In every one of America's 25 biggest metro areas, AI assistants already have a favorite Subaru dealer. This report names all 25. In 19 of 25 metros the AI leader is not the metro's biggest store by review count, and the leaders' average Google rating (4.6★) is no better than the field's (4.6★). Store size and Google ratings do not decide who AI recommends. What the winners share is being close to where the shopper asks, and presence on the short list of sources AI reads in nearly every market. And with 22 of 25 metros still a contested race, the leader in most metros can still change.
Measured with identical non-branded Find / Buy / Service questions asked city by city across each metro, with every city's results weighted by its real search demand - so every metro and every dealer is measured the same way. The full method is at the end of this report.
25 metro AI leaders named
76% of metros: the biggest store is not the AI leader
80% of leaders do not hold their metro's highest Google rating
88% of metros are a contested race
The National 25 - who AI recommends, metro by metro
The dealer AI assistants recommend most in each of the nation's 25 biggest metros. Share of voice: of every time AI named a Subaru dealer in the metro, how often it named this one. AI visibility: how often AI names the dealer at all. Named first: how often it is the very first dealer named.
New York - Koeppel Subaru (based in Long Island City, NY) leads with 24% share of voice, named in 89% of answers, named first 52% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 3.7★.
Los Angeles - Subaru Sherman Oaks (based in Sherman Oaks, CA) leads with 19% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 73% of answers, named first 21% of the time. Google 4.3★, Yelp 3.6★.
Chicago - Berman Subaru of Chicago (based in Chicago, IL) leads with 21% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 83% of answers, named first 59% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 3.3★.
Dallas-Fort Worth - Five Star Subaru (based in Grapevine, TX) leads with 22% share of voice, named in 73% of answers, named first 22% of the time. Google 4.8★, Yelp 3.9★.
Houston - Team Gillman Subaru North (based in Houston, TX) leads with 22% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 90% of answers, named first 20% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 3.4★.
Atlanta - Classic Subaru of Atlanta (based in Atlanta, GA) leads with 24% share of voice, named in 82% of answers, named first 42% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 3.3★.
Washington DC - Beyer Subaru (based in Alexandria, VA) leads with 17% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 64% of answers, named first 26% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 3.6★.
Miami - Subaru of Pembroke Pines (based in Pembroke Pines, FL) leads with 32% share of voice, named in 95% of answers, named first 27% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 3.0★.
Philadelphia - Ciocca Subaru of Philadelphia (based in Philadelphia, PA) leads with 17% share of voice, named in 76% of answers, named first 54% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 2.9★.
Phoenix - AutoNation Subaru Scottsdale (part of the AutoNation group) (based in Scottsdale, AZ) leads with 26% share of voice, named in 85% of answers, named first 29% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 3.4★.
Boston - Cityside Subaru (based in Belmont, MA) leads with 21% share of voice, named in 82% of answers, named first 63% of the time. Google 4.4★, Yelp 2.6★.
Riverside - Subaru of Ontario (based in Ontario, CA) leads with 22% share of voice, named in 53% of answers, named first 33% of the time. Google 4.4★, Yelp 3.0★.
San Francisco Bay Area - Stevens Creek Subaru (based in San Jose, CA) leads with 15% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 39% of answers, named first 35% of the time. Google 4.3★, Yelp 3.8★.
Detroit - Hodges Subaru (based in Ferndale, MI) leads with 22% share of voice, named in 82% of answers, named first 43% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 3.9★.
Seattle - Eastside Subaru (based in Kirkland, WA) leads with 18% share of voice, named in 67% of answers, named first 24% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 3.8★.
Minneapolis-St. Paul - White Bear Subaru (based in Vadnais Heights, MN) leads with 22% share of voice, named in 84% of answers, named first 24% of the time. Google 4.8★, Yelp 3.4★.
Tampa - Subaru of Wesley Chapel (based in Wesley Chapel, FL) leads with 19% share of voice, named in 62% of answers, named first 19% of the time. Google 4.8★, Yelp not rated.
San Diego - Kearny Mesa Subaru (based in San Diego, CA) leads with 31% share of voice, named in 96% of answers, named first 49% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 2.9★.
Denver - Mike Shaw Subaru (based in Denver, CO) leads with 19% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 71% of answers, named first 21% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 3.2★.
Orlando - Sport Subaru (based in Orlando, FL) leads with 32% share of voice, named in 94% of answers, named first 62% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 3.3★.
Charlotte - Subaru South Charlotte (based in Pineville, NC) leads with 24% share of voice, named in 89% of answers, named first 47% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 3.9★.
