Index
The traditional buyer journey of a used car buyer
What has changed in 2026
Why the car buyer is a good fit for ChatGPT
How the buyer describes their need in ChatGPT vs on Google
Coches.net on ChatGPT: the sign that confirms it
25% of new buyers are already using AI in their process
Where ChatGPT fails as a car search tool
What this means for the independent dealership
GEO and ChatGPT Ads: the two possible responses
Dealcar and visibility in the new buyer journey
Frequently Asked Questions
The traditional buyer journey of a used car buyer
Until recently, the process of buying a used car followed a fairly predictable path. The buyer decided they wanted to buy a car, estimated their budget, searched Google for "used cars [city]" or went directly to Coches.net or AutoScout24, applied filters (price, make, model, mileage, fuel type), compared the available options and contacted one or several dealerships.
In that process, the buyer's first point of contact with the market was always a portal or Google. The dealership only appeared on the buyer's radar once they had already applied their filters and were evaluating specific options.
That process has not disappeared. The majority of used car buyers in Spain still follow it. But there is a new phase that, for a growing number of buyers, occurs before the portal: the conversational orientation phase.
Also see how to measure the real performance of portals in your dealership.
What has changed in 2026
Three things have converged in 2026 to change the buyer journey for a segment of car buyers.
The first is the massive adoption of ChatGPT. Spain has more than 8.5 million weekly ChatGPT users according to OpenAI data. A portion of those users use it for guidance before making major purchasing decisions, especially when the decision involves multiple cross-criteria (budget, car type, fuel, planned use, location).
The second is the improvement in ChatGPT's responses about automotive topics. Unlike two years ago, when ChatGPT responded with generic information about models, in 2026 it can provide more contextualised recommendations based on the buyer's specific situation, compare alternatives and explain the advantages and disadvantages of different vehicle types for a specific use.
The third is the integration of car portals with ChatGPT. In May 2026, Coches.net announced that its vehicles can appear in ChatGPT's responses. That means the conversation on ChatGPT can lead directly to cars available on the market, closing the gap between orientation and the comparison of concrete options.
Why the car buyer is a good fit for ChatGPT
Buying a used car is one of the use cases where ChatGPT adds the most value as a guidance tool, for four reasons.
The first is the complexity of the decision. A used car involves dozens of variables: price, make, model, year, mileage, fuel, transmission, optional extras, maintenance history, DGT eco-label, fuel consumption, estimated maintenance cost. Defining which of those variables to prioritize based on the buyer's personal situation is exactly the type of guidance that ChatGPT can provide better than a keyword search engine.
The second is the natural expression of needs. A buyer who needs "a car that fits in my community car park which has a maximum height of 2.10 metres, with low fuel consumption because I drive 500 km a week, and that does not exceed 20,000 euros" cannot express that using portal filters. They can, however, express it in natural language on ChatGPT.
The third is orientation before the search. Many used car buyers are not sure what type of car they want. They ask ChatGPT for guidance before entering a portal. This is the moment of orientation that portals do not capture, but ChatGPT does.
The fourth is conceptual comparison. "Is a used hybrid better for me or a diesel under current restrictions?" or "Is it worth paying 3,000 euros more for a leasing car with a documented history?" are questions that ChatGPT can answer with nuances that no search engine can provide.
How the buyer describes their need in ChatGPT vs on Google
The difference between how a buyer searches on Google and how they describe their need in ChatGPT is the difference between a keyword and a conversation.
On Google, the buyer summarises their need in 3 or 5 words: "second hand diesel SUV Madrid", "cheap used family car", "used Golf under 80000 km". The search engine requires that need to be compressed into terms that match those indexed by the pages it is going to return.
On ChatGPT, the buyer can explain their entire situation: "I have two children aged 4 and 7, I live on the outskirts of Madrid and I drive 30 km a day to work. I have 16,000 euros to spend and I prefer not to have mechanical problems in the first two years. What type of car would you recommend and why?"
