A CarGurus lead usually starts with the Check Availability button. By then the shopper has probably seen your deal rating, how long the car has been listed, and a page of other options. Riley replies in under 30 seconds, answers the availability question first, keeps price off the text thread, and books a specific time to see the car.
CarGurus compares your asking price to its own market estimate and labels the deal Great, Good, Fair, High or Overpriced before the shopper ever reaches out. What they still don't know is whether the car is really there and whether your store is easy to buy from. Riley answers the first question in the first text and shows the second in how it writes: plain words, one question at a time, and a real day and time to come in.
The CarGurus contact button says Check Availability, so that's the question on the table. Riley knows your lot in real time, so the first text names the exact car, confirms it's there and offers two times to see it. No 'let me check' and no 'are you still interested'.
The shopper can already see how CarGurus rates your price. Riley never quotes prices, payments or trade values by text and never argues the rating. When a shopper asks for your best number, that question goes to a person on your team while Riley keeps the visit on track.
CarGurus tells shoppers who don't hear back from a dealer to go look at other similar cars. Riley replies by text and email in under 30 seconds, day or night, so your store is the one that answered.
CarGurus listings show how long a car has been at your store and on the site. If a shopper raises it to push on price, Riley doesn't debate it or discount by text. It hands the price side to your manager and asks for the visit.
CarGurus emails shoppers who contacted a dealer through the site and asks them to rate the dealership, and its review guidelines ask whether the dealer was quick to respond. Riley's replies are fast, plain and human from the first text.
Once a time is set, Riley confirms it, sends reminders and handles reschedules. If the shopper goes quiet, Riley keeps following up on a 13-touch cadence that runs out to 3 years, with a fresh reason every time and never a 'just checking in'.
By the time a shopper taps Check Availability, CarGurus has already shown them a lot about your car and your store. Here's what CarGurus' own help center says they see (as of September 2026):
Put that together and the first reply has one job. The shopper doesn't need a pitch or a price debate. They need a fast, straight answer about the car and an easy time to come see it.
Each template follows the rules Riley texts by: one to three sentences, one question, no prices, and a specific time. Swap in your details before you send. There are more by situation in our car sales text message templates.
Hi {first name}, the {vehicle} you asked about on CarGurus is here at {store}. Would today after 5 or tomorrow at 10 work to come see it?
Send it only after you've confirmed the car is on the ground.
Fair question, and our sales manager handles pricing, so I've passed it along to get you a straight answer. Want me to hold tomorrow at 10 for you to drive the {vehicle} either way?
Then make sure the manager actually answers, the same day.
Hi {first name}, thanks for picking a time to see the {vehicle} at {store}. Does the time you chose still work, or is another day this week easier?
The shopper already scheduled. Confirm it, don't re-ask it.
It has been here a little while, and our manager would rather talk that through with you in person than over text. Would tomorrow at 5 work to drive the {vehicle} and sit down with them?
Hi {first name}, the {vehicle} you asked about sold, and I'd rather tell you now than have you drive over for it. We have two close matches at {store}, would Saturday at 10 work to see both?
Confirm it's gone, and name only matches you really have.
Assume a quiet CarGurus shopper is still shopping, possibly with another store. Don't resend the same question. Give every follow-up a new reason to reply:
Riley works the same way on DealFlo's default cadence of 13 touches, day 1 through 3 years: a fresh angle every time, never a repeat. For why the first minutes matter most, read our guide to lead response time, or text Riley yourself to see how it writes.
Right away. CarGurus' own help center tells shoppers who haven't heard back from a dealer to look at other similar cars, and its review guidelines ask whether the dealer was quick to respond. Riley replies by text and email in under 30 seconds, day or night.
Answer the question the form asked. The CarGurus contact button says Check Availability, so confirm the exact car, say it's on the lot, and offer two specific times to see it. Leave out the dealership pitch and the 'are you still interested' line.
No. The shopper can already see how CarGurus rates your price against its Instant Market Value. Riley never quotes prices, payments or trade values by text. When a shopper asks about price, Riley brings in a person from your team and keeps working toward the visit.
It's a lead from a shopper who completed purchase steps online through CarGurus Digital Deal. CarGurus says these leads always include a phone number and that shoppers are prompted to schedule an appointment, so the follow-up should confirm that time rather than start from scratch.
Until they buy or tell you to stop. Riley's default cadence has 13 touches, from day 1 out to 3 years, and each one brings a new reason to talk. Your store can edit the cadence, and STOP always means stop.
Add DealFlo's lead address to your CarGurus lead notifications, or let your CRM forward leads by ADF, the auto industry's lead email format. Riley reads the source on every lead. DealFlo runs alongside your CRM: two-way with VinSolutions, and ADF lead intake for DealerSocket, eLead, CDK, Reynolds and Tekion.
30 minutes. We'll show you the exact conversations Riley sends, and what your first 30 days of automated follow-up look like.
One specific car, a KBB price range, and a first text that names it.
Read more →For shoppers who already know what others in their area paid.
Read more →Reopen the CarGurus leads that went cold months ago, with a new reason to talk.
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