Monday, December 2nd
2024 New Car Buying Site Reviews
Autotrader
- Prices from $14,165 to $367,820
- 29,000+ new vehicles for sale
- Includes KBB ratings and CarFax
- Cars from dealerships
- Payment-based search tools
- At-home test drive
- Delivery to your home
Autotrader is one of the most frequently visited automotive websites. You can expect to find vehicles from dealers and private sellers, plus buying and selling tips for picking a car that suits your lifestyle. Autotrader has over 3 million vehicle listings from 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private owners. However, if you are searching for a new car, most of the listings will be from well-known dealers in your vicinity.
Helpful payment-based search
When you first get started on Autotrader, the company helps you research and compare cars by body type, mileage, price, and other criteria, and offers Lifestyle Centers to find and compare vehicles that suit your needs. You can search by a specific make/model/year right off the bat or you can start browsing by body type and see what cars speak to your taste. You can also start your search by how much you're willing to spend on a car payment per month. This calculator tool includes a place to add how much your current car may trade in for and how much you want to put down, so that you can see the recommended cars in that payment range.
29,000+ new vehicles for sale
Within 50 miles of our sample area, Autotrader had 29,000+ new vehicles in its inventory. To break it down further, there were 4,317 sedan style, 16,486 crossovers, 6,234 trucks, and 622 coupes (two-doors). More than 19,000 of the vehicles on Autotrader offered at-home test drives, and around 25,000 of the vehicles offered local home delivery.
Impressive details for each listing
Once you get into the browsing area of the site, you can filter cars by local radius, minimum and maximum year, make, model, and trim level, drivetrain, body style, fuel economy, color, transmission, and more. On the listing's pages, Autotrader offers detailed research and comparison tools like reviews, photos, and videos, vehicle pricing with seller specials and dealer discounts, safety information and vehicle history reports, and assistance with finance, insurance, and warranty programs. The listings will also show you your estimated car payment right at the top, so you don't waste time on a car you can't afford.
Prices as low as $14,165
The prices will fluctuate when you're car shopping for sure, but we found new cars between $14,165 to $367,820. So, whether you're looking for a cute little Mitsubishi Mirage or a luxury Mercedes-Benz G AMD, there's something on Autotrader for you. To give you an idea of prices between sites, we picked three cars to check pricing at every auto seller: a basic sedan (the Toyota Corolla), a crossover (the Nissan Rogue), and an electric vehicle (the Tesla Model 3). Here's the pricing at Autotrader:
- Toyota Corolla: $22,643 to $51,420
- Nissan Rogue: $26,876 to $43,750
- Tesla Model 3: $26,000
Home test drives and home delivery
When buying a car online, having peace of mind is crucial since you can't see it in person before purchasing. Autotrader offers in-home delivery (from local dealerships) and at-home test drives for certain models, but the actual terms will be determined by the dealership you purchase from. For example, the test-drive option is usually a short period of time (a few days in most cases) where you get to drive the car before you fully commit to buying. Other dealerships offer warranties or return windows to help you feel like you have an "out” if you don't like the car you bought sight unseen. Delivery fees can be a flat rate or a per-mile rate; however, you will have to contact the dealer for more details about shipping costs.
Customers have a lot of frustrations
Despite improving things like its inventory and features lately, Autotrader's reputation has taken a dive. Currently, Autotrader holds an "NR" rating from the Better Business Bureau. On top of that, its ratings with third-party review sites are pretty bad. For example, at Trustpilot and Consumer Affairs, Autotrader has a 1.6- and a 1-star average, respectively. Most of the negative reviews were from customers who were trying to sell cars on Autotrader. There are a few reviews for buying, but these cite frustrations with extra fees and things like plates and registration never being shipped after the car was bought.
Great for browsing, but a bad reputation
Autotrader simplifies the car-buying process by cutting out unnecessary steps. You can search for what you want and see where it's available near you. However, with its recent decline in reputation, we're a little leery about recommending Autotrader over new car sites that have a much better reputation. We still recommend Autotrader as a place to begin researching and seeing what you might expect to pay monthly for a new car, but overall it earns a lower rating in our review.
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Where Can You Find the Best New Cars?
It's pretty much universally agreed that the "New Car” smell is one of the best feelings in the world. Getting into your dealership-clean car with brand-new features makes you feel like a little kid all over again. That's why buying a new car is one of the most exciting times in your life. But we're all also familiar with the dealership process. Haggling for prices and feeling pressured by overzealous salespeople can easily turn your excitement into frustration.
With online auto sales, gone are the days of heading blindly over to the nearest dealership, hoping to find something you'll like, and being largely at the mercy of the salesperson who greets you at the door. Now, you can do extensive research online before ever setting foot on the lot - and that's assuming you're not having the vehicle delivered directly to your home. Today's new car-buying experience is totally different from what it was even ten years ago.
New Car Buying Site FAQ
Continued from above...
Buying a new car is an exciting experience, and getting one through online services can make it even more enjoyable. Instead of spending hours at a dealership, you can browse through numerous makes and models from the comfort of your home. Online platforms provide detailed information about each car, including safety ratings, features, detailed photos of the interior and exterior, and prices (including monthly payment or lease calculator tools). This helps you make a well-informed decision without the pressure of a salesperson hovering over you. You can take your time, compare different options, and find your dream car.
One of the biggest advantages of buying a new car online is access to a wide range of options that may not be available at your local dealership. Online car-buying platforms often have a larger inventory from multiple local dealerships (or those in completely different states if you don't mind making the drive to pick it up or paying for transport), allowing you to find the exact model and color you want. Plus, many online services offer home delivery, so you can have your new car brought right to your doorstep. This convenience saves you time and effort, making the new car-buying process smooth and hassle-free.
Plus, purchasing a new car online can help you pick out the newest models (even those that are just released and harder to find on dealership lots). When it comes to safety and mechanical features, you can find details and trim levels that offer advanced driver assistance systems, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane assist. Since you're browsing the collective inventory of many dealerships and sellers, it's much easier to find that top-level model than it would be just shopping locally.
So, if you're ready to start the process of getting a new car, there are plenty of places to begin your journey. But if you don't know which site is best for you, don't worry. When looking for a new car online, here are several factors to consider to help you get the best deal and experience:
- Resources. Look for websites that provide detailed information about each vehicle. This includes videos of test drives, comparisons between models, and articles to help you set a budget and choose the right car for your needs.
- Transparency. Choose platforms that offer detailed information about the car's location, dealer, and pricing history. It's important to know exactly where the car is coming from and who is selling it. Being able to contact the dealer directly is a plus.
- Reputation. Check customer reviews and ratings to see what others have experienced with the car-buying site. Look for feedback on the legitimacy of vehicle listings, customer service, and the overall buying process. The Better Business Bureau's rating can also be a useful indicator of the company's reliability.
- Cost. At the end of the day, cost is a pretty big factor. Which site offers the car at the trim level you want at the most competitive cost? Does the cost include features like home delivery?
To help you in the search for your new set of wheels, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked the best options for online car shopping out there today. Whether you're looking for a new family vehicle, something to haul your trailer, a first-time car for a new college student, or that dream sports car you've been saving up for, we're sure that this information will save you time and get you connected with a vehicle you'll love to drive!
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