The 7 Best Used Car Sites
Where is the Best Place to Buy Used Cars?
When people need to buy a vehicle, many prefer to buy a used - or "pre-owned" - car. Why? You may be familiar with the idea of depreciation, or the loss in value of an item. According to the experts, the simple act of driving a brand-new car off the dealer's lot leads to a depreciation of as much as 11% of the car's value.
For that reason, buying a used car is often an attractive option for those customers who don't mind having a vehicle with a few miles on the odometer. Of course, buying a used car also comes with several considerations that you won't find when purchasing a new vehicle.
Friday, April 23rd
2021 Used Car Site Reviews
True Car
TRUECar's upfront, transparent pricing and guaranteed savings put them at the top of our list for buying used cars. As J.D. Power's highest-ranked third-party automotive website, they make it easy to find the pre-owned vehicle you want, both at a discount and at a fair price compared with other vehicle sales in your area. TRUECar enjoys a partnership with many household brands, such as Allstate, American Express, and USAA. TRUEcar is our first choice for buying a used car.
Cars
Cars allows you to find the used car you want at dealerships near you. Unlike many of their competitors, Cars does not require you to enter your contact information to see pricing, which is great if you're hoping to do your research without being contacted by sometimes-pushy salespeople. They also provide a number of resources for researching your pre-owned car purchase.
Autotrader
While the Autotrader website doesn't have the same visual bells and whistles as their competitors' sites, used car shoppers can quickly find vehicles at local dealerships without having to enter their personal information. You'll also find plenty of tools to help you research which pre-owned vehicle is a good fit for your needs, and an "A+" rating with the Better Business Bureau means that Autotrader is a trustworthy option as you search for a used car.
Cars Direct
CarsDirect has a number of useful tools to help you find your new car, particularly a comparison feature that allows you to look at two different vehicles and see at a glance how they stack up in terms of features, safety, and value. CarsDirect has several endorsements from well-known names like Time and Forbes, and many customers say that the information the site provided helped them get a good deal at their local dealership.
Edmunds
Edmunds is a trusted name in the automotive world, and their site can help you get the used car you're looking for. From their Used+Perks program that gets you savings and discounts, to the True Cost to Own calculator that tells you what it'll cost to have your car over the next five years, there are great resources on the Edmunds site. Unfortunately, at the time of our review, the functionality for getting those special offers wasn't working.
Web2Carz
When you visit the Web2Carz site, you may think you've stumbled across a slick, well-designed automotive magazine. It also happens to be a good resource for buying used cars! You'll appreciate their solid reputation with the Better Business Bureau and all of the extremely up-to-date information on all of the latest trends in the auto industry. But, they offer fewer capabilities for sorting through all of the possible matches, and getting details about both the vehicle and the dealership require you to use their contact form.
Automotive
Although its main focus is the car industry in general, Automotive has an impressive amount of information to help you research and find your next used car. Automotive is a solid option for researching and locating your pre-owned vehicle.
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First, there may not be a warranty on a pre-owned car. The typical warranty is three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. So, if the vehicle you're considering has passed one of those thresholds, you may want to pay for a separate warranty to cover any surprise repairs that may happen in the future.
Also, you'll want to check the history of the vehicle you hope to buy. It may have been in an accident, had flood damage, or some other incident that may not be visible on the surface. There are a number of free services that allow you to get the full report associated with the car you're looking at.
Finally, be sure to check if there are any manufacturer recalls that haven't been addressed with any used car you wish to purchase. Whether you buy your used car from a dealer or from an individual, there's no guarantee that they've taken care of the repairs necessary to fix the problem, which could be dangerous.
Shopping online for a used car makes it very easy to see what's available in your local area without having to drive to multiple dealerships and car lots. Most websites for buying pre-owned cars are relatively similar: enter the type of car you're looking for, along with your ZIP code, and get quotes from dealers in your area that may have your vehicle in stock.
So, what factors should you keep in mind when choosing the best website for your used car purchase? Consider these three criteria:
- Information. Will the website give you details that can help you with your decision? Will you be better-informed with respect to the costs of owning the vehicle you choose? Do