Best Car Buying Sites: Finding the Perfect Car Buying Site for You
Technology continues to change and improve the ways that we live life. When it comes to buying a car, it has completely changed the game. Whether you are looking to buy a car online or need some more information when researching a car, this list of the best car buying sites will improve your car-buying experience drastically.
This list of the best car buying sites will highlight the top car sites and will provide all the car-buying resources you need. It will give you access to all the information that you need to find your perfect car and to make sure that you are getting a great deal.
All of this will help you save time, energy, and, typically, a whole lot of money.
Once you do find your next vehicle, make sure to visit our lists of the best car accessories, best car cleaning products, and best car insurance companies. All of these lists will have your car running its best, looking its best, and protected on the road.
Top 25 Car Buying Sites:
1. Joydrive
Site Highlights: Access to Trustworthy Dealers, 5-Day Trial Period With Car
About Car Buying Site: Joydrive offers a complete online buying experience. They will provide you with a network of handpicked dealers as well as a variety of new and pre-owned cars. Each Joydrive vehicle also comes with an in-depth background check. You even get a five-day trial period once you receive your vehicle. You can also trade in your car as well for even more added savings.
2. CarsDirect
Site Highlights: Car Buying Guides, Expert Analysis of Different Vehicles, Access to Trusted Car Dealerships
About Car Buying Site: CarsDirect offers a lot of great features when it comes to finding the right car for you. They offer buying guides, expert analysis on different cars, and more. They are going to have all the tools that you need to make an informed car-buying decision.
Once you have specified what you are looking for in a vehicle. CarsDirect will be able to connect you with the internet department of a trusted dealership. From here, you will be able to see specific cars and numbers.
3. Cars.com
Site Highlights: One of the Largest Car Buying Sites, Free Resources Even if You Aren’t Looking to Buy Through the Site
About Car Buying Site: Cars.com centers everything that they do around their “4PS of Automotive Marketing, Product, Price, Place, and Person.” Their goal is to create meaningful connections between buyers and sellers. One of the most prominent players in the online car buying industry. Cars.com is going to be a great option when it comes to finding a great car for you. Even if you aren’t looking to buy a car from them, they offer some great resources as well.
4. TrueCar
Site Highlights: Provides Accurate Price Points for Similar Vehicles in Your Area
About Car Buying Site: The price point is one of the best ways to know whether you are getting a good deal on a car or not. TrueCar is going to allow you to have a confident buying experience by providing accurate price points. They will allow you to see what others paid for the same car that you are looking at.
This will allow you to compare the pricing and see if it is a deal or not. TrueCar also offers certified dealers, but you can use their pricing tool on any car. This is going to give you confidence in the price you pay for your next car.
5. Autotrader
Site Highlights: Car Buying and Selling Tools
About Car Buying Site: Whether you are looking to sell or buy, Autotrader is going to have a lot of great tools. These tools are going to be able to help smooth out the process and help you to get a good deal. They offer tools that allow you to do research, car reports, and a lot more. Autotrader is a tool that every car buyer or seller should be taking advantage of.
6. Edmunds
Site Highlights: Offers New and Used Cars, Research Tools and Other Car Buying Resources
About Car Buying Site: Edmunds offers a large selection of new and used cars. You will be able to search through all that Edmunds offers. If you aren’t sure of what you are looking for, no worries, either. Edmunds is going to provide you with some great research tools and other resources. Their team of content producers is also continually providing an excellent source of car buying tips and information.
7. DriveTime
Site Highlights: Offers a Trustworthy Used Car Buying Experience
About Car Buying Site: DriveTime was founded in 2002, and they focus solely on used cars. Having sold over 1 million used vehicles, DriveTime is trusted by customers from all over. They offer a variety of high-quality vehicles, an advice center, and much more. DriveTime is going to allow you to trust the used car marketplace. You will be able to find exactly what you need and are looking for when it comes to purchasing a used car.
8. Carvana
Site Highlights: No Dealerships, Offers a 7-Day Test Drive, 100 day/4,189 miles “Worry-Free Guarantee.”
