Cars.com Announces Dealer of the Year Awards for 2026
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 18 2026
0mins
Should l Buy CARS?
Source: Newsfilter
- Dealer of the Year Awards: Cars.com has announced the winners of the 2026 Dealer of the Year Awards, recognizing dealerships in the U.S. and Canada that provide exceptional car-buying experiences, highlighting the importance of high-quality service to consumers.
- Consumer Review Data: In 2025, Cars.com collected nearly 1.3 million consumer reviews to determine the award winners, showcasing the platform's leading position in the automotive industry with a total of 16 million reviews.
- Increased Response Rates: Nearly 90% of the award-winning dealerships actively respond to customer reviews, compared to only 52% of non-winning dealerships, indicating a direct correlation between high response rates and customer satisfaction, thereby enhancing consumer trust.
- Smart Response Tool: Cars.com offers an AI-driven Smart Response tool that improves dealerships' response speed and quality, helping them maintain a competitive edge in a crowded market, thus enhancing customer communication and visibility.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy CARS?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on CARS
Wall Street analysts forecast CARS stock price to rise
4 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 8.020
Low
16.00
Averages
19.33
High
25.00
Current: 8.020
Low
16.00
Averages
19.33
High
25.00
About CARS
Cars.com Inc., doing business as Cars Commerce Inc., is an audience-driven technology company. It is engaged in car buying and selling with products, solutions and machine-learning model-driven artificial intelligence technologies that span pretail, retail and post-sale activities. Cars Commerce platform is organized over four brands: the flagship automotive marketplace and dealer reputation site Cars.com, digital retail technology and marketing services from Dealer Inspire and D2C Media, essential trade-in and appraisal technology from AccuTrade, and media solutions from the Cars Commerce Media Network. It enables shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and connect with automotive retailers. Cars.com enables dealerships and original equipment manufacturers with solutions and data-driven intelligence. Its products and solutions have attracted over 19,200 franchise and independent dealer customers across the United States and Canada.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Cars.com Announces Dealer of the Year Awards for 2026
- Dealer of the Year Awards: Cars.com has announced its 2026 Dealer of the Year Awards, recognizing top automotive dealers in the U.S. and Canada, which aims to enhance consumer trust by highlighting dealerships that provide exceptional car-buying experiences.
- Consumer Review Data: In 2025, Cars.com evaluated nearly 1.3 million consumer reviews to determine the award winners, emphasizing the critical role of customer feedback in improving dealer service quality and responsiveness.
- Response Rate Comparison: Nearly 90% of the award-winning dealers actively respond to customer reviews, compared to only 52% of non-winning dealers, illustrating a direct correlation between high response rates and customer satisfaction.
- Smart Response Tool: The AI-assisted Smart Response tool provided by Cars.com enhances dealers' response speed and quality, enabling them to maintain a competitive edge and improve communication with customers in a highly competitive market.
See More
Cars.com Announces Dealer of the Year Awards for 2026
- Dealer of the Year Awards: Cars.com has announced the winners of the 2026 Dealer of the Year Awards, recognizing dealerships in the U.S. and Canada that provide exceptional car-buying experiences, highlighting the importance of high-quality service to consumers.
- Consumer Review Data: In 2025, Cars.com collected nearly 1.3 million consumer reviews to determine the award winners, showcasing the platform's leading position in the automotive industry with a total of 16 million reviews.
- Increased Response Rates: Nearly 90% of the award-winning dealerships actively respond to customer reviews, compared to only 52% of non-winning dealerships, indicating a direct correlation between high response rates and customer satisfaction, thereby enhancing consumer trust.
- Smart Response Tool: Cars.com offers an AI-driven Smart Response tool that improves dealerships' response speed and quality, helping them maintain a competitive edge in a crowded market, thus enhancing customer communication and visibility.
See More
VERTIV HOLDINGS, LUMENTUM HOLDINGS, COHERENT, AND ECHOSTAR SET TO ENTER S&P 500
New Additions to S&P 500: Vertiv Holdings, Lumentum Holdings, Coherent, and Echosstar are set to join the S&P 500 index.
Market Impact: The inclusion of these companies may influence market dynamics and investor strategies as they become part of a major stock index.