Also see how the used car buyer decides in Spain in 2026.
That conversation contains information that no portal ever receives from the buyer: family situation, driving habits, history of preferences. And that information is exactly what a well-written context hint can capture to display the right ad at the right time.
Coches.net on ChatGPT: the sign that confirms it
The integration of Coches.net with ChatGPT in May 2026 is the clearest sign that industry players consider the conversational channel relevant to the car-buying process.
Coches.net is the largest used car portal in Spain. The fact that it has invested in integrating with ChatGPT before ChatGPT Ads existed as a paid channel in Spain indicates that the portal sees traffic and demand in that channel that justifies the technical investment.
For the independent dealership, this integration has two interpretations. The first is positive: if their cars are on Coches.net, they can appear in ChatGPT responses through the portal at no additional cost. The second is more cautious: if the portal is already integrated with ChatGPT organically, a dealership that also uses ChatGPT Ads can have visibility in the ad block in addition to the portal's organic results.
25% of new buyers are already using AI in their process
According to data from Cox Automotive, 25% of new vehicle buyers in markets with high penetration of ChatGPT and other AI tools are already using AI tools at some point in their buying process. And the majority of those who used them were satisfied with the results.
For the used car market in Spain, that percentage is likely still lower because the AI channel in automotive is newer and the used car buying process has its own consolidated channels. But the direction of change is clear.
It is worth qualifying this data: using AI in the buying process does not mean that ChatGPT has replaced portals. It means that portals are used in combination with AI tools, at different stages of the same process. A buyer who starts on ChatGPT for orientation and ends on Coches.net to compare specific options is using both channels sequentially.
Where ChatGPT fails as a car search tool
ChatGPT is not perfect as a car search tool, and understanding its limitations helps to understand when and how ChatGPT Ads appear in the buyer's process.
The most documented limitation is inaccuracy with real inventory. Until the integration of portals like Coches.net, ChatGPT answered questions about cars using information from its training, which may be outdated. Consumer Reports documented cases in June 2026 of ChatGPT recommending models that are no longer manufactured or confusing versions from different years.
This limitation means that a buyer who uses ChatGPT for guidance eventually has to visit a portal or a dealership website to check what is actually available and at what price. The orientation phase on ChatGPT and the comparison phase on the portal are different stages of the same process.
ChatGPT Ads appear precisely during that orientation moment, when the buyer is forming their criteria and has not yet reached the portal. If the ad shows a real, available car that fits what the buyer is describing, it resolves ChatGPT's limitation (not knowing the real inventory) and moves the buyer directly to the car's details page.
Also read ChatGPT Ads vs car portals for dealerships.
What this means for the independent dealership
For an independent dealership with 15 to 50 cars in stock, the change in the buyer journey has two practical implications.
The first is that a portion of the buyers arriving at their website in 2026 will have previously gone through ChatGPT. That portion may still be small, but it is growing. Ensuring that the dealership's website is visible on ChatGPT (both organically through GEO work and via ChatGPT Ads) is preparation for a channel that is going to grow.
The second is that leads coming from ChatGPT may have greater context than those from other channels: the buyer has had a conversation where they have clearly articulated what they need. This context can make the sales process more efficient if the sales representative takes advantage of it. If a lead arrives with a note saying "I was interested in this car because the AI told me it fits my usage and my budget," the sales representative has information they wouldn't have if the lead came from a click on a portal.
Also read how to structure a dealership's sales funnel.
GEO and ChatGPT Ads: the two possible responses
In response to the change in the buyer journey, there are two ways to build visibility on ChatGPT for a dealership.
The first is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): optimising the organic presence of the dealership so that ChatGPT mentions it in its answers when a buyer asks about used cars in the area. It is the equivalent of organic SEO for traditional search engines: there is no cost per click but it takes time to build. Dealcar's article appear-chatgpt-dealership already covers this part.
