CarGurus AI - Car Compare
UX Design · AI Integration · Strategy & Research
This project was all about helping car shoppers compare vehicles in a way that actually made sense; quickly, clearly, and with the right level of depth. I worked on designing an AI-powered comparison tool that pulled in specs, user reviews, and editorial-style insights to help people make confident decisions early in their search.
My focus was on keeping the experience simple and intuitive, making complex data feel approachable, and helping users stay engaged on CarGurus while they figured out what really mattered to them.
Context & Challenge
CarGurus is great at helping people buy cars, but we didn’t have much to support them when they’re just starting to research and compare. Competitors like Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds pull users in early with editorial content and strong research tools. We had the data, vehicle specs, reviews, pricing trends, but not the content team able to support the user research goals.
The challenge:
How could we use AI to turn raw data into something smart and helpful, something that makes comparing cars easier, engages user ealier, and keeps them around longer?
Approach & Process
We started by aligning with stakeholders on goals and success metrics, then ran a competitive audit to see how platforms like Edmunds and KBB are doing car comparisons.
To understand user needs, we looked at site behavior, dug into internal data, and ran moderated interviews. We also used AI tools to speed up research synthesis; by clustering feedback, surfacing patterns, and comparing insights across sources.
From there, we started prototyping. We used AI to simulate editorial-style comparisons and feature summaries, then tested concepts through a mix of moderated and unmoderated sessions. We iterated based on what felt clear, trustworthy, and engaging.
AI played a role throughout, helping us generate content, synthesize research, and move quickly without cutting corners.
Solution
We designed an AI-powered car comparison tool that could scale where humans couldn’t, creating editorial-style content for any combination of vehicle.
Using AI, we generated dynamic summaries, feature breakdowns, and side-by-side comparisons. Each one included a CarGurus recommendation to help shoppers make confident decisions faster.
We also pulled in user and video reviews, the two formats car buyers trust most. By combining AI-generated insights with real user feedback, we built a comparison experience that felt personal, trustworthy, and complete.
Impact & Reflection
The comparison tool led to a lift in engagement and the time users spent on our research tools. More importantly, it helped move users further down the funnel, driving more users to the Search Results Page, a key sign of purchase intent.
But the key takeaway was strategic: meeting users earlier in their journey, when they’re still exploring and in "discovery mode", makes a big difference. This project reinforced that guiding users through the research phase is a critical step in earning trust and improving conversion.
It also showed how powerful AI content can be when paired with thoughtful UX and real user feedback.
