Carson™ AI makes searching
for a car easier for humans

AI-powered search for smarter shopping

Carson^TM has officially arrived on Cars.com to transform how shoppers move through the car-buying funnel — from discovery to comparison to decision. This new AI-powered, open-text search experience helps shoppers find the right vehicle and dealer for them based on simple, conversational searches. 

Instead of having to know exactly which year, make, model, and trim they want, or navigating countless filters or fixed make/model paths to find them, shoppers can simply search based on their wants and needs:

• “Reliable SUV for my family of five under $30k”
• “Used truck that can tow and has good resale value
• “Good first car for a teen driver”

Carson^TM instantly delivers highly relevant vehicle results, helping shoppers find the right cars faster.

Carson^TM in action: Early performance metrics 

Early results show strong traction:

• Carson^TM already assists about 15% of web and mobile web searches
• Users return 2x more often, save 3x times more vehicles, and convert from search results to detail pages at nearly 30% higher rates
• Shoppers using Carson^TM generate 2x more leads compared to those who don’t use our open-text search¹

What Carson^TM means for dealers

Carson^TM opens a new level of shopper engagement and efficiency. By meeting undecided consumers where they naturally search — with open-text, lifestyle-, or needs-based questions — your inventory now surfaces to a broader range of buyer intent.

Every Carson^TM search sends key shopper details directly into your CRM with each Cars.com lead, giving your team clear visibility into:

• What shoppers value
• What they’re comparing
• What motivates their purchase

This richer context enables your team to have more relevant, timely, and effective conversations with buyers.