COMPARE · Reviewed August 3, 2026
CARG vs SAH
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. CARG scored 82.7, SAH scored 67.8 — CARG leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. SAH's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but CARG's are as of March 2026 — a 3-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
CARG
CarGurus, Inc.
82.7
$37.04 · $3.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
14.9
CARG leads
SAH
Sonic Automotive, Inc.
67.8
$87.28 · $2.8B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
CARG
stronger →← stronger
SAH
87
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
65
86
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
70
75
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
68
CARG is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
CARG
SAH
$293mC
FCF
$245mC
+14.0%B+
Rev
+5.3%C+
0.79B+
D/E
4.56D
19.5xB
P/E
13.9xA-
1.10B+
PEG
0.44A
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
CARG
SAH
34% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
40% below
~0%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-5%/yr
+28%
1-yr DCF upside
+53%
+51%
5-yr DCF upside
+67%
+90%
10-yr DCF upside
+90%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
CARG
Why this score
- Buying back stock
SAH
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
The companies
CARGCarGurus, Inc.
Why now
Auto & Truck Dealerships · market cap $3.3b. 6% off the 52-week high of $39.42. Revenue growing +14%, comfortably above the S&P median. 13 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $37.77 (implying +2% upside).
Moat
Net margin 16% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 63% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 196% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
SAHSonic Automotive, Inc.
Why now
Auto & Truck Dealerships · market cap $2.8b. Down 23% from 52-week high of $113.67 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.44 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $98.18 (implying +12% upside).
Moat
ROE 21% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 115% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
D/E 4.56 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Net margin 1.4% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.