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Auto Remarketing
Study finds AI raises dealerships' internet lead responsiveness, but creates added risks
February 2026
They say records are made to be broken.
In the case of auto dealerships' responsiveness to internet leads, it seems they're made to be broken every year.
For the fourth consecutive year, the industry average for responding to inquiries submitted through dealership websites soared to an all-time high in the 2026 Pied Piper PSI Internet Lead Effectiveness Auto Industry Study.
The study, in its 15th year, showed franchise dealerships representing 33 brands averaged an Internet Lead Effectiveness score of 71 on Pied Piper's 100-point scale, a six-point jump from last year's average of 65. The top brand, Infiniti, also shattered a record with an average score of 82 among its dealerships, up nine points year-over-year and well above the record of 77 set last year by Subaru.
Cadillac (77) was second in the 2026 brand rankings, followed by Honda — up 11 points to 76 — and Acura, Subaru and Toyota tied at 75.
In all, 26 of the brands improved their scores from the 2025 study, three of them gaining more than 10 points, while just six declined. Chevrolet was the most improved, rising 14 points to 74 and lifting its ranking from 25th to seventh.
