Leading Brands in the Automotive Marketplaces & Retailers: Q1 2025 Analysis

Introduction

In Q1 2025, the automotive marketplace in the United States witnessed dynamic digital engagement from leading brands such as CarGurus LLC, Carvana, and Cars.com. These brands showcased significant monthly audience metrics across their websites and apps. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data provides valuable insights into their performance, highlighting web and app usage trends, audience engagement, and advertising strategies. This article delves into each brand's performance from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025.

CarGurus LLC

CarGurus LLC is renowned for its robust digital presence, primarily through its website, cargurus.com, and the CarGurus: Used & New Cars app.

• Monthly Audience Trends: CarGurus showed a notable increase in its monthly true audience, surpassing 10M by March 2025. The website consistently attracted more visitors than the app, with over 89M unique visits in March.

• Monthly App Engagement: The app saw a steady rise in monthly active users, reaching over 2.1M by March 2025, indicating a growing preference for mobile experiences.

• Monthly Ad Spend & Channels: CarGurus increased its monthly advertising spend significantly in January 2025, exceeding $1.6M, with a focus on OTT and Facebook channels, achieving over 100M impressions.

Carvana

Carvana's digital strategy is prominently featured through its website, carvana.com, and the Carvana: Buy/Sell Used Cars app.

• Monthly Audience Trends: Carvana's monthly true audience grew steadily, reaching approximately 8.9M by March 2025. The website remained the dominant platform, with unique visits peaking at around 8.4M in March.

• Monthly App Engagement: The app's monthly active users increased to over 900K by March 2025, reflecting a consistent upward trend in mobile engagement.

• Monthly Ad Spend & Channels: Carvana allocated significant resources to advertising, with a peak monthly spend of over $4.4M in January 2025, primarily leveraging OTT and Instagram for broad audience reach.

Cars.com

Cars.com is notable for its comprehensive digital offerings through its website, cars.com, and the Cars.com - New & Used Cars app.

• Monthly Audience Trends: Cars.com witnessed a monthly true audience increase to about 8.9M by March 2025, with web traffic growing substantially, reaching 7.9M unique visits.

• Monthly App Engagement: The app demonstrated strong growth, with monthly active users climbing to over 1.6M by March 2025, highlighting its increasing importance in their digital strategy.

• Monthly Ad Spend & Channels: Cars.com maintained a steady monthly advertising presence, spending over $3.1M in January 2025, with significant investment in Facebook and Instagram channels.

Conclusion

The first quarter of 2025 showcased robust digital engagement and strategic advertising efforts by leading brands in the automotive marketplaces and retailers category. Sensor Tower's data underscores the importance of cross-platform insights, providing a comprehensive view of web and app interactions. Our unparalleled data offerings, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, are essential for understanding consumer behavior in this competitive landscape. These insights offer unique advantages for decision-makers, empowering them to make informed strategic choices.