Car Salesperson Performance Steadies in Q3

The third quarter saw car buyers having a harder time with the purchase process compared to earlier in the year. The Ease of Purchase score CDK tracks every month hit its lowest mark of the year, in the final month of the quarter, with just 79% of car buyers saying it was easy to buy a car.

But customers’ interactions with car salespeople was overall the same from Q2 to Q3. These most recent results are in line with the averages we saw in 2023 and 2024 but give up gains made in 2025 and Q1 2026.

To determine how well salespeople are performing, we ask car buyers if they agreed to the five following statements when it came to their interactions with their salesperson:

• The salesperson made efficient use of my time.
• The salesperson provided clear explanations throughout the process.
• The salesperson demonstrated their product expertise.
• The salesperson was, at all times, professional.
• By the end of all the steps to purchase this vehicle, the salesperson earned my trust.

The Results

In three of the five areas we track, car-buyer sentiment toward the salesperson was flat compared to last quarter. Only demonstrating product expertise and earning trust saw drops. Compared to last year, three areas fell including the expertise question as well as making efficient use of time and providing clear explanations. Earning trust was flat compared to last year.

Unlike last quarter when salesperson scores trailed below our Ease of Purchase Scorecard, this quarter their consistency is above what respondents relayed about the rest of the purchase experience. Nearly every step they completed to buy a car in September was down sharply. And generally, the salesperson scores don’t vary as much month to month, which is why we report results every quarter.

What Customers Said

When we dig into the comments from respondents about car salespeople, they’re generally positive. In fact, last quarter we didn’t find any negative comments aimed at this important part of the dealership team. This quarter, there were a few that focused on pressuring buyers and making them wait too long for the Sales team.

Here are some of those negative comments:

• “The salesperson was intimidating. I couldn't really think for myself as if I was being rushed through [the process].”
• “Well, I really wanted to learn more about the engine and about the transmission, which he didn’t explain to me. I just wanted to learn a little bit more.”
• “Stop acting all happy, like it's something special to buy a new car. Tell me my options and prices up front. I am not your friend. It's transportation.”
• “They could have been more prompt and have more before I got there. Just the back and forth with them was exhausting.”
• “[They should] reduce the time spent waiting around for Sales staff to locate requested vehicles.”

Fortunately, the positive greatly overshadowed the negative. Most respondents relayed that the salesperson was helpful and communicated clearly throughout the process.

• “The staff listened patiently and never rushed me to make a quick decision.”
• “We had a great salesperson who helped us through the process and made it easy. We were selling our other car the same day and she sent an Uber to pick us up to bring us to the dealership to take ownership of our new vehicle.”
• “[We received] friendly service and acted like [they] really cared.”
• “I knew what to expect. I called and spoke to the Finance department prior to my appointment with the salesperson to give them an idea of what I was wanting with my financing. I also spoke with my salesperson a couple times along the way up until the time I was ready to buy.”
• “I had never bought a car before so it was very confusing. But the Sales associate was very accommodating.”
• “I was very lucky to have a great salesperson. Even though I had done most of everything online, he was great explaining everything to me.”
• “[It was] not a hard sell. The salesperson saw I did my homework and didn’t try to bamboozle me.”
• “The dealership staff patiently answered all of our questions and showed us all around. The salesperson was very knowledgeable and introduced us to the mechanics so we could ask questions.”
• “I had a great salesperson that guided me through the process of what I wanted.”