Also read how to appear in ChatGPT organically as a dealership.
The second is ChatGPT Ads: paying to appear in the ad block of conversations where the buyer is describing a need that the dealership's stock can resolve. It is the equivalent of SEM: it generates immediate visibility with a cost per click.
Check the complete guide to ChatGPT Ads for dealerships.
The two are not mutually exclusive. A dealership with a good organic presence on ChatGPT that also uses ChatGPT Ads gets visibility in two different parts of the response: in the text generated by the AI (organic) and in the ad block below (paid).
Dealcar and visibility in the new buyer journey
Dealcar manages stock publishing on traditional portals and is developing integration with ChatGPT Ads so that the same inventory also has visibility in the conversational channel. A dealership using Dealcar can be present in the buyer's journey both during the comparison phase on portals and during the orientation phase on ChatGPT.
You can see how the integration with ChatGPT Ads works at dealcar.io/dealcar-boost/chatgpt-para-concesionarios and how to appear organically on ChatGPT at dealcar.io/blog/aparecer-chatgpt-concesionario.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the change in the buyer journey already affecting dealership sales?
In a measurable way for individual dealerships, it is still difficult to quantify because attribution data is incomplete. What is visible is that portals like Coches.net have already invested in integrating with ChatGPT, indicating that the channel has enough usage volume in automotive to justify that investment.
Is a dealership that does nothing on ChatGPT losing leads?
It is probably losing visibility during the orientation phase prior to the portal, but how much that translates into lost leads depends on how many of its potential buyers use ChatGPT during that phase. For a dealership in a large city with younger buyers, the impact may be greater than for one in a rural area with a more mature customer profile.
Can ChatGPT's recommendations about specific makes or models affect the stock a dealership sells?
Potentially yes. If ChatGPT systematically recommends certain models for certain usage profiles, dealerships that have those models in stock are more likely to appear in the context of those recommendations. This is an additional reason for stock composition to be based on actual demand data, not just availability.
Index
The traditional buyer journey of a used car buyer
What has changed in 2026
Why the car buyer is a good fit for ChatGPT
How the buyer describes their need in ChatGPT vs on Google
Coches.net on ChatGPT: the sign that confirms it
25% of new buyers are already using AI in their process
Where ChatGPT fails as a car search tool
What this means for the independent dealership
GEO and ChatGPT Ads: the two possible responses
Dealcar and visibility in the new buyer journey
Frequently Asked Questions
The traditional buyer journey of a used car buyer
Until recently, the process of buying a used car followed a fairly predictable path. The buyer decided they wanted to buy a car, estimated their budget, searched Google for "used cars [city]" or went directly to Coches.net or AutoScout24, applied filters (price, make, model, mileage, fuel type), compared the available options and contacted one or several dealerships.
In that process, the buyer's first point of contact with the market was always a portal or Google. The dealership only appeared on the buyer's radar once they had already applied their filters and were evaluating specific options.
That process has not disappeared. The majority of used car buyers in Spain still follow it. But there is a new phase that, for a growing number of buyers, occurs before the portal: the conversational orientation phase.
Also see how to measure the real performance of portals in your dealership.
What has changed in 2026
Three things have converged in 2026 to change the buyer journey for a segment of car buyers.
The first is the massive adoption of ChatGPT. Spain has more than 8.5 million weekly ChatGPT users according to OpenAI data. A portion of those users use it for guidance before making major purchasing decisions, especially when the decision involves multiple cross-criteria (budget, car type, fuel, planned use, location).
The second is the improvement in ChatGPT's responses about automotive topics. Unlike two years ago, when ChatGPT responded with generic information about models, in 2026 it can provide more contextualised recommendations based on the buyer's specific situation, compare alternatives and explain the advantages and disadvantages of different vehicle types for a specific use.
