CarGurus Cost Per Lead: What Dealers Should Pay and How to Get More From Each Lead

There's no single CarGurus cost per lead. A lead-tracking vendor's view, relayed on the DealerRefresh forum in February 2024, was that CarGurus should come in below $40 per lead and Cars.com below $50. Other sources put marketplace leads far higher. The number that matters is your own cost per lead, per appointment and per sale, by source.

What do dealers report paying for CarGurus leads?

Sources disagree because packages, markets, inventory and how leads are counted all differ. Calculate your own: monthly marketplace spend ÷ unique leads from that marketplace.

Why cost per lead isn't the number to manage

A $35 lead that never sets an appointment is more expensive than a $60 lead that does. Maritz puts internet appointment set rates at 10% to 40%. At 10%, a $40 lead costs $400 per appointment; at 30%, about $133. Improving set rate on the leads you already buy is usually a bigger lever than negotiating the package.

How do you book more appointments from CarGurus leads?

• Reply in minutes, including evenings and weekends.
• Answer the actual question (availability, price, history) before asking for an appointment.
• Text as well as call.
• Offer alternatives when the car sells.
• Follow up the leads that didn't set, with a structured plan rather than ad hoc calls. See aged internet leads.

Setterly works aged marketplace leads for you by two-way AI text and books test drives and showroom visits. You pay per booked appointment. There is no setup fee and no retainer. CRM integration is optional for a one-off fee. See AI appointment setter for independent dealers.

What's the takeaway?

Track cost per appointment and cost per sale by marketplace, not just cost per lead. Then fix response time and follow-up, starting with the leads you've already paid for. Benchmarks for set and show rates are in BDC appointment set rate benchmarks.