Cars Direct Review

Monday, December 2nd

2024 New Car Buying Site Reviews

Cars Direct

• Prices from $17,015 to $608,348
• 366 new vehicles for sale
• Cars from dealerships
• Supercars included in inventory

Cars Direct, established in 1998, is one of the original websites for shopping both new and used vehicles. Many people use this platform to research different makes and models to make informed decisions before purchasing. It takes pride in having pioneered online car shopping, and over the past twenty years, it has assisted millions of car shoppers. Cars Direct has garnered several industry accolades, including recognition as one of the "50 Best" websites globally by Time Magazine, a "Top 100 Classic Website" by PC Magazine, and a "Top Site for Buying or Selling Anything" by PC World.

A limited filtering system

When you start using the Cars Direct site, you'll notice the detailed information available. Enter the make and model you have in mind, and you'll be taken to the car's current-year overview. You can also start your browsing session by looking at style, price, or how much you're looking to pay monthly. The only drawback? You do have to narrow down somewhere to start browsing. You won't be able to see any cars unless you pick a body style or price range. Once you get to the browsing window, you can start adding filters like body style or fuel type to see more results. However, the filters are much more limited at Cars Direct than with some of the other new car sites we researched.

366 new cars

The inventory for Cars Direct is extremely small compared to the thousands found on other websites. For new cars, there were only 366 results available within 50 miles of our test location. But, we did see some unique finds like a Rolls Royce Cullinan. At Cars Direct we found 75 sedans, 54 crossovers, 33 trucks, and 40 coupes (two-doors). Bottom line? You may struggle to find competitive options at Cars Direct with so few cars to choose from.

Difficult browsing and some scam concerns

Considering that Cars Direct's parent companies (Internet Brands and iMatrix) are internet marketing specialists, it's not surprising that this platform struggles to connect customers with current vehicle listings. Unfortunately, they do excel at selling contact information. Many people have complained about being bombarded with spam phone calls and emails from car-related businesses and unrelated companies like security system firms and warehouse clubs. No, thank you. On top of that, the actual listings feel more like an article about the car rather than an at-a-glance buying guide, which can make it more time-consuming to try and browse on Cars Direct.

Prices starting at $17,015

The prices at Cars Direct are somewhat competitive despite missing many options in its inventory. The prices range from $17,015 to $608,348. At the low end, you'll find the Mitsubishi Mirage. But at the high-end, you'll find some pretty exciting cars. The most expensive is a Lamborghini Revuelto followed by a Rolls Royce and a Ferrari SF90. For our regular car pricing comparison we still looked at our average vehicles though: a Toyota Corolla, a Nissan Rogue, and a Tesla Model 3. Here's what we found:

• Toyota Corolla: $24,595 to $25,210
• Nissan Rogue: $30,240
• Tesla Model 3: $40,630

Policies lack transparency

The policies for delivery and returns are impossible to find from Cars Direct. Most sites leave these policies up to the individual dealerships, but it's hard to even see which dealership is involved at Cars Direct. So, at the time of this review, there were no clear policies through Cars Direct that talked about returns or delivery.

Reputation for poor quality cars

It may not come as a surprise with the low inventory and shopping difficulties at Cars Direct that the company comes in with an abysmal "F” rating from the Better Business Bureau. On top of that, the average customer rating for Cars Direct is 1.2 stars out of 5 according to Trustpilot. Customers complain that the cars they bought were of poor quality and there's no recourse for returning them. One customer noted that the Check Engine light has been on the car bought from Cars Direct since day one and there's been no assistance. Customers also complain about scam emails and constant badgering from Cars Direct rather than helpful emails about cars related to customers' tastes.

Not worth the stress

Buying new cars should be straightforward and convenient, but Cars Direct is neither. While you can find decent information to help refine your car choices, you should use a higher-rated service when you're ready to purchase. Considering the issues reviewers have with their purchases as well as scam emails, we recommend against entering your personal information on the Cars Direct site.