Baltimore - Heritage Subaru Catonsville (based in Baltimore, MD) leads with 20% share of voice, named in 75% of answers, named first 51% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 3.0★.
St. Louis - Sunset Hills Subaru (based in Sappington, MO) leads with 28% share of voice, named in 91% of answers, named first 29% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 2.8★.
San Antonio - Gillman Subaru San Antonio (based in Selma, TX) leads with 34% share of voice, named in 98% of answers, named first 25% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 2.9★.
Austin - Austin Subaru (based in Austin, TX) leads with 37% share of voice, named in 99% of answers, named first 74% of the time. Google 4.8★, Yelp 3.8★.
Monthly brand and model searches across each metro's measured cities - the demand AI answers compete for:
New York - 53,960 searches per month
Los Angeles - 26,830 searches per month
Denver - 21,940 searches per month
Chicago - 20,100 searches per month
Seattle - 19,280 searches per month
San Francisco Bay Area - 16,480 searches per month
Houston - 16,320 searches per month
Dallas-Fort Worth - 16,110 searches per month
Minneapolis-St. Paul - 14,870 searches per month
San Diego - 12,980 searches per month
Philadelphia - 12,720 searches per month
Atlanta - 10,960 searches per month
Phoenix - 10,830 searches per month
Boston - 9,870 searches per month
Washington DC - 9,740 searches per month
Austin - 9,330 searches per month
San Antonio - 8,900 searches per month
Miami - 8,840 searches per month
Orlando - 8,360 searches per month
Baltimore - 8,290 searches per month
Charlotte - 8,210 searches per month
Tampa - 7,520 searches per month
Detroit - 6,910 searches per month
Riverside - 6,390 searches per month
St. Louis - 5,660 searches per month
What AI reads, nationally
The websites AI cited most when answering shopper questions across the 25 measured metros, as a share of all citations:
dealerrater.com - 12.0% of citations
carfax.com - 7.2% of citations
caredge.com - 6.0% of citations
cars.com - 4.6% of citations
kbb.com - 4.5% of citations
reddit.com - 4.5% of citations
cargurus.com - 3.7% of citations
autotrader.com - 3.2% of citations
yelp.com - 2.4% of citations
capitalone.com - 1.2% of citations
edmunds.com - 1.1% of citations
subaru.com - 0.6% of citations
National insights
AI recommends locally. In 21 of 23 metros, a dealer's share of voice falls as its distance from the metro's center grows - the strongest single force we measured, ahead of ratings and store size. The typical metro leader sits 10 miles from the city center; the typical measured store sits 18.
Different dealers win sales and service. In 15 of 25 metros, the dealer AI recommends for service is not the dealer it recommends for buying. In Los Angeles, Subaru Pacific wins the purchase questions while Subaru Sherman Oaks wins service.
Yelp is a weak spot for some leaders.5 of the 24 metro leaders with a Yelp listing carry a rating below 3 stars. Yelp is a major review source for AI answers, so the gap matters.
Even the leading dealers are absent from many answers. Across the measured metros, even the leading dealer is named in only 80% of AI answers on average - the rest name someone else. AI visibility is contested everywhere, including at the top.
Group and local names win in proportion. Group-branded stores are 3% of the measured field and 4% of the metro leaders - neither side over-performs.
What To Do
Strengthen your profiles on the sites AI reads most. dealerrater.com, carfax.com, cars.com are among the ten most-cited sources in at least 80% of the metros we measured. Strengthen those first: keep your Google Business Profile complete and actively managed, claim your DealerRater page and respond to its reviews, and take part in the local discussions where shoppers ask about dealers. Then add the review sites AI cites in your own market (the source table above shows the national picture).
Build real pages for the nearby markets you want to win. AI recommends locally: in 21 of 23 metros, the dealers it names most are the ones closest to where the shopper asks. You cannot move the store, but you can make your relevance to each nearby market visible. Give every city you serve its own page with real substance: the inventory you deliver there, the drive time from that city, the services those customers use, and reviews from real customers who live there. Thin copies of one page do not help; give AI real local content to cite.
Work on service visibility separately. In 15 of 25 metros, the dealer AI recommends for service is not the dealer it recommends for buying. Winning the sales conversation does not carry over. Service needs its own footprint: service pages on your website, service reviews, and service questions answered on the same sites.
Publish content only your dealership can offer. Leaders and the field are tied on Google ratings (4.6★ to 4.6★), so generic claims about quality do not separate anyone. Give the sites AI reads specific, factual material to cite: your actual inventory, real customer reviews, and the services your store offers - and keep it current.
