Buy or Sell Your Car | Marketwatch Guides (2024)

Learn more about how to buy or sell a car with detailed research, rankings, and guides of the top car buying and selling platforms on the web

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Peddle ReviewsCarvana ReviewsTrueCar ReviewCarMax Review

CAR SELLING BASICS

Whether your old junker needs to go or you want to upgrade your ride, many websites let you sell your car from home. That said, some have better platforms or higher cash offers than others. The best websites to sell your car online are easy to use and take care of the paperwork for you.

Figuring out how to sell a car can be a bit daunting if it’s your first time. In general, the amount of work is inversely related to the price you can get for your car. If you want to get rid of your vehicle today, you’ll probably make less from a dealer or car buying website. But if you have the patience to list it online and meet with buyers, you can make more money.

Using an online dealer like Carvana or CarMax is the most convenient way to sell your car. You can get an instant cash offer after providing your license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN) and answering a few questions about your vehicle’s condition. These sites typically offer no-haggle offers, which means you don’t have to deal with the hassle of negotiating with a car dealership. Depending on where you live and the website you use, your car could be picked up in as little as a couple of business days.

The downside of selling your car to an online dealer is that you won’t get as much as you likely would in a private sale. That’s because dealerships need to resell your car for a profit. We found online car buying sites give different values for the same vehicle, so it’s a good idea to compare offers from multiple places.

What you lose in the car’s value could be made up for in convenience. You don’t have to spend days or even weeks waiting for the final sale. Instead, you can get paid the same day or soon after depending on the company you use. Here’s a brief comparison of top car selling websites’ car sales and payment processes:

Website	Selling Process	Payment Speed
Cars.com	Online offer, finalize sale at a local dealership	Depends on the dealership
Carvana	Online offer, home pickup	2-5 business days
Peddle	Online offer, home pickup	Check at pickup or by mail
TrueCar	Online offer, finalize sale at a local dealership	Depends on the dealership
CarMax	Online offer, finalize sale at CarMax location (home pickup in some markets)	Paid on the spot
Copart	Online offer, home pickup	Check at pickup
CarGurus	Online offer, home pickup	2 business days
Vroom	Online offer, home pickup	2-3 business days
AutoNation	Online offer, finalize sale at a local dealership	Paid on the spot
Edmunds	Online offer, finalize sale at a local dealership	Within a day
Autotrader	Online offer, finalize sale at a local dealership	Depends on the dealership

CAR BUYING BASICS

Buying a new car can be both exciting and overwhelming. With the number of websites and apps out there, which one offers the user experience and vehicles you want? Which one also provides an efficient shopping experience and great customer service? In reality, there might be more than one platform that works for you.

There are a few different ways to look at car buying websites and apps, and the best platform for you can depend on many things. We recommend looking at the company’s customer support ratings, vehicle inventory size and financing options to find the best option. Our team takes a comprehensive look at how each car buying platform performs when it comes to reputation, average pricing compared to competitors, support features and more to help you choose the most reliable options.

Having a clear idea of what you’re looking for and what you want to accomplish can help you determine which platform is best for you as well. For instance, are you looking to purchase a new or used car? Are you hoping for an entirely online experience, or would you like to test-drive cars at an in-person location? There’s a wide variety of car buying companies to choose from, and each offers a different experience to fit your needs.

Here’s a quick overview of the top car buying websites and the features they offer:

Website	New or Used Cars	In-Person Locations
Edmunds	Both	No
Cars.com	Both	No
CarMax	Used only	Yes
Carvana	Used only	Yes
TrueCar	Both	No
Autotrader	Both	No
Copart	Used only	Yes
CarGurus	Both	No
Carfax	Used only	No
Vroom	Used only	No
AutoNation	Both	Yes

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