Automotive AI State of the Union 2026

Data-Driven Dealership Benchmarks

Unbiased performance metrics aggregated from over 4,000 dealership deployments across North America. Benchmark your operations against the top 1%.

23%
Missed Call Leakage

Industry average for dealership inbound calls that go entirely unanswered during core hours.

+5% vs 2024
42h
Digital Response Lag

The current mean first-response time for digital inquiries across all franchise brands.

Target: 5 min
35%
After-Hours Inbound

Proportion of total weekly lead volume that occurs outside of standard opening hours.

Accelerating
4.2x
Aggregated AI ROI

The benchmark return on platform investment after 12 months of deployment.

Verified Data

Executive Deep-Dive

The "First Touch" Advantage

Data shows 78% of shoppers buy from the first dealer to provide a context-rich response. AI reduces this lag to under 45 seconds.

Lead Recovery Potential

Average BDCs "discard" 40% of leads as dead. AI re-engagement sequences surface active buyers within that same 40% segment.

ROI Efficiency by Lead Volume

Mid-Size (100-300 leads)2.8x ROI
High-Output (300-800 leads)4.5x ROI
Enterprise (800+ leads)7.2x ROI
Data verified December 2025 across 1,200 active North American locations.

Audit Your Specific Performance

Numbers are generic, results are specific. Use our ROI simulator to calculate your dealership's exact revenue recapture potential.