Know where you stand. Every metro here was measured with the same non-branded questions real shoppers ask, and 22 of 25 metros are a contested race. You cannot aim any of the steps above without knowing your own position: which questions you win, which you lose, and to whom. That is what a dealer-level measurement shows.
Regional footprint
Who leads each sub-market, and where
The dealer AI names most in each sub-market. Each sub-market is measured at its anchor city -
shown with its population - chosen to represent that part of the region; the anchors together
span the metro's major population centers. On the map, each anchor's bubble is sized by its
monthly shopper search demand, so larger circles are the markets with more search activity.
National footprint
The 25 metros, coast to coast
Each bubble is one of America's 25 biggest metro areas, sized by monthly shopper search
demand in its anchor city and numbered by metro rank. The table that follows names the dealer
AI recommends most in each.
Market demand
Where the nation shops
Monthly brand and model searches in each metro's anchor city - the demand AI answers compete
for. Search demand weights and sizes the markets in this report; it is not a sales figure.
Market demand
What the region is searching for
How many shoppers near the region search for each model every month. This is the
demand AI answers compete for, and it sets how much each city counts toward the scores. Search
demand weights the cities in this report; it is not a sales figure.
Metro leaderboard
The National 25 - who AI recommends, metro by metro
The dealer AI assistants recommend most in each of the nation's 25 biggest metros, measured
with identical non-branded Find / Buy / Service questions in each metro's anchor city.
#
Metro
Dealer city
AI leader
Share of voice
AI visibility
Named first
Google
Yelp
1
New York
Long Island City, NY
Koeppel Subaru
24%
89%
52%
4.6★
3.7★
2
Los Angeles
Sherman Oaks, CA
Subaru Sherman Oaks
19%*
73%
21%
4.3★
3.6★
3
Chicago
Chicago, IL
Berman Subaru of Chicago
21%*
83%
59%
4.6★
3.3★
4
Dallas-Fort Worth
Grapevine, TX
Five Star Subaru
22%
73%
22%
4.8★
3.9★
5
Houston
Houston, TX
Team Gillman Subaru North
22%*
90%
20%
4.6★
3.4★
6
Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
Classic Subaru of Atlanta
24%
82%
42%
4.7★
3.3★
7
Washington DC
Alexandria, VA
Beyer Subaru
17%*
64%
26%
4.6★
3.6★
8
Miami
Pembroke Pines, FL
Subaru of Pembroke Pines
32%
95%
27%
4.6★
3.0★
9
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Ciocca Subaru of Philadelphia
17%
76%
54%
4.7★
2.9★
10
Phoenix
Scottsdale, AZ
AutoNation Subaru Scottsdale · AutoNation
26%
85%
29%
4.6★
3.4★
11
Boston
Belmont, MA
Cityside Subaru
21%
82%
63%
4.4★
2.6★
12
Riverside
Ontario, CA
Subaru of Ontario
22%
53%
33%
4.4★
3.0★
13
San Francisco Bay Area
San Jose, CA
Stevens Creek Subaru
15%*
39%
35%
4.3★
3.8★
14
Detroit
Ferndale, MI
Hodges Subaru
22%
82%
43%
4.7★
3.9★
15
Seattle
Kirkland, WA
Eastside Subaru
18%
67%
24%
4.7★
3.8★
16
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Vadnais Heights, MN
White Bear Subaru
22%
84%
24%
4.8★
3.4★
17
Tampa
Wesley Chapel, FL
Subaru of Wesley Chapel
19%
62%
19%
4.8★
-
18
San Diego
San Diego, CA
Kearny Mesa Subaru
31%
96%
49%
4.5★
2.9★
19
Denver
Denver, CO
Mike Shaw Subaru
19%*
71%
21%
4.7★
3.2★
20
Orlando
Orlando, FL
Sport Subaru
32%
94%
62%
4.7★
3.3★
21
Charlotte
Pineville, NC
Subaru South Charlotte
24%
89%
47%
4.5★
3.9★
22
Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
Heritage Subaru Catonsville
20%
75%
51%
4.5★
3.0★
23
St. Louis
Sappington, MO
Sunset Hills Subaru
28%
91%
29%
4.5★
2.8★
24
San Antonio
Selma, TX
Gillman Subaru San Antonio
34%
98%
25%
4.5★
2.9★
25
Austin
Austin, TX
Austin Subaru
37%
99%
74%
4.8★
3.8★
A share marked * is a near-tie: the runner-up's share is within 1 point, and the ranking follows the unrounded scores.
How to read this. Share of voice: of every time AI named
a dealer in this metro, how often it named this one. AI
visibility: how often AI names the dealer at all. Named first: how often it is the very first
dealer named - kept separate from visibility, as always. Bars are scaled to a 50% share.
