CarGurus has announced the winners of its annual Top Dealer Awards, recognizing the businesses that are raising the bar for digital retail innovation and customer experience.
The CarGurus Top Dealer Awards, now in their 12th year, recognize dealerships across the US that have demonstrated consistently exceptional customer service, value and trust over the past 12 months, all while embracing digital retail tools that make it easier for shoppers to find their perfect car.
The awards are informed by verified customer reviews left for dealers on the CarGurus platform within the past 12 months, as well as an analysis of CarGurus vehicle listings data over the same period. With fewer than 10% of dealers earning recognition, a Top Dealer Award has become a mark of trust that shoppers can rely on when deciding where to buy.
For 2026, the Top Dealer Awards continue with three categories: Top Rated Dealer, Top Value Dealer, and Top Digital Dealer. You can find out all about these below.
CarGurus Top Dealer Awards 2026
- Top Rated Dealer Award
- Top Value Dealer Award
- Top Digital Dealer Award
- How to Find an Award Winning Dealership
Top Rated Dealer Award
The long-running Top Rated Dealer Award celebrates dealers who have received an average dealer rating from CarGurus car shoppers of 4.5 out of 5 stars or higher.
As a pioneer in adding dealer ratings to used car listings, CarGurus makes it easy for shoppers to identify businesses they can trust. Shoppers are invited to review a dealership once they have submitted a lead via the CarGurus website or app, leaving a star rating alongside space for additional comments. Once approved by CarGurus, those reviews appear on any vehicle listings a dealership has on the CarGurus platform, as well as on the dealer's showroom page on CarGurus.
Top Value Dealer Award
Deal ratings, which help shoppers understand how the price of a particular vehicle compares to others they could buy, are another of the innovations that CarGurus introduced to the vehicle listings market. CarGurus deal ratings range from 'Great Deal' all the way through to 'Overpriced', and are based on extensive analysis of thousands of similar cars currently and recently listed for sale.
Introduced in 2024, the Top Value Dealer Award recognizes the dealerships that consistently deliver excellent value on car pricing. It returns for 2026 and is given to the top 100 dealerships on CarGurus with the highest percentage of vehicle deal ratings classified as 'Good' or 'Great', giving consumers an added layer of transparency as they browse vehicles for sale.
Top Digital Dealer Award
The other category introduced in 2024, the Top Digital Dealer Award also returns for 2026. It recognizes the top 100 dealers leading the way in digital retail on the CarGurus platform, awarded to the businesses with the highest percentage of inventory available for online transactions and consumer engagement through actions such as financing and deposits.
How to Find an Award Winning Dealership
For car-buyers, tracking down a top-rated dealership on CarGurus is now easier than ever. Just visit our Top Dealer Awards page where you can view all the 2026 winners. You'll also find on-site badging on qualifying cars listed for sale on CarGurus, and winning businesses are awarded a physical plaque to display in their dealership.
Speaking about the CarGurus Top Dealer Awards, Sam Zales, President and COO of CarGurus, said: “CarGurus is guided by a mission to make car shopping more transparent and trustworthy, and our Top Dealer Award winners help bring that to life.
“These awards recognize the dealers who consistently stand out, while giving shoppers another trusted signal as they decide where to buy their next car.”