About Car Buying Site: Carvana is going to be a completely online buying experience. There are no dealership middlemen with Carvana. This means more savings for you. They also offer certified cars that come with a 100-day/4,189 mile, “Worry-Free Guarantee.” If that isn’t enough, they also offer a 7-day test drive that will allow you to return the car if you don’t like it. “Say hello to a whole new way to buy a car” with Carvana and everything that they offer.
9. Kelley Blue Book
Site Highlights: Accurate Car Value Estimator
About Car Buying Site: When it comes to online car buying resources, Kelley Blue Book or KBB is one of the original players. KBB has made it all this time for good reason too. They offer a variety of great tools for buying and selling cars. Their most popular tool is their price estimator.
You will be able to plug in all the information about a specific car and then receive an accurate car value. The more detailed you are with your information, the more precise your estimate will be. This is just one of the great tools that KBB offers too. So make sure that you check them out if you are in the market for a vehicle or looking to sell.
10. Vroom
Site Highlights: Large Inventory of Cars, Home Delivery
About Car Buying Site: Want to get your next car delivered right to your front door? With Vroom, you are going to gain access to a large inventory of cars. And, after deciding on the perfect car for you, they will deliver it right to you. The majority of the vehicles that Vroom offers have a manufactures warranty. However, Vroom also offers protection plans that will help to give you peace of mind.
11. CarGurus
Site Highlights: Access to Top-Rated Dealers and Car Buying Tools
About Car Buying Site: If transparency is a big selling point for you, then CarGurus is going to be a site that you need to take advantage of. Their goal is to provide a “transparent automotive marketplace.” CarGurus will give you access to a variety of top-rated dealers.
When it comes to finding the right car for you, they will guide you through the entire process. They have tools like Deal Ratings, Instant Market Value, and other proprietary technology. CarGurus is going to allow you to become a car guru yourself.
12. Facebook Marketplace
Site Highlights: Access to Privately Owned Vehicles that Are for Sale
About Car Buying Site: Facebook is more than just a social media site that allows you to connect with your family and friends. Their marketplace feature allows sellers and buyers to connect on pretty much anything. So well, it is not only for cars; Facebook Marketplace does allow you to connect with a lot of great vehicles.
You are also able to save some big bucks as well. There are going to be a lot of private sellers as well; this means no dealer fees or a cut for the middleman. Try pairing up tools like KBB, TrueCar, and CarFax when evaluating the different cars listed on the Facebook Marketplace.
13. Craigslist
Site Highlights: Access to Privately Owned Vehicles that Are for Sale
About Car Buying Site: There is a pretty high chance that you have already heard of Craigslist before. You may not be as familiar though with how many great car listings are put out every day on Craigslist—comprised of both private sellers and dealers.
Craigslist will allow you to search through a large variety of locally owned vehicles. Remember to do your due diligence, though, when deciding on what car to buy. Use some of the great free tools that are offered by some of the other car purchasing sites on this list of the best car buying sites.
14. NADAguides
Site Highlights: Detailed Information on Vehicle Pricing and More
About Car Buying Site: If you have seen any car commercials that feature an award, it is most likely titled the “J. D. Power’s Award for…” That is because J. D. Powers is one of the most trusted sources when it comes to car data and information.
NADAguides is run by J. D. Powers and will provide quality and trusted car-related information. “J. D. Power provides some of the most comprehensive and market-reflective vehicle pricing and information available today.” So if you are in the market to buy or sell a vehicle, make sure you give NADAguides a visit.
15. Bring A Trailer
Site Highlights: Access to Vintage and Classic Cars
About Car Buying Site: Love vintage and classic cars? Bring a Trailer may be the perfect choice for you. They will connect you with sellers that are going to list their cars to be sold in an auction format. The auction description provides pictures and detailed information on every vehicle. The buyer handles shipping on any winning bid. So make sure that you factor that into your bidding budget.
16. AutoTempest
Site Highlights: Provides Searches from Several Different Car Buying Sites at the Same Time
About Car Buying Site: With a number of great sites on this list, it may be hard for you to figure out which site to start with. AutoTempest is going to be able to provide you with the top searches from a variety of different sites all at once.
You will be able to get results from sites like eBay Motors, Cars.com, AutoTrader, and more. This will help with cutting down your search time and allow you to get right to the cars that you want to look at.