Regional leaderboard
The regional leaderboard
Who AI recommends most across the region. Share of voice is the headline:
out of every time AI named a dealer, how often it named this one.
AI visibility is how often AI names the dealer at all, and
named first is how often it is the very first dealer named - a dealer can be
named often yet rarely first, so we keep these separate. Cities with more shopper demand count
for more.
Winning patterns
The winners are not who you'd expect
The two things dealers invest in as reputation - store size and Google rating - do not
separate the AI leaders from the field. Most metros are led by a store that is not the biggest
in its market, winning under its own local name.
Where AI's winners rank by store size. Every metro's
dealers, ranked by Google review count; the groups below show where each metro's AI leader
falls in that size order.
Dealer scorecard
Dealer ranking scorecard
Read each grade cell as two numbers: a bold 0-100 grade, and in grey the share of voice it
comes from. The grade is relative - the region's strongest dealer scores 100 and every other
dealer is measured against it. Find, Buy and Service are graded on their own and count equally
toward the Weighted overall. "Weighted" means busier cities count for more: each city's result
is scaled by its monthly search demand before the cities are combined, so how a dealer does
where the shoppers are matters most.
AI sources
Top Sources
The websites AI cited most when answering shopper questions across the region - each shown
as its share of all the citations AI made. Getting listed and well-reviewed on the sources that
rank highest here is how a dealer gets into AI answers.
AI sources
What AI reads, nationally
Store size and ratings do not decide who AI recommends. The clearest national pattern is
what AI reads: the same few sources appear in metro after metro. Each website is shown as its
share of all the citations AI made across the 25 measured metros. Getting listed and
well-reviewed on the sources that rank highest here is how a dealer gets into AI answers.
Market opportunity
Most metros are still up for grabs
The small number next to each metro is the leader's share of voice divided
by the runner-up's - 1.0x means the leader and runner-up are tied.
Contested - the runner-up is within striking distanceHeld - the leader is comfortably aheadBubble size = market size (monthly searches)
Leader's share of voice
Of every time AI named a dealer in that metro, the percentage that went to the metro's
#1 dealer.
Runner-up's share of voice
The same measure for the #2 dealer. The closer the two shares, the closer the race;
a leader can never sit below the dashed line, only above it.
Share of voice = a dealer's AI mentions ÷ all dealers' AI mentions in its metro
Striking distance = the runner-up holds at least the leader's share ÷ 1.2
Market opportunity
Share of Voice vs Share of Demand
This chart plots each dealer's Share of Voice (up)
against its Share of Demand (across). The dashed line is break-even, where the
two are equal. Below it, a dealer's Share of Demand is larger than its Share of Voice - the
clearest gaps to close. Bubbles are sized by Google review count.
At or above its opportunityBelow its opportunity (a gap)Bubble size = Google review count
Share of Voice
When AI assistants recommend dealers in this region, the percentage of those
recommendations that go to this dealer.
Share of Demand
This dealer's slice of the region's shoppers, based on distance: each town's shoppers
count toward the stores nearest them, and busier towns count for more.
Share of voice = a dealer's AI mentions ÷ all dealers' AI mentions
Share of demand = a dealer's nearby demand ÷ all dealers' nearby demand
Regional insights
Regional Insights
These patterns stand out when the region's answers are read together. Each one is
computed from the measured runs behind this report.
National insights
National insights
Beyond the headline story, these patterns stand out when all the metros are read together.
Each one is computed from the measured runs - per-metro results are directional, but these
cross-metro patterns rest on the full national sample.
Recommended actions
What To Do
The patterns in this report are national, but the actions they point to are local - and none
of them requires being the biggest store in the market. Five places to start, each grounded in
what this measurement found.
Methodology
Methodology
We asked non-dealer branded questions - where to find, buy, and service a Subaru - city by city across each of America's 25 biggest metro areas, and recorded which dealerships each AI assistant named and in what order. Every Subaru dealership in the metro's measured footprint is included, and dealers are never named in the questions, so every dealer is measured the same way. Each city's results are weighted by its real search demand, and every metro gets the identical question set, which is what makes the cross-metro patterns comparable.
Read each metro's result as one measurement in time. AI answers vary run to run, and in a closely contested metro the top spots can trade places between measurements. The national patterns, aggregated across all the metros, are the robust layer of this report. Share of voice, visibility, and named-first are always reported separately. Metro population figures are US Census Bureau estimates; search demand is Google search volume; dealer ratings are Google Business Profile, DealerRater, and Yelp.
