We Compared 30+ Online Car Selling Sites. Here are the 7 You’ll Love
Buying a car can be difficult. It is more difficult when buying from car dealerships. In these dealerships, the sales representatives always seem to have a better opinion about the car we should buy.
To avoid dealerships and sales reps, most people are turning to online platforms.
We spent hours researching more than 30 online car selling sites and apps and here are our recommendations.
Carvana
Carvana is a relatively new company that has introduced a new model in car buying.
The company offers an exciting method of buying cars. To purchase, you need to visit the website or app, select your car and chose the ideal shipping method. You can opt for the free delivery option where the company will deliver the car to you for free.
Alternatively, you can opt to pick your car from one of their large and patented car vending machines.
After you receive your car, the company lets you drive you for a week and decide whether you want to keep it. If not, you can return the car for free and get your money back or an alternative car.
What we like about Carvana
We like their car vending machines.
Their cars seem to be priced fairly.
Very positive reviews from their customers.
High-quality website and apps.
Free shipping and returns
Fun Fact
In 2017, Carvana became a public company which is currently worth more than $2.9 billion.
Fair
Fair is a relatively new company founded in 2016. The company operates an iOS app where one can sample cars, select, pay, and the car is delivered to them.
The company has so far raised more than $1.1 billion from venture capital funds. It used the funds to buy Beepi, which was once a popular online car buying company.
Beepi’s reputation was in its buying process. The company used to buy cars from auctions, take them through an intensive testing process, and then sell them.
What we like about Fair.com
We like its mobile app
We like the buying and financing process.
We like its shipping and return process.
What we don’t like
You can only buy cars if you use the iPhone or the iPad.
You cannot buy from the browser.
Vroom
Vroom uses a similar model to Fair.com.
It was founded in 2013, and so far, it has raised more than $300 million from VCs. The company offers a website and mobile apps where users can buy and sell used cars.
As a buyer, you just visit the website, find your car, order it, and the company will deliver it to you free of charge.
If you have an old car, you can sell it to them by following the appraisal process, which is relatively easy.
What we like about Vroom
High-quality website and mobile apps.
Quality reviews from their customers.
Their easy buying and return process.
Well-priced cars.
Shift
Shift is one of the most exciting online car marketplaces. The company offers a website and mobile apps where customers can find their cars. After finding a car, the company will deliver it to you where you will have a look at it and do a road test.
If you are satisfied, you will then go ahead and pay for it. If you need financing, the company will help you do it. It will also handle all your paperwork.
In all this, the price you pay will always be lower than that of the same car in a dealership.
What we like about Shift
The company takes the car through a rigorous 200-point inspection.
We like the simplicity of the buying process.
We like the road test process
We like their customer service and the reviews from their customers.
You can also sell your car with them.
What we don’t like
As a new company, Shift is not available countrywide. It is only available in Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.
TrueCar
TrueCar is different from the companies mentioned above. It does not have any inventory.
Instead, the company partners with more than 13K certified car dealers in all states. As a buyer, you will enter the details for the car you want to buy and your state.
The company’s algorithms will then work to find you the car in your state. It will provide you with options from your local dealerships and show you the prices that other customers paid.
What we like about TrueCar
Its algorithms give you alternatives from local dealers.
According to the company, users save an average of $3,100 off MSRP
It’s reviews
What we don’t like
We hate the idea of dealing with dealers.
TrueCar is a publicly listed company valued at more than $1.5 billion.
Cars.com
Cars.com is a popular online car market place that recently became a public company valued at more than $2.2 billion.
The company provides an online platform that connects car dealers countrywide with customers. While TrueCar and Cars.com connect customers with dealers, their model is different. Cars.com provides a real marketplace where customers can go and select any car they need while TrueCar provides an algorithm based car search. They are also different in that Cars.com provide a marketplace where sellers can sell their cars.
What We Like about Cars.com
Cars.com has a large collection of cars countrywide.
It has a reputation for having excellent video car reviews.
Quick Fact
Cars.com owns several popular niche car sites including DealerRater.com, Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com, and NewCars.com.
AutoNation
Auto what?
Yes, AutoNation made it to our list.
You probably know AutoNation as the largest auto dealership in the country. What you probably didn’t know is that they also sell their cars online.
A few years ago, the company’s revenues started to go down, and the management decided to adopt e-commerce, which they had resisted for a long time.
Today, the company’s full inventory of new and used cars is available on its website and mobile applications. In these platforms, customers can search for vehicles, read their reviews, and buy and the company will deliver it.
What We Like about AutoNation
We like its inventory of more than 100K cars.
We like the choice of either buying or leasing the cars.
We like its financing process.
The company accepts returns in the nearest dealerships
What we don’t like
Its poor customer reviews
We believe the future of shopping for a used car will be online. Research shows that many people hate dealing with dealers and salespeople. We think that any of the sites mentioned can help you find the ideal car.