The third is the integration of car portals with ChatGPT. In May 2026, Coches.net announced that its vehicles can appear in ChatGPT's responses. That means the conversation on ChatGPT can lead directly to cars available on the market, closing the gap between orientation and the comparison of concrete options.
Why the car buyer is a good fit for ChatGPT
Buying a used car is one of the use cases where ChatGPT adds the most value as a guidance tool, for four reasons.
The first is the complexity of the decision. A used car involves dozens of variables: price, make, model, year, mileage, fuel, transmission, optional extras, maintenance history, DGT eco-label, fuel consumption, estimated maintenance cost. Defining which of those variables to prioritize based on the buyer's personal situation is exactly the type of guidance that ChatGPT can provide better than a keyword search engine.
The second is the natural expression of needs. A buyer who needs "a car that fits in my community car park which has a maximum height of 2.10 metres, with low fuel consumption because I drive 500 km a week, and that does not exceed 20,000 euros" cannot express that using portal filters. They can, however, express it in natural language on ChatGPT.
The third is orientation before the search. Many used car buyers are not sure what type of car they want. They ask ChatGPT for guidance before entering a portal. This is the moment of orientation that portals do not capture, but ChatGPT does.
The fourth is conceptual comparison. "Is a used hybrid better for me or a diesel under current restrictions?" or "Is it worth paying 3,000 euros more for a leasing car with a documented history?" are questions that ChatGPT can answer with nuances that no search engine can provide.
How the buyer describes their need in ChatGPT vs on Google
The difference between how a buyer searches on Google and how they describe their need in ChatGPT is the difference between a keyword and a conversation.
On Google, the buyer summarises their need in 3 or 5 words: "second hand diesel SUV Madrid", "cheap used family car", "used Golf under 80000 km". The search engine requires that need to be compressed into terms that match those indexed by the pages it is going to return.
On ChatGPT, the buyer can explain their entire situation: "I have two children aged 4 and 7, I live on the outskirts of Madrid and I drive 30 km a day to work. I have 16,000 euros to spend and I prefer not to have mechanical problems in the first two years. What type of car would you recommend and why?"
Also see how the used car buyer decides in Spain in 2026.
That conversation contains information that no portal ever receives from the buyer: family situation, driving habits, history of preferences. And that information is exactly what a well-written context hint can capture to display the right ad at the right time.
Coches.net on ChatGPT: the sign that confirms it
The integration of Coches.net with ChatGPT in May 2026 is the clearest sign that industry players consider the conversational channel relevant to the car-buying process.
Coches.net is the largest used car portal in Spain. The fact that it has invested in integrating with ChatGPT before ChatGPT Ads existed as a paid channel in Spain indicates that the portal sees traffic and demand in that channel that justifies the technical investment.
For the independent dealership, this integration has two interpretations. The first is positive: if their cars are on Coches.net, they can appear in ChatGPT responses through the portal at no additional cost. The second is more cautious: if the portal is already integrated with ChatGPT organically, a dealership that also uses ChatGPT Ads can have visibility in the ad block in addition to the portal's organic results.
25% of new buyers are already using AI in their process
According to data from Cox Automotive, 25% of new vehicle buyers in markets with high penetration of ChatGPT and other AI tools are already using AI tools at some point in their buying process. And the majority of those who used them were satisfied with the results.
For the used car market in Spain, that percentage is likely still lower because the AI channel in automotive is newer and the used car buying process has its own consolidated channels. But the direction of change is clear.
It is worth qualifying this data: using AI in the buying process does not mean that ChatGPT has replaced portals. It means that portals are used in combination with AI tools, at different stages of the same process. A buyer who starts on ChatGPT for orientation and ends on Coches.net to compare specific options is using both channels sequentially.
Where ChatGPT fails as a car search tool
ChatGPT is not perfect as a car search tool, and understanding its limitations helps to understand when and how ChatGPT Ads appear in the buyer's process.