Related reports
Related Reports
The national report this regional report belongs to, and sibling regions as they publish.
Regional reports
Regional Reports
Metro-level reports, each ranking the dealers AI
recommends across that metro, city by city.
Next step · For your dealership
Custom Dealer Reports
This regional report shows how AI sees the whole market. A Custom
Dealer Report goes deeper on one dealership: yours.
This national report shows how AI sees dealers across
America's biggest metros. A Custom Dealer Report goes deeper on one dealership: yours.
Every month, CarGenius runs the questions your buyers ask across the major AI engines and
reports how often AI names you versus each competitor, scores your Find, Buy, and Service
visibility, verifies your marketplace presence, and ranks what to fix by effort and impact.
How often AI names each dealer across this month's shopping prompts
Your Dealership
54%
Competitor A
41%
Competitor B
33%
Competitor C
27%
FIND
72/100
BUY
41/100
SERVICE
58/100
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PA","near_tie":false,"leader":"Ciocca Subaru of Philadelphia","group":null,"sov":0.1677,"visibility":0.7632,"first_rate":0.5416,"google":4.7,"dealerrater":4.9,"yelp":2.9},{"rank":10,"metro":"Phoenix","anchor":"Phoenix, AZ","home":"Scottsdale, AZ","near_tie":false,"leader":"AutoNation Subaru Scottsdale","group":"AutoNation","sov":0.2553,"visibility":0.8454,"first_rate":0.2944,"google":4.6,"dealerrater":4.5,"yelp":3.4},{"rank":11,"metro":"Boston","anchor":"Boston, MA","home":"Belmont, MA","near_tie":false,"leader":"Cityside Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.2086,"visibility":0.8229,"first_rate":0.6289,"google":4.4,"dealerrater":4.9,"yelp":2.6},{"rank":12,"metro":"Riverside","anchor":"Riverside, CA","home":"Ontario, CA","near_tie":false,"leader":"Subaru of Ontario","group":null,"sov":0.2177,"visibility":0.5335,"first_rate":0.3285,"google":4.4,"dealerrater":4.6,"yelp":3.0},{"rank":13,"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","anchor":"San Francisco, CA","home":"San Jose, CA","near_tie":true,"leader":"Stevens Creek Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.1478,"visibility":0.3865,"first_rate":0.352,"google":4.3,"dealerrater":4.4,"yelp":3.8},{"rank":14,"metro":"Detroit","anchor":"Detroit, MI","home":"Ferndale, MI","near_tie":false,"leader":"Hodges Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.2237,"visibility":0.8185,"first_rate":0.428,"google":4.7,"dealerrater":null,"yelp":3.9},{"rank":15,"metro":"Seattle","anchor":"Seattle, WA","home":"Kirkland, WA","near_tie":false,"leader":"Eastside Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.1841,"visibility":0.6665,"first_rate":0.237,"google":4.7,"dealerrater":4.8,"yelp":3.8},{"rank":16,"metro":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","anchor":"Minneapolis, MN","home":"Vadnais Heights, MN","near_tie":false,"leader":"White Bear Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.2248,"visibility":0.836,"first_rate":0.2368,"google":4.8,"dealerrater":4.8,"yelp":3.4},{"rank":17,"metro":"Tampa","anchor":"Tampa, FL","home":"Wesley Chapel, FL","near_tie":false,"leader":"Subaru of Wesley Chapel","group":null,"sov":0.1898,"visibility":0.6215,"first_rate":0.1865,"google":4.8,"dealerrater":4.7,"yelp":null},{"rank":18,"metro":"San Diego","anchor":"San Diego, CA","home":"San Diego, CA","near_tie":false,"leader":"Kearny Mesa Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.3102,"visibility":0.9628,"first_rate":0.4858,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":4.4,"yelp":2.9},{"rank":19,"metro":"Denver","anchor":"Denver, CO","home":"Denver, CO","near_tie":true,"leader":"Mike Shaw Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.194,"visibility":0.7065,"first_rate":0.2137,"google":4.7,"dealerrater":4.8,"yelp":3.2},{"rank":20,"metro":"Orlando","anchor":"Orlando, FL","home":"Orlando, FL","near_tie":false,"leader":"Sport Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.3198,"visibility":0.9415,"first_rate":0.6171,"google":4.7,"dealerrater":5.0,"yelp":3.3},{"rank":21,"metro":"Charlotte","anchor":"Charlotte, NC","home":"Pineville, NC","near_tie":false,"leader":"Subaru South Charlotte","group":null,"sov":0.2419,"visibility":0.8927,"first_rate":0.4738,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":4.5,"yelp":3.9},{"rank":22,"metro":"Baltimore","anchor":"Baltimore, MD","home":"Baltimore, MD","near_tie":false,"leader":"Heritage Subaru Catonsville","group":null,"sov":0.1964,"visibility":0.7493,"first_rate":0.5102,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":4.7,"yelp":3.0},{"rank":23,"metro":"St. Louis","anchor":"St. Louis, MO","home":"Sappington, MO","near_tie":false,"leader":"Sunset