Car shoppers are folding artificial intelligence into how they research vehicles, yet many stores have not adjusted to keep pace, according to survey findings from Cox Automotive.
- Nearly two-thirds of shoppers, 63%, indicated they would probably or definitely use AI for their next vehicle purchase; 82% of dealers already report using it.
- 69% of dealers expected AI to lift sales and revenue, but only 22% of AI users have reported that growth so far.
- Dealers working with an external AI partner more often described their use as optimal and reported direct revenue gains.
A Widening Gap in Vehicle Discovery
Cox Automotive gathered the data for its AI in Auto Retail Tracker through polling of retailers and active vehicle buyers over the first six months of 2026. It found that 63% of shoppers plan to use AI in their next purchase, while 82% of dealers already use it in some form. That mismatch is appearing in how people search for vehicles, with consumers adopting these tools faster than many stores are adjusting their approach. For independent dealers, the shift could influence how shoppers find both vehicles and stores well before any direct contact is made, which puts early visibility at stake for businesses that have not yet responded. The tracker therefore captures both sides of the retail exchange rather than measuring dealer adoption alone. It also compares retailer expectations with results that current users say they have achieved.
Adoption Alone Is Not Producing Revenue
Dealers most often apply these systems to workflow automation, customer follow-up, and content drafting. Even so, the research suggests that using these tools does not by itself assure results. Dealer expectations ran far ahead of confirmed returns: 69% anticipated higher sales or revenue, whereas 22% of current AI users said such gains had occurred. The benefits reported most often were improved customer experience and stronger employee productivity rather than direct revenue. The difference may rest on how a store folds AI into daily work rather than on whether it uses AI at all. In practice, that points to integration and process as the deciding factors.
External Partners Linked to Stronger Results
The survey associated outside AI partnerships with better dealer-reported outcomes. Stores using an external partner more often rated their implementation highly and connected it with gains in sales or revenue. A used-vehicle executive at Van Horn Auto Group described the technology as part of routine sales and service work, including customer engagement and question handling. Taken together, the findings favor purposeful use in established retail tasks over adopting tools simply because they are new.
Clearer Comparisons Matter
A query such as GMC Sierra Canyon can signal that a shopper is comparing two trucks rather than searching for one model. Clear comparison pages give shoppers better context, which matters as more vehicle research begins with an automated answer instead of a traditional results page.
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