Most dealers track their close rate. Few understand where -- or why -- it quietly slips away.

It’s easy to assume the leads that don’t close quickly will never convert. But that mindset is costing dealers real revenue. This Foureyes data analysis reveals what most aren’t measuring: how fast close rates fall after Day 3 – and thus how quickly competitors capitalize on your follow-up gaps.

Based on performance data of 8+ million sales opportunities from the first half of 2025, this report tracks close rate trends, by OEM, across the 30-day lead lifecycle -- surfacing patterns, drop-off points, and where overlooked opportunities still exist.

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The Day 4+ Cliff

Nearly three-quarters of all sales occur in the first three days of an opportunity’s creation. While significant, that means there is still 1 in 4 sales occurring after that point (also not insignificant).

Similarly, close rates plummet after Day 3 -- going from 12.4% in the first three days, to just 2.3% during days 4 through 7.

Why? Buyer lost interest? They bought somewhere else? Maybe.

But, this is the same time period when Foureyes finds follow-up efforts to also plummet across dealerships. Coincidence?

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New vs. Used Vehicles

New and used vehicles show distinct patterns in close rate behavior across the 30-day window.

Despite new vehicles having a slightly higher 30-day close rate, used vehicles sell much faster, in the first few days (77.2% vs. 69.5%)

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Not All Lead Sources Close the Same

To no surprise, walk-in leads close faster, on average, with 83.7% of sales happening in the first three days. Conversely, internet leads tend to take longer to close, with 7.5% still buying between days 15-30.

Observation: internet leads went up ever so slightly in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024.

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Close Rate by OEM

A look at close rates and the percentage of sales by day by OEM/brands.

Toyota, Honda, and Ford led the way on overall 30-day close rates.

Some OEMs and brands stood out with ~30% or more of their sales happening after day 3, including BMW (35.8% of sales after day 3), Mercedes-Benz (33.5%), Toyota (30.5%), Subaru (29.1%), and Mazda (29.5%).

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Don’t Sleep on Late-Month Leads

Foureyes data shows a statistically significant higher close rate from leads that come in during the final week of the month (17.3%) compared to those from any other week of the month. Or to put it another way, opportunities created at the end of the month are more likely to close within 30 days than those that occur at the beginning of the month (an 8% increase). Incentives? Urgency? Tighter follow-up? Perhaps.

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OEM Close Rates by Lead Source

While the overall 30-day close rate across all dealers sits at 16.2%, that average hides massive variation, especially when you break it down by OEM.

These specific patterns reveal important nuances that can inform follow-up strategies, resource allocation, and operational benchmarks.

The following tables compare performance across showroom, phone, and internet leads, as well as breakdowns of sales occurring within the first three days vs later in the 30-day window.

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INTERNET LEADS

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PHONE UPS

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WALK-INS

_{The data variation across OEMs highlights the importance of measuring close rate performance in context. No two brands follow identical sales timelines, and lead source effectiveness is shaped by multiple contributing factors.}

_{For organizations seeking to improve sales efficiency or better align field operations, these insights may support more informed decision-making around lead management, staffing, and customer engagement strategy.}

_{This data should be interpreted as directional rather than prescriptive, and used in conjunction with dealership-level and other relevant metrics.}

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