Hills Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.2836,"visibility":0.9104,"first_rate":0.2887,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":4.7,"yelp":2.8},{"rank":24,"metro":"San Antonio","anchor":"San Antonio, TX","home":"Selma, TX","near_tie":false,"leader":"Gillman Subaru San Antonio","group":null,"sov":0.3431,"visibility":0.98,"first_rate":0.2544,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":null,"yelp":2.9},{"rank":25,"metro":"Austin","anchor":"Austin, TX","home":"Austin, TX","near_tie":false,"leader":"Austin Subaru","group":null,"sov":0.3739,"visibility":0.987,"first_rate":0.7441,"google":4.8,"dealerrater":4.8,"yelp":3.8}]
[{"title":"AI recommends locally","html":"In <strong>21 of 23</strong> metros, a dealer's share of voice falls as its distance from the metro's center grows - the strongest single force we measured, ahead of ratings and store size. The typical metro leader sits <strong>10 miles</strong> from the city center; the typical measured store sits 18."},{"title":"Different dealers win sales and service","html":"In <strong>15 of 25</strong> metros, the dealer AI recommends for service is not the dealer it recommends for buying. In Los Angeles, <strong>Subaru Pacific</strong> wins the purchase questions while <strong>Subaru Sherman Oaks</strong> wins service."},{"title":"Yelp is a weak spot for some leaders","html":"<strong>5 of the 24</strong> metro leaders with a Yelp listing carry a rating below 3 stars. Yelp is a major review source for AI answers, so the gap matters."},{"title":"Even the leading dealers are absent from many answers","html":"Across the measured metros, even the leading dealer is named in only <strong>80%</strong> of AI answers on average - the rest name someone else. AI visibility is contested everywhere, including at the top."},{"title":"Group and local names win in proportion","html":"Group-branded stores are 3% of the measured field and 4% of the metro leaders - neither side over-performs."}]
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[{"metro":"New York","searches":53960},{"metro":"Los Angeles","searches":26830},{"metro":"Denver","searches":21940},{"metro":"Chicago","searches":20100},{"metro":"Seattle","searches":19280},{"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","searches":16480},{"metro":"Houston","searches":16320},{"metro":"Dallas-Fort Worth","searches":16110},{"metro":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","searches":14870},{"metro":"San Diego","searches":12980},{"metro":"Philadelphia","searches":12720},{"metro":"Atlanta","searches":10960},{"metro":"Phoenix","searches":10830},{"metro":"Boston","searches":9870},{"metro":"Washington DC","searches":9740},{"metro":"Austin","searches":9330},{"metro":"San Antonio","searches":8900},{"metro":"Miami","searches":8840},{"metro":"Orlando","searches":8360},{"metro":"Baltimore","searches":8290},{"metro":"Charlotte","searches":8210},{"metro":"Tampa","searches":7520},{"metro":"Detroit","searches":6910},{"metro":"Riverside","searches":6390},{"metro":"St. Louis","searches":5660}]
{"pattern_title":"The biggest store does not always win","pattern_html":"In 19 of 25 metros, the dealer AI recommends most is not the metro's biggest store by Google review count. The most extreme example: Koeppel Subaru leads New York while ranking #19 of 28 stores by review count.","fine_html":"<strong>The ratings tie.</strong> Metro leaders average 4.6★ on Google against a 4.6★ field average - nearly every store holds a strong rating, so ratings alone do not separate the leaders from the field. Group membership is read from the dealership's own name (a store owned by a group but branded locally counts as local), and review counts select who we measure - they never enter the score.","buckets":[{"count":6,"title":"The metro's biggest store wins","sub":"size predicted the winner","items":[{"metro":"Austin","pos":"#1 of 3"},{"metro":"Houston","pos":"#1 of 5"},{"metro":"Phoenix","pos":"#1 of 5"},{"metro":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","pos":"#1 of 6"},{"metro":"Miami","pos":"#1 of 7"},{"metro":"Denver","pos":"#1 of 9"}]},{"count":12,"title":"A top-half store wins","sub":"big, but not the biggest","items":[{"metro":"San Antonio","pos":"#2 of 3"},{"metro":"Orlando","pos":"#3 of 5"},{"metro":"Atlanta","pos":"#3 of 6"},{"metro":"Charlotte","pos":"#3 of 6"},{"metro":"Baltimore","pos":"#5 of 11"},{"metro":"Tampa","pos":"#4 of 9"},{"metro":"Dallas-Fort Worth","pos":"#3 of 7"},{"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","pos":"#4 of 11"},{"metro":"Philadelphia","pos":"#6 of 18"},{"metro":"Chicago","pos":"#5 of 18"},{"metro":"Seattle","pos":"#3 of 11"},{"metro":"Riverside","pos":"#2 of 10"}]},{"count":7,"title":"A bottom-half store wins","sub":"the winner is a smaller store","items":[{"metro":"Detroit","pos":"#5 of 6"},{"metro":"Boston","pos":"#12 of 15"},{"metro":"San Diego","pos":"#3 of 4"},{"metro":"St. Louis","pos":"#3 of 4"},{"metro":"Washington DC","pos":"#9 of 13"},{"metro":"New York","pos":"#19 of 28"},{"metro":"Los Angeles","pos":"#8 of 12"}]}]}