See More
Cars.com Inc. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Insights
- Revenue Growth: Cars.com reported fourth-quarter revenue of $183.9 million, reflecting a 2% year-over-year increase, with dealer revenue up 3%, indicating resilience in market demand despite challenging conditions.
- Profitability Maintenance: The company achieved annual revenue of $723 million with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 29.2% and free cash flow of $126 million, demonstrating its ability to maintain profitability while optimizing costs and processes to return capital to shareholders.
- Strategic Shift: New CEO Tobias Hartmann emphasized the integration of the marketplace as the core of future growth, committing to enhancing market trust and customer connections through product integration and organizational improvements, despite the challenges of making difficult decisions.
- Future Outlook: For 2026, the company expects revenue to be flat to up 2%, planning to sustain dealer revenue growth based on ongoing product adoption and customer base expansion, reflecting confidence in future market opportunities.
See More
Midday Market Movers: Significant Gains and Losses for Multiple Companies
- Penn Entertainment Growth: Penn Entertainment reported fourth-quarter revenue of $1.81 billion, exceeding FactSet's estimate of $1.76 billion, leading to a 13% stock price increase, indicating strong performance in the casino and gaming sector that may attract more investor interest.
- Paramount Skydance Optimistic Guidance: The media company anticipates adjusted EBITDA of $900 million for Q1 2026, surpassing analyst expectations of $744.1 million, resulting in a nearly 10% stock price increase, reflecting market confidence in its future performance.
- Walker & Dunlop Poor Guidance: The real estate finance company projected adjusted core earnings of $4.50 to $5 per share, below the FactSet consensus of $5.43, causing a nearly 20% stock price drop, highlighting market concerns about its future profitability.
- Vital Farms Revenue Downgrade: Vital Farms revised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $900 million to $920 million, down from $930 million to $950 million, leading to a 19% stock price decline, reflecting market disappointment in its performance outlook.
See More
Cars.compress Reports Q4 Earnings and 2026 Outlook
- Earnings Performance: Cars.compress reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of $0.44, missing expectations by $0.11, indicating pressure on profitability, while revenue reached $183.9 million, a 1.9% year-over-year increase, slightly exceeding market expectations by $0.46 million, reflecting a modest improvement in revenue growth.
- Future Outlook: For Q1 2026, revenue is expected to be flat to up 1% year-over-year, primarily benefiting from a favorable exit rate for subscription-based Marketplace and website products, although OEM advertising spending is expected to exert near-term pressure, indicating the need for adaptability in changing market conditions.
- Adjusted EBITDA Expectations: The adjusted EBITDA margin for Q1 is projected to be between 26.0% and 27.0%, reflecting changes in revenue mix and slightly elevated technology and compensation expenses, suggesting challenges in cost control for the company.
- Full-Year Outlook: Full-year 2026 revenue is anticipated to be flat to up 2% year-over-year, with dealer revenue growth driven by Marketplace and website repackaging, customer base expansion, and further product adoption, while OEM and national revenue face pressure due to ongoing shifts in OEM advertising investments.
See More
Cars.com Announces Dealer of the Year Awards for 2026
- Dealer of the Year Awards: Cars.com has announced its 2026 Dealer of the Year Awards, recognizing top automotive dealers in the U.S. and Canada, which aims to enhance consumer trust by highlighting dealerships that provide exceptional car-buying experiences.
- Consumer Review Data: In 2025, Cars.com evaluated nearly 1.3 million consumer reviews to determine the award winners, emphasizing the critical role of customer feedback in improving dealer service quality and responsiveness.
- Response Rate Comparison: Nearly 90% of the award-winning dealers actively respond to customer reviews, compared to only 52% of non-winning dealers, illustrating a direct correlation between high response rates and customer satisfaction.
- Smart Response Tool: The AI-assisted Smart Response tool provided by Cars.com enhances dealers' response speed and quality, enabling them to maintain a competitive edge and improve communication with customers in a highly competitive market.
See More
Cars.com Announces Dealer of the Year Awards for 2026
- Dealer of the Year Awards: Cars.com has announced the winners of the 2026 Dealer of the Year Awards, recognizing dealerships in the U.S. and Canada that provide exceptional car-buying experiences, highlighting the importance of high-quality service to consumers.
