Who Owns CarGurus?
CarGurus is the automotive marketplace brand of CarGurus, Inc., a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: CARG) headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 2006 by TripAdvisor co-founder Langley Steinert, CarGurus operates the most visited digital car platform in the US plus the CarOffer wholesale marketplace and PistonHeads. Quarterly revenue reached $232 million in Q3 2026.
Parent Company
Founded
2006
Status
Private
Headquarters
North America EuropeOfficial Website
Who Owns CarGurus?
- Parent Company: CarGurus, Inc.
- Ownership Type: Brand division
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NASDAQ: CARG
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| CarGurus | CarGurus, Inc. | Brand division |
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History of CarGurus
- Founded: 2006
- Founders: Langley Steinert
Steinert founded CarGurus in Boston in 2006 after building TripAdvisor into a travel giant. His insight was that car buyers lacked the price transparency that had transformed travel, and that data-driven deal ratings could do for cars what reviews did for hotels.
The site's signature feature, rating listings as Great, Good, Fair, or Overpriced based on market data, made it the most analytical of the major car shopping platforms and drove rapid growth in organic traffic.
CarGurus became the most visited auto shopping site in the US and IPO'd on NASDAQ in October 2017 at $16 per share. The CarOffer acquisition in 2021 added a dealer wholesale marketplace to the consumer business.
Under Trevisan the company expanded dealer tools, launched the Digital Deal and retail transaction features, and in 2024 and 2025 pushed deeper into AI-driven search and dealer intelligence. Q3 2026 revenue reached $232 million, up 2% year over year, with marketplace revenue growing faster at 13% as the wholesale business absorbed the auto market's correction.
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About CarGurus, Inc.
What does CarGurus do?
CarGurus operates the most visited US car shopping marketplace, where consumers compare listings rated by deal quality, plus the CarOffer dealer wholesale marketplace. Dealers pay for subscriptions and transactions.
Is CarGurus publicly traded?
Yes. CarGurus, Inc. trades on NASDAQ under the ticker CARG, public since its October 2017 IPO.
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Who founded CarGurus?
Langley Steinert, a co-founder of TripAdvisor, founded CarGurus in Boston in 2006. He stepped down as CEO in 2021; Jason Trevisan now leads the company.
Where is CarGurus headquartered?
CarGurus is headquartered at 1001 Boylston Street in Boston, Massachusetts, operating in the US, Canada, and UK.
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How much revenue does CarGurus make?
Q3 2026 revenue was $232 million, up 2% year over year, with marketplace revenue up 13%. Net income was $42.9 million for the quarter.
What is CarOffer?
CarOffer is CarGurus's dealer-to-dealer wholesale marketplace, acquired in 2021, letting dealers buy and sell inventory digitally.
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- Founded: 2006
- Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NASDAQ: CARG
- Revenue: $232 million (Q3 2026)
- Employees: Approximately 1,400
Where Is CarGurus Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
CarGurus Categories & Tags
Awards & Recognition
CarGurus is consistently the most visited US automotive marketplace by traffic measures and regularly wins dealer satisfaction and product awards in the automotive digital retail category. The company's data journalism on car pricing is widely cited in industry coverage.
CarGurus Recalls & Controversies
CarGurus has faced routine dealer pricing disputes and the standard marketplace critiques around lead quality, but no material regulatory actions. The company operates in a sector with active regulatory attention on dealer fees and auto lending, which touches its marketplace indirectly.
CarGurus Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Top-traffic position gives unmatched reach to car buyers
- +Public company transparency and a profitable subscription model
- +Data moat in pricing intelligence is difficult to replicate
- +CarOffer diversifies revenue into the wholesale channel
Considerations
- -Dealer budget cycles directly drive revenue
- -AI search threatens the traffic funnel that the marketplace model depends on
- -Concentrated dealer-customer base limits pricing power
- -Auto market volatility swings marketplace volumes
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Frequently Asked Questions About CarGurus
Sources & Further Reading
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Competitors to CarGurus
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmax | USA | 1993 | Market leader | United states | All-ages |
Learn More About Competitors
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: CarGurus competes with 1 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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CarGurus, Inc. Stock Information
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