[{"value":"76%","label":"of metros: the biggest store (by review count) is not the AI leader"},{"value":"80%","label":"of leaders do not hold their metro's highest Google rating"},{"value":"96%","label":"of leaders carry their own local name, not a national group brand"},{"value":"36%","label":"of leaders are based in the metro's busiest shopping city"}]
[{"group":"AutoNation","metros":"1 metro"}]
{"groups":[{"key":"contested","count":22,"title":"Contested races","sub":"the runner-up is within striking distance","items":[{"metro":"Los Angeles","ratio":1.01},{"metro":"Washington DC","ratio":1.03},{"metro":"Houston","ratio":1.03},{"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","ratio":1.03},{"metro":"San Antonio","ratio":1.03},{"metro":"Orlando","ratio":1.04},{"metro":"Chicago","ratio":1.04},{"metro":"Denver","ratio":1.05},{"metro":"Phoenix","ratio":1.05},{"metro":"Charlotte","ratio":1.06},{"metro":"Baltimore","ratio":1.06},{"metro":"Riverside","ratio":1.06},{"metro":"Atlanta","ratio":1.06},{"metro":"Philadelphia","ratio":1.07},{"metro":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","ratio":1.09},{"metro":"St. Louis","ratio":1.1},{"metro":"Boston","ratio":1.1},{"metro":"Dallas-Fort Worth","ratio":1.12},{"metro":"Austin","ratio":1.14},{"metro":"Seattle","ratio":1.18},{"metro":"San Diego","ratio":1.18},{"metro":"Tampa","ratio":1.19}]},{"key":"clear","count":3,"title":"Clear leads","sub":"comfortably ahead, but not out of reach","items":[{"metro":"Detroit","ratio":1.2},{"metro":"Miami","ratio":1.24},{"metro":"New York","ratio":1.8}]}],"scatter":[{"metro":"New York","full":"New York","dealer":"Koeppel Subaru","leader":0.2378,"runner":0.1319,"searches":53960,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Los Angeles","full":"Los Angeles","dealer":"Subaru Sherman Oaks","leader":0.1949,"runner":0.1932,"searches":26830,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Chicago","full":"Chicago","dealer":"Berman Subaru of Chicago","leader":0.2054,"runner":0.1972,"searches":20100,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Dallas","full":"Dallas-Fort Worth","dealer":"Five Star Subaru","leader":0.2171,"runner":0.1943,"searches":16110,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Houston","full":"Houston","dealer":"Team Gillman Subaru North","leader":0.2226,"runner":0.2166,"searches":16320,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Atlanta","full":"Atlanta","dealer":"Classic Subaru of Atlanta","leader":0.242,"runner":0.2285,"searches":10960,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Washington DC","full":"Washington DC","dealer":"Beyer Subaru","leader":0.1709,"runner":0.1666,"searches":9740,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Miami","full":"Miami","dealer":"Subaru of Pembroke Pines","leader":0.3239,"runner":0.2603,"searches":8840,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Philadelphia","full":"Philadelphia","dealer":"Ciocca Subaru of Philadelphia","leader":0.1677,"runner":0.1574,"searches":12720,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Phoenix","full":"Phoenix","dealer":"AutoNation Subaru Scottsdale","leader":0.2553,"runner":0.2439,"searches":10830,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Boston","full":"Boston","dealer":"Cityside Subaru","leader":0.2086,"runner":0.189,"searches":9870,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Riverside","full":"Riverside","dealer":"Subaru of Ontario","leader":0.2177,"runner":0.2057,"searches":6390,"status":"open"},{"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","full":"San Francisco Bay Area","dealer":"Stevens Creek Subaru","leader":0.1478,"runner":0.1432,"searches":16480,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Detroit","full":"Detroit","dealer":"Hodges Subaru","leader":0.2237,"runner":0.1863,"searches":6910,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Seattle","full":"Seattle","dealer":"Eastside Subaru","leader":0.1841,"runner":0.156,"searches":19280,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Minneapolis","full":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","dealer":"White Bear