- Consumer Review Data: In 2025, Cars.com collected nearly 1.3 million consumer reviews to determine the award winners, showcasing the platform's leading position in the automotive industry with a total of 16 million reviews.
- Increased Response Rates: Nearly 90% of the award-winning dealerships actively respond to customer reviews, compared to only 52% of non-winning dealerships, indicating a direct correlation between high response rates and customer satisfaction, thereby enhancing consumer trust.
- Smart Response Tool: Cars.com offers an AI-driven Smart Response tool that improves dealerships' response speed and quality, helping them maintain a competitive edge in a crowded market, thus enhancing customer communication and visibility.
See More
VERTIV HOLDINGS, LUMENTUM HOLDINGS, COHERENT, AND ECHOSTAR SET TO ENTER S&P 500
New Additions to S&P 500: Vertiv Holdings, Lumentum Holdings, Coherent, and Echosstar are set to join the S&P 500 index.
Market Impact: The inclusion of these companies may influence market dynamics and investor strategies as they become part of a major stock index.
See More
Cars.com Inc. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Insights
- Revenue Growth: Cars.com reported fourth-quarter revenue of $183.9 million, reflecting a 2% year-over-year increase, with dealer revenue up 3%, indicating resilience in market demand despite challenging conditions.
- Profitability Maintenance: The company achieved annual revenue of $723 million with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 29.2% and free cash flow of $126 million, demonstrating its ability to maintain profitability while optimizing costs and processes to return capital to shareholders.
- Strategic Shift: New CEO Tobias Hartmann emphasized the integration of the marketplace as the core of future growth, committing to enhancing market trust and customer connections through product integration and organizational improvements, despite the challenges of making difficult decisions.
- Future Outlook: For 2026, the company expects revenue to be flat to up 2%, planning to sustain dealer revenue growth based on ongoing product adoption and customer base expansion, reflecting confidence in future market opportunities.
See More
Midday Market Movers: Significant Gains and Losses for Multiple Companies
- Penn Entertainment Growth: Penn Entertainment reported fourth-quarter revenue of $1.81 billion, exceeding FactSet's estimate of $1.76 billion, leading to a 13% stock price increase, indicating strong performance in the casino and gaming sector that may attract more investor interest.
- Paramount Skydance Optimistic Guidance: The media company anticipates adjusted EBITDA of $900 million for Q1 2026, surpassing analyst expectations of $744.1 million, resulting in a nearly 10% stock price increase, reflecting market confidence in its future performance.
- Walker & Dunlop Poor Guidance: The real estate finance company projected adjusted core earnings of $4.50 to $5 per share, below the FactSet consensus of $5.43, causing a nearly 20% stock price drop, highlighting market concerns about its future profitability.
- Vital Farms Revenue Downgrade: Vital Farms revised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $900 million to $920 million, down from $930 million to $950 million, leading to a 19% stock price decline, reflecting market disappointment in its performance outlook.
See More
Cars.compress Reports Q4 Earnings and 2026 Outlook
- Earnings Performance: Cars.compress reported a Q4 non-GAAP EPS of $0.44, missing expectations by $0.11, indicating pressure on profitability, while revenue reached $183.9 million, a 1.9% year-over-year increase, slightly exceeding market expectations by $0.46 million, reflecting a modest improvement in revenue growth.
- Future Outlook: For Q1 2026, revenue is expected to be flat to up 1% year-over-year, primarily benefiting from a favorable exit rate for subscription-based Marketplace and website products, although OEM advertising spending is expected to exert near-term pressure, indicating the need for adaptability in changing market conditions.
- Adjusted EBITDA Expectations: The adjusted EBITDA margin for Q1 is projected to be between 26.0% and 27.0%, reflecting changes in revenue mix and slightly elevated technology and compensation expenses, suggesting challenges in cost control for the company.
- Full-Year Outlook: Full-year 2026 revenue is anticipated to be flat to up 2% year-over-year, with dealer revenue growth driven by Marketplace and website repackaging, customer base expansion, and further product adoption, while OEM and national revenue face pressure due to ongoing shifts in OEM advertising investments.
See More
