Napleton Automotive Group Breaks Records in 2025 Internet Lead Effectiveness Study
Napleton Automotive Group has once again distinguished itself as a leader in digital customer engagement, securing the highest ranking in the 2025 Pied Piper PSI® Internet Lead Effectiveness® (ILE®) Auto Dealer Group Study. This study evaluates how effectively auto dealerships respond to customer inquiries submitted through their websites, and for the fourth consecutive year, Napleton has come out on top. Not only did the group maintain its leadership, but it also set a new performance benchmark by achieving an average ILE score of 91—the highest in the history of the study.
Conducted annually by Pied Piper Management Company, the ILE study measures dealer group performance by analyzing their responsiveness to online inquiries. In 2025, Pied Piper submitted over 2,100 customer inquiries to the websites of 26 of the largest auto dealer groups in the United States. Each inquiry included a customer name, local phone number, and email address, and asked a specific question about a vehicle in stock. Dealership responses were evaluated based on timing, method, and the degree to which they provided a helpful, personalized reply. The final ILE score for each dealer group is calculated as an average of individual dealership performances, derived from over 20 weighted metrics considered vital to driving actual vehicle sales.
Napleton’s Record-Breaking Performance
Napleton’s 2025 ILE score of 91 not only topped this year’s rankings but also broke new ground, becoming the first dealer group ever to cross into the 90s. The group improved its score by four points over 2024, illustrating its commitment to refining customer engagement strategies.
Among the factors contributing to Napleton’s success were several high-performing behaviors:
- Rapid Response Times: In the latest study, 90% of Napleton’s customers received a response via email or text within one hour. This marks a 30-point advantage over the industry average and a five-point improvement over their own 2024 performance.
- Rise in Text-Based Communication: Napleton significantly increased its use of text messaging to engage customers, with 73% of inquiries answered by text—a 19-point year-over-year increase. This far outpaced the industry’s modest three-point gain in the same area.
- Effective Use of Phone Calls: 96% of Napleton’s website leads received a phone call within 24 hours, with 75% receiving a call within just 15 minutes.
- “Do Both Fast” Strategy: Combining email/text responses with timely phone calls dramatically improves lead engagement. Napleton succeeded in executing this dual-response approach within the first hour for 82% of inquiries, 42 points above the national dealer group average.
Industry-Wide Trends in 2025
While Napleton achieved a new milestone, the industry overall saw only modest year-over-year improvement. The average ILE score among all dealer groups rose by just one point. However, when compared with data from 2022, the trend reveals significant progress. In 2025, nine dealer groups scored above 70, compared to only two in 2022.
Despite these gains, the performance gap across the industry remains wide. The 2025 study revealed a 50-point disparity in ILE scores among dealer groups. Nine groups improved their scores from 2024, while seven saw declines.
What Set the High Performers Apart?
The nine dealer groups that enhanced their ILE scores in 2025 saw an average increase of five points. Two of them gained 10 points or more. Key behavioral shifts among these groups included:
- Increased Appointment Setting: These dealers attempted to set appointments 7% more often than the previous year.
- Greater Use of Text Messaging: Texts from these high-performing dealers were 6% more likely to answer customer inquiries.
- Faster Question Response: A 9% average increase was noted in answering customer questions within the first hour.
On the other hand, the seven dealer groups whose scores fell in 2025 exhibited less effective behaviors:
- Reduced Dual Response: These groups were 5% less likely to email/text and call within the first hour.
- Less Frequent Phone Follow-up: Phone response rates dropped by an average of 5%, with some groups showing declines of over 10%.
- Declining Use of Texts: Texting dropped by 12% on average, and the quality of the texts also suffered, answering questions 6% less frequently than before.
The 80/40 Rule: A Snapshot of Excellence
The study highlighted a stark contrast in performance between the industry average and top performers. Among the top five dealer groups, 73% of individual dealerships scored above 80 in ILE—indicating quick, personalized responses. In comparison, only 40% of dealerships industry-wide hit that mark.
At the other end, just 6% of top-performing group dealerships scored under 40, while 19% of dealerships across the broader industry failed to respond effectively.
Cameron O’Hagan, Vice President of Metrics and Analytics at Pied Piper, emphasized the significance of these disparities. “Identifying which dealerships score under 40 and which exceed 80 is a strategic way to prioritize improvement,” O’Hagan noted. “Our data shows that dealers who move from under 40 to over 80 typically sell 50% more vehicles from the same volume of leads.”
Dealer Group Comparisons: Key Performance Metrics
The 2025 ILE study exposed significant variations in dealer group performance. Here are a few examples:
- “Answered Question”
- Over 90%: Ciocca Automotive, Herb Chambers Auto Group, Napleton Automotive Group
- Under 60%: Ed Morse Automotive Group, Bergstrom Automotive
- “Phoned Customer”
- Over 90%: Napleton Automotive, Ciocca Automotive, Holman Automotive
- Under 45%: West Herr Automotive Group, Greenway Automotive, Premier Automotive, Bergstrom Automotive
- “Offered Appointment”
- Over 50%: Napleton Automotive, AutoNation, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, West Herr Automotive
- Under 20%: Serra Automotive, Premier Automotive, Asbury Automotive, Greenway Automotive, Bergstrom Automotive
- “Did Both Fast”
- Over 80%: Napleton, Ciocca Automotive, Herb Chambers
- Under 30%: Greenway Automotive, Premier Automotive, Bergstrom Automotive
The Motivation Behind the Study
As Cameron O’Hagan explains, “Today’s car buyers are starting their journey online, and dealership websites are often the first point of contact. But traditional dealership performance dashboards can fail to capture the true quality of that interaction.”
The ILE study is designed to make those invisible interactions measurable and actionable. Pied Piper has spent over 15 years refining this approach, using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and human evaluators to assess performance across internet, telephone, and in-person channels.
About Pied Piper Management Company, LLC
Based in Monterey, California, Pied Piper Management Company is a pioneer in omnichannel performance measurement. Its PSI methodology identifies and promotes best practices in customer interaction that are proven to increase both sales and customer retention. Pied Piper’s research spans industries including automotive, marine, and powersports, and evaluates channels ranging from digital to in-person showroom visits.
Recent studies by Pied Piper include:
- 2025 Internet Lead Effectiveness® Auto Industry Study – Subaru ranked first.
- 2024 Service Telephone Effectiveness® Study – Acura (Honda) led the rankings.
- 2024 Telephone Lead Effectiveness™ Study (Pontoon Boats) – BRP’s Sea-Doo brand topped the list.
Pied Piper also offers customized measurement and reporting programs for brands seeking to understand and improve real customer experiences across their dealer networks.
