The 10 Best Car Selling Sites
What's the Best Way to Sell Your Car?
Gone are the days of newspaper classifieds and putting a "for sale" sign in the dashboard window: most people today sell their cars online. It's usually easy, often fast, and there are lots of tools to help you set a competitive asking price. Generally speaking, you'll choose between two different methods of selling your car: getting a cash offer from a dealership (either online-only or one with a brick-and-mortar location near you) or creating a listing to sell it privately - like those newspaper ads but digital.
Which one is right for you? That depends. Cash offers often eliminate a lot of hassle: you don't have to screen prospective buyers, set up multiple appointments with interested customers, or verify the authenticity of their payment method. Many of the online-only services will pick up the vehicle at no charge, from any address you specify.
Thursday, September 28th
2023 Car Selling Site Reviews
We Buy Any Car
We Buy Any Car takes all the stress out of selling cars. They've been around for 70+ years, and over 22,000 clients have given them a perfect five-star rating. Get a quote online, take your car to a location near you, and walk out with a check in hand: it's really that straightforward. If you live in one of the 16 states where We Buy Any Car has a presence, we encourage you to use their site before you go anywhere else. This service earns our highest recommendation.
CarVIO
There are lots of options for selling used cars if your vehicle is in great shape, but CarVIO goes the extra mile (pun intended): even if you're trying to sell something that barely rolls down the driveway or doesn't start at all, they'll make you an offer. There's no fee for using this service, and they'll also arrange for pick-up. Despite an unimpressive "C-" from the BBB, CarVIO has thousands of clients who say they were able to get a great cash offer and a transaction that was seamless from start to finish.
Car Gurus
CarGurus provides two ways to sell cars: through an instant cash offer (in 20+ states) and private listings. The site is easy to use either way, and the BBB gives this company its highest rating. Consumer feedback isn't as enthusiastic, though: with both cash offers and DIY listings, some people have had a not-great experience. You may want to check out CarGurus' higher-ranked rivals and then compare with what you can get here.
CarMax
CarMax is a used car superstore. They pride themselves on being transparent and "haggle-free" , and that applies both to buying and selling vehicles. If you've got a CarMax near you - over 200 stores in 41 states - and a used car in decent-to-great condition, this is one of our preferred options for selling cars.
AutoTrader
Autotrader lets you approach selling your car in two ways: an Instant Cash Offer through a participating dealer or listing it as a private seller. Millions of people visit this site every month, so you might be inclined to sell it yourself. But, most sellers report getting blasted with spammy inquiries (or outright scams), so it might be smarter to get your cash offer first. Autotrader has a good reputation overall; just watch out for some of its less scrupulous users.
Carvana
Carvana isn't a bad option for selling your car. You'll get paid on the spot as soon as they pick it up or you drop it off at one of their two dozen "car vending machines" , and their criteria for the vehicles they accept is fairly relaxed. We're not thrilled with the thousands of complaints Carvana has received, but they're almost all related to the buying experience, not selling. You may want to try out Carvana's online quote tool, just to see if they make you an offer you don't want to refuse.
True Car
TrueCar gives you an online valuation estimate before connecting you with local dealerships who may offer to buy your car. The site tools are transparent and easy to use, and you can save your information for later if you're not quite ready to sell. The drawback is that all of the offers here come strictly from dealerships, and many TrueCar users complain that those dealers didn't even come close to the site's estimated purchase offer. It's not an awful service to try, but TrueCar doesn't quite rank as one of our favorites for selling cars.
Driveway
Driveway has only been around for a few years as one of the newest additions to the buy-or-sell-your-car-from-home industry. That's why there's not a lot of customer feedback to consider with respect to selling cars here: it all looks good "on paper" , but the reality? If their "F" rating from the BBB and customer complaints on the buyer side are any indication, Driveway has a long way to go before earning our confidence as a good way to sell cars.
Vroom
Vroom makes a lot of promises but doesn't make good on them. People who have sold their cars to Vroom have had huge issues: titles that go missing in the mail, payments that aren't made even after Vroom has had the car for a month, and absolutely no response from customer support. We're not surprised that the Better Business Bureau gives Vroom an "F" . You'll want to look elsewhere when selling cars.
Sell My Car
Sell My Car doesn't have much to offer. The site is slow and full of typos, and the service's parent company has a disappointing "D-" from the Better Business Bureau. While we appreciate that there's apparently no cost to use this platform, there's no good reason to use it either: most people describe it as a scam, and definitely not as a hassle-free way to sell your car for the most money possible. We recommend looking elsewhere.
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Of course, that convenience may cost you. Not every service with cash offers will take cars in any condition, and you may get more money for your car with a private buyer. After all, they're trying to avoid the markup that always happens after a dealership buys a used car and puts it on their lot, so you might be able to meet in the middle and start at a higher asking price. Many people selling cars try both at the same time: shopping around for the best cash offer while testing the waters with a private listing. It's up to you.
What will you need to sell your car? Either route you choose, you'll almost always need current, valid registration papers; any available key fobs/remotes and manuals; valid state-issued photo ID; and, typically, anyone named as an owner on the title needs to be present at the time of sale. Are you required to have a paper title in hand? That depends on the state where you live and the terms of the car-selling service you select.
There are quite a few sites out there for selling cars. Which one is the best for you? Keep these criteria in mind to help you decide:
- Cash offer or DIY? Some services give you both options, while others specialize in just one pathway. If you go the offer route, it's a good idea to compare quotes among several platforms to help you get top dollar for your vehicle.
- Tools. Does the service help you price your car appropriately or show you an estimate from an objective source like Kelley Blue Book?
- Payment methods. How will you get the money for your car? Will you walk away with cash in hand, a cashier's check, or find yourself waiting for a bank transfer or a check in the mail?
- Reputation. What do other sellers say about their experience with the service? Was it transparent and fair, or did they feel ripped off in the end? Has the Better Business Bureau rated the company?
To help you choose the right platform for selling your car, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular services currently available online. We hope this information makes it possible for you to sell your car quickly and get the most possible cash out of the deal!
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