Cars.com Appoints Tobias Hartmann as New CEO
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 18 2025
0mins
Should l Buy CARS?
Cars.com announced that Tobias Hartmann will become the company's next CEO and be appointed to the Board of Directors, effective January 15, 2026. Hartmann succeeds Alex Vetter, who will step down as CEO and a member of the company's Board of Directors, effective January 15, 2026. Vetter will serve as an advisor to the company from that date through March 31, 2026 to facilitate a smooth transition. Hartmann was most recently CEO and Chairman of the Management Board for Scout24 SE Group, the parent company for ImmoScout24, one of the leading European digital real estate marketplaces. Previously, Hartmann served as President U.S. and member of the Executive Management Board of HelloFresh SE. Prior to that, he led the carve-out of eBay Enterprise from eBay Inc. to form a new service-provider for omnichannel and commerce technology solutions. Hartmann succeeds Vetter, who has been with Cars.com since its launch in 1998 and has held a variety of roles until he was appointed CEO in 2014.
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Analyst Views on CARS
Wall Street analysts forecast CARS stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for CARS is 19.33 USD with a low forecast of 16.00 USD and a high forecast of 25.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
4 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 11.020
Low
16.00
Averages
19.33
High
25.00
Current: 11.020
Low
16.00
Averages
19.33
High
25.00
About CARS
Cars.com Inc., doing business as Cars Commerce Inc., is an audience-driven technology company. It is engaged in car buying and selling with products, solutions and machine-learning model-driven artificial intelligence technologies that span pretail, retail and post-sale activities. Cars Commerce platform is organized over four brands: the flagship automotive marketplace and dealer reputation site Cars.com, digital retail technology and marketing services from Dealer Inspire and D2C Media, essential trade-in and appraisal technology from AccuTrade, and media solutions from the Cars Commerce Media Network. It enables shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and connect with automotive retailers. Cars.com enables dealerships and original equipment manufacturers with solutions and data-driven intelligence. Its products and solutions have attracted over 19,200 franchise and independent dealer customers across the United States and Canada.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Showcase at NADA: The AccuTrade IMS will be showcased at the NADA Show in Las Vegas at booth #3723W, where visitors can participate in the DealerClub Live No-Reserve Auction and Pricing Game, gaining further insights into the application of the new technology and product structure.
See More
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- Innovative Risk Management: The system evaluates vehicles based on risk rather than age, employing proprietary intelligence scoring to avoid price wars, significantly improving inventory management efficiency and enabling dealers to complete merchandising tasks in 45 seconds instead of 20 minutes.
- Profit Forecasting and Exit Strategy: AccuTrade IMS provides retail versus wholesale profit predictions and offers instant liquidation options through integration with DealerClub's wholesale network, assisting dealers in formulating optimal exit strategies to maximize profits for every vehicle.
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