17. eBay Motors
Site Highlights: Access to Privately Owned and Dealership Cars, Vehicle Purchase Protection
About Car Buying Site: eBay is known around the world as one of the best online shopping sites. They allow users to both buy and sell great products. When it comes to listing and selling cars, it is no different. Also, with eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection, you can feel safer about your buy.
This will make sure what you bid on is exactly what you receive. For a large selection and a variety of makes and models, eBay is one of the best car buying sites out there.
18. NowCar
Site Highlights: Only Sells New Cars, Free Delivery, 5-Day Money-Back Guarantee
About Car Buying Site: NowCar is only going to offer new cars. They aim to provide you with a transparent car buying process that will save you money. They offer a variety of great features that they call “The NowCar Difference.” Some of these features are Free delivery, 24/7 shopping, a 5-day money-back guarantee, rebates and incentives, and a ton more. So if you are looking for a great way to purchase a new vehicle, NowCar may be the perfect fit for you.
19. CARFAX
Site Highlights: Offers In-Depth Looks Into a Vehicles History
About Car Buying Site: When buying a used car, it all comes down to the vehicle’s history and how well the vehicle was taken care of. CARFAX is designed to provide you with as much history on the car as possible. Their report is going to cover odometer, number of owners, accident reports, and more.
CARFAX is going to allow you to have better peace of mind when it comes to purchasing a used car. CARFAX also offers a “Buyback Guarantee.” If the CARFAX report fails to include a “DMV-issued branded title (such as salvage, fire or flood damage, and odometer problems),” they may repurchase your car from you.
20. RelayCars
Site Highlights: Offers Virtual Tours of Different Vehicles
About Car Buying Site: RelayCars is not going to allow you to buy or sell a vehicle. They will, however, allow you to take a virtual tour of a car that you may be thinking of purchasing, though. This will allow you to take a full tour of a car you are thinking of purchasing. RelayCars will allow you to explore the cars that they offer both inside and out. The tour comes in “360 degrees stereoscopic 3D.”
21. Autolist
Site Highlights: Auto populates Millions of Car Listings From Different Car Buying Sites at the Same Time
About Car Buying Site: Taking the same business model that Kayak did with travel sites. Autolist is in place to help you navigate the millions of car listings that are online. With a variety of different ways to search as well, you will be able to help narrow down your search in no time.
Use Autolist to help simplify the car purchasing process as well as see a variety of great cars. So if you are looking to view a lot of listings in a short period of time, this is one of the best car buying sites for you.
22. Autobytel
Site Highlights: Quality Car Buying Information
About Car Buying Site: Autobytel (owned by AutoWeb) is going to provide you with a large amount of car buying information. Started in 1995, Autobytel has helped connect thousands of consumers with quality dealers. It has also provided research tools to millions of other site visitors. Autobytel is a leader in the online car buying industry.
23. CarSoup
Site Highlights: Detailed Search Features to Help You Find the Exact Car You are Looking For
About Car Buying Site: CarSoup is going to allow you to search by make and model, body style, budget, and more. They will be able to put you in front of a lot of quality cars in a short period. If you are looking to upgrade, they also provide the ability to sell your vehicle along with great buying and selling tools. They also offer financing help and a variety of other great car resources.
24. CarMax
Site Highlights: Access to Thousands of Online Cars and In-Store Cars Near You
About Car Buying Site: CarMax offers both online and in-store car-buying options. They have tens of thousands of cars available nationwide. So there is a good chance that they are going to have a car that fits exactly what you are looking for. And, with their low upfront prices, you don’t have to worry about having to haggle and stress for a better deal. CarMax has already sold over 8 million cars, so that means that they must be doing something right.
25. Tred Car Buying Site
Site Highlights: Low broker fees, cars from private sellers, and shipping options.
About Car Buying Site: Cut out the middleman when it comes to buying a car with Tred, which means more savings and access to more great cars. Tred acts like a broker but without charging the high fees that you will see with a lot of typical brokers. You can buy and sell low-cost vehicles on Tred, and in some cases, you can even have your vehicle shipped for beer convenience.