Fullpath Reports 37% Surge in Dealership Conversions as Cost Per Lead Hits Year Low

In a press release, Fullpath reported that its April 2026 Auto Intelligence Index found dealership digital ad conversions rose 37.3% compared to the previous year while cost per lead dropped 14.8%, reaching its lowest level in 12 months. The data is based on aggregated analytics from franchised dealerships across the United States.

Google Search campaigns accounted for 64% of total dealership ad investment and remained the most cost efficient channel at about 28.50 dollars per lead. Spending on Google's Performance Max increased 47% year over year, while conversions more than doubled and cost per lead declined by over 33%.

Advertising diversification also grew. Certified pre owned ad investment increased 69%, fixed operations spending rose 57%, and used inventory campaigns climbed nearly 28%. Spending on trade in campaigns fell 17%, indicating a shift toward inventory marketing.

Fullpath's analysis also found that when a car shopper sends their sixth message to an AI chatbot, conversion likelihood rises sixfold to a 45.6% probability. Traffic from AI chat sources increased 34.5% in March 2026, with ChatGPT maintaining the largest share and Google Gemini expanding to 8.5% of AI driven visits.

Dealership website traffic rose 10% overall, while average days supply dropped from 95 to 82 days since late 2025. Brands such as Acura and Stellantis saw inventory declines of 31.4% and 25% respectively, suggesting faster sales movement across the market.