group.
*The Cox Automotive AI in Auto Retail Tracker surveyed 504 franchise and independent dealers and 1,505 consumers planning to purchase a vehicle within 12 months in Q1, and 483 dealers and 1,502 consumers in Q2. Figures are Q2 2026 unless otherwise noted, with partner comparisons drawn from the combined Q1+Q2 base.
