Cars Review

Monday, December 2nd

2024 New Car Buying Site Reviews

Cars

• Prices from $26,000 to $77,531
• 24,000+ new vehicles for sale
• Includes KBB ratings and CarFax
• Cars from dealerships
• Payment calculator available
• Delivery to your home for some models
• "A+” rating from the BBB

Based in Chicago, Cars works hard to give you the information and listings you need, featuring millions of cars with thousands more added daily. Few platforms offer the same level of service. Founded in 1998, Cars offers support in a swiftly evolving market. You have direct access to dealerships and OEMs with inventive technical solutions for your new car. In 2018, Cars acquired Dealer Inspire, a forward-thinking technology company developing solutions aimed at an expedited car buying process and integrated digital platforms for selling and servicing more vehicles.

Find your car by name or search popular styles

If you know the make and model you're after, getting started on Cars is a breeze. Just use the search menu in the middle of the page when you land on Cars. You can also set preferences for distance, maximum price, and location. For more specific needs, the "advanced search" lets you filter by mileage, color, and other criteria. Once you get your results, you can sort them by price, mileage, or other features. You can also filter by specific features or tech specs you're interested in. Cars provides a wealth of research materials, including expert reviews on the latest models with categories like "popular EVs” and other ways to start your search.

24,000+ new vehicles available

There are plenty of new vehicles to choose from with Cars' inventory. At the time of our review (and within 50 miles of our location) Cars offered 24,000+ different models to choose from. Most of these cars are also available to be shipped directly to your home. When we checked out different models, we found 4,431 sedans, 16,157 crossovers, 6,000 trucks, and 602 coupes (two-doors).

Some details may depend on the dealership

Cars' listings are detailed, often including photos, VIN, feature lists, dealership reviews, payment calculators, and direct links to the dealer's website. However, the level of detail can vary depending on the dealer; some listings might lack a price or only have one photo. You can opt to only see cars that have full photos, which will keep you from seeing placeholder listings. Thankfully, Cars provides as much information as possible, including a "Deal Gauge" to show how competitively-priced a vehicle is, and easy links to contact the dealer or visit their website for more information.

Prices from $26,000

The range of new car prices runs from $26,000 to $77,531. This range is noticeably smaller than some competitors who have cars priced under $20K and well over $300K. If you're looking for major luxury (like a beautiful Bentley Continental, you lucky duck) you may need to shop for your new car elsewhere. The same goes for those of you looking for a super budget-friendly ride. There were no Mitsubishi Mirages at Cars. The cheapest car available was a Tesla Model 3, and the high end was held by a good old American muscle car: a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Now, for our price comparison with popular cars: we looked at the same three cars at every auto seller (a Toyota Corolla for a basic sedan, the Nissan Rogue to cover families who need a good crossover, and a Tesla Model 3 for electric car enthusiasts). Here's what we found at Cars:

• Toyota Corolla: $26,282 to $36,829
• Nissan Rogue: $26,760 to $43,750
• Tesla Model 3: $26,000

Delivery, returns, and test drives are decided by the dealer

Cars does offer delivery for many of its cars. You can filter only for cars that include delivery, making it easier to shop. Some dealerships also offer at-home test drives at your request, but you do need to contact the dealership directly to begin the negotiation process and get those details. Many dealerships also offer return policies if you can't test drive the car, but the parameters are determined by the dealerships rather than Cars itself.

Most customers are happy with their cars

Customers love Cars, with most giving it a 3.5-star average. The Better Business Bureau also rates Cars highly, giving it their highest "A+” rating and accreditation. User reviews frequently praise how much time and effort they save by using the tools on Cars to find vehicles that meet their needs. However, there are a handful of complaints about poor customer service at Cars. When things go wrong, it's hard to get help from the company directly. On the other hand, most new car shoppers seem pleased with their overall experience.

Great option for mid-priced cars

Whether you're just starting your research or ready to buy, Cars is an excellent resource. You'll appreciate how it covers most dealerships in your area and offers vehicles beyond your local zip code, making it easy to connect with the right vehicle quickly. However, there are some inventory limitations. While inventory can change out frequently, Cars is missing some of the options offered by other retailers like lower-cost vehicles or high-end luxury cars. For this reason, Cars slides down the rankings just a bit, but still earns a strong rating in our review.