Subaru","leader":0.2248,"runner":0.2057,"searches":14870,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Tampa","full":"Tampa","dealer":"Subaru of Wesley Chapel","leader":0.1898,"runner":0.1592,"searches":7520,"status":"open"},{"metro":"San Diego","full":"San Diego","dealer":"Kearny Mesa Subaru","leader":0.3102,"runner":0.2627,"searches":12980,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Denver","full":"Denver","dealer":"Mike Shaw Subaru","leader":0.194,"runner":0.1856,"searches":21940,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Orlando","full":"Orlando","dealer":"Sport Subaru","leader":0.3198,"runner":0.3088,"searches":8360,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Charlotte","full":"Charlotte","dealer":"Subaru South Charlotte","leader":0.2419,"runner":0.2289,"searches":8210,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Baltimore","full":"Baltimore","dealer":"Heritage Subaru Catonsville","leader":0.1964,"runner":0.1856,"searches":8290,"status":"open"},{"metro":"St. Louis","full":"St. Louis","dealer":"Sunset Hills Subaru","leader":0.2836,"runner":0.2584,"searches":5660,"status":"open"},{"metro":"San Antonio","full":"San Antonio","dealer":"Gillman Subaru San Antonio","leader":0.3431,"runner":0.3315,"searches":8900,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Austin","full":"Austin","dealer":"Austin Subaru","leader":0.3739,"runner":0.327,"searches":9330,"status":"open"}],"intro_html":"Today's leaderboard can still change. In 22 of 25 metros the runner-up is within striking distance of the leader, and no leader anywhere holds a dominant share. The groups below sort the metros by the size of the leader's margin.","scatter_head_html":"<strong>How close every race is.</strong> Each bubble is one metro, sized by market size. Up: the share of voice the leading dealer holds. Across: the share the runner-up holds. On the dashed line, the leader and runner-up hold equal shares. The tinted zone just above it is striking distance; the higher a bubble sits above the line, the larger the leader's margin. 9 of the 10 biggest markets are in the striking-distance zone.","callout_title":"Most answers do not put the leader first","callout_html":"Metro leaders are named in 80% of answers but are the first dealer named in only 38%. How often AI names a dealer and how early it names them are separate measurements, and this report keeps them separate."}
Strengthen your profiles on the sites AI reads most
dealerrater.com, carfax.com, cars.com are among the ten most-cited sources in at least 80% of the metros we measured. Strengthen those first: keep your Google Business Profile complete and actively managed, claim your DealerRater page and respond to its reviews, and take part in the local discussions where shoppers ask about dealers. Then add the review sites AI cites in your own market (the source table above shows the national picture).
Build real pages for the nearby markets you want to win
AI recommends locally: in 21 of 23 metros, the dealers it names most are the ones closest to where the shopper asks. You cannot move the store, but you can make your relevance to each nearby market visible. Give every city you serve its own page with real substance: the inventory you deliver there, the drive time from that city, the services those customers use, and reviews from real customers who live there. Thin copies of one page do not help; give AI real local content to cite.
Work on service visibility separately
In 15 of 25 metros, the dealer AI recommends for service is not the dealer it recommends for buying. Winning the sales conversation does not carry over. Service needs its own footprint: service pages on your website, service reviews, and service questions answered on the same sites.
Publish content only your dealership can offer
Leaders and the field are tied on Google ratings (4.6★ to 4.6★), so generic claims about quality do not separate anyone. Give the sites AI reads specific, factual material to cite: your actual inventory, real customer reviews, and the services your store offers - and keep it current.
Know where you stand
Every metro here was measured with the same non-branded questions real shoppers ask, and 22 of 25 metros are a contested race. You cannot aim any of the steps above without knowing your own position: which questions you win, which you lose, and to whom. That is what a dealer-level measurement shows.
Edmunds, AutoTrader and KBB are cited in every measured metro, but they sit well below the dealers' own sites and local sources - AutoTrader peaks at #8 (Charlotte); KBB peaks at #2 (Chicago); Edmunds never cracks a metro's ten most-cited.