The most documented limitation is inaccuracy with real inventory. Until the integration of portals like Coches.net, ChatGPT answered questions about cars using information from its training, which may be outdated. Consumer Reports documented cases in June 2026 of ChatGPT recommending models that are no longer manufactured or confusing versions from different years.
This limitation means that a buyer who uses ChatGPT for guidance eventually has to visit a portal or a dealership website to check what is actually available and at what price. The orientation phase on ChatGPT and the comparison phase on the portal are different stages of the same process.
ChatGPT Ads appear precisely during that orientation moment, when the buyer is forming their criteria and has not yet reached the portal. If the ad shows a real, available car that fits what the buyer is describing, it resolves ChatGPT's limitation (not knowing the real inventory) and moves the buyer directly to the car's details page.
Also read ChatGPT Ads vs car portals for dealerships.
What this means for the independent dealership
For an independent dealership with 15 to 50 cars in stock, the change in the buyer journey has two practical implications.
The first is that a portion of the buyers arriving at their website in 2026 will have previously gone through ChatGPT. That portion may still be small, but it is growing. Ensuring that the dealership's website is visible on ChatGPT (both organically through GEO work and via ChatGPT Ads) is preparation for a channel that is going to grow.
The second is that leads coming from ChatGPT may have greater context than those from other channels: the buyer has had a conversation where they have clearly articulated what they need. This context can make the sales process more efficient if the sales representative takes advantage of it. If a lead arrives with a note saying "I was interested in this car because the AI told me it fits my usage and my budget," the sales representative has information they wouldn't have if the lead came from a click on a portal.
Also read how to structure a dealership's sales funnel.
GEO and ChatGPT Ads: the two possible responses
In response to the change in the buyer journey, there are two ways to build visibility on ChatGPT for a dealership.
The first is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): optimising the organic presence of the dealership so that ChatGPT mentions it in its answers when a buyer asks about used cars in the area. It is the equivalent of organic SEO for traditional search engines: there is no cost per click but it takes time to build. Dealcar's article appear-chatgpt-dealership already covers this part.
Also read how to appear in ChatGPT organically as a dealership.
The second is ChatGPT Ads: paying to appear in the ad block of conversations where the buyer is describing a need that the dealership's stock can resolve. It is the equivalent of SEM: it generates immediate visibility with a cost per click.
Check the complete guide to ChatGPT Ads for dealerships.
The two are not mutually exclusive. A dealership with a good organic presence on ChatGPT that also uses ChatGPT Ads gets visibility in two different parts of the response: in the text generated by the AI (organic) and in the ad block below (paid).
Dealcar and visibility in the new buyer journey
Dealcar manages stock publishing on traditional portals and is developing integration with ChatGPT Ads so that the same inventory also has visibility in the conversational channel. A dealership using Dealcar can be present in the buyer's journey both during the comparison phase on portals and during the orientation phase on ChatGPT.
You can see how the integration with ChatGPT Ads works at dealcar.io/dealcar-boost/chatgpt-para-concesionarios and how to appear organically on ChatGPT at dealcar.io/blog/aparecer-chatgpt-concesionario.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the change in the buyer journey already affecting dealership sales?
In a measurable way for individual dealerships, it is still difficult to quantify because attribution data is incomplete. What is visible is that portals like Coches.net have already invested in integrating with ChatGPT, indicating that the channel has enough usage volume in automotive to justify that investment.
Is a dealership that does nothing on ChatGPT losing leads?
It is probably losing visibility during the orientation phase prior to the portal, but how much that translates into lost leads depends on how many of its potential buyers use ChatGPT during that phase. For a dealership in a large city with younger buyers, the impact may be greater than for one in a rural area with a more mature customer profile.
Can ChatGPT's recommendations about specific makes or models affect the stock a dealership sells?
Potentially yes. If ChatGPT systematically recommends certain models for certain usage profiles, dealerships that have those models in stock are more likely to appear in the context of those recommendations. This is an additional reason for stock composition to be based on actual demand data, not just availability.
