The Autotrader Blog Part 2

Why Is AutoTrader Pushing Leasing Deals Now?
Given the current climate — with dealer frustration at an all-time high over pricing, Deal Builder, reduced lead volumes, and AutoTrader’s increasing involvement in the transaction — many in the trade are asking a very fair question:

Why on earth would AutoTrader choose now to aggressively push its own leasing products?

To many dealers, it feels like a badly timed — and badly judged — move. Here’s why.

1. A New Revenue Stream… At the Worst Possible Time
AutoTrader clearly sees leasing as a major growth opportunity. New-car leasing is booming, and manufacturers are pushing subscription-style models harder than ever.

So from AutoTrader’s perspective, launching or promoting leasing deals makes commercial sense.

But the timing is tone-deaf.

At the exact moment dealers feel overcharged, undervalued, and increasingly excluded from the customer journey, AutoTrader is:

launching its own end-to-end products
positioning itself deeper into the transaction
and now selling cars directly to consumers through leasing partners
To dealers, it feels like AutoTrader is saying:

“Thanks for paying thousands a month.
We’ll take it from here.”

2. It Creates the Impression They Want a Piece of Every Deal
Dealers already feel AutoTrader is trying to insert itself too heavily into the sales process through Deal Builder.

Now, with leasing:

Customers searching for used cars on AutoTrader may be shown a brand-new lease deal instead.
Dealers paying £1,000–£10,000+ per month in advertising may end up indirectly competing with AutoTrader itself.
It reinforces the fear that AutoTrader doesn’t just want to advertise cars… it wants to sell them.

For independents, who rely heavily on the platform, that understandably feels like a betrayal.

3. It Undermines AutoTrader’s Message of “Supporting Retailers”
AutoTrader has spent weeks running webinars, advisory groups, and PR campaigns telling dealers:

“We support the trade.”
“Deal Builder is for your benefit.”
“We listen to your feedback.”
Then — almost immediately — they launch consumer-facing leasing promotions.

It sends the exact opposite message.

It looks like a platform doubling down on monetising customers at every stage of the buying cycle, while dealers foot the bill.

4. It Feels Like They’re Expanding Their Market… Using Dealer Money
Dealers pay AutoTrader’s enormous fees.

Those fees fund:

platform growth
product development
consumer advertising
and now, seemingly… leasing funnels that benefit AutoTrader, not the dealer.
Many in the industry see it as:

“We’re paying them to build products that compete with us.”
Whether that’s true or not, it’s certainly the perception — and perception is everything right now.

5. A Slap in the Face at a Sensitive Moment
With:

- cancellations rising
- dealers protesting
- trust at rock-bottom
- social media backlash growing
… AutoTrader’s decision to promote leasing now feels like adding fuel to the fire.

Even if the strategy makes sense internally, the timing could not be worse externally.

Dealers feel ignored.
Dealers feel squeezed.
Dealers feel replaced.

And pushing leasing deals simply reinforces the fear that AutoTrader is drifting away from the trade and towards a direct-to-consumer model.

Final Thought: They May Recover — But Not If They Keep Ignoring the Room
AutoTrader has the scale, data, and brand power to steady the ship.

But only if they acknowledge what the industry is telling them.

Right now, instead of listening, they appear to be pushing forward with initiatives that benefit their revenue model at the expense of dealer confidence.

Launching leasing at this moment doesn’t just feel mistimed —
it feels like a statement of intent.

And that’s why so many dealers see it as a slap in the face.