Cost of the Sale.

As competition in the marketplace becomes increasingly fierce, dealers are funneling even more money into advertising to gain consumers' attention. Last year it cost about $495 in traditional advertising to sell one car. Today that number has climbed by 15.3% to $585, according to Automotive News. The silver lining in the cloud is - you guessed it - Internet sales. Dealers with solid Internet strategies are still doing phenomenally well, despite the tough market. With Internet leads, the cost per vehicle sold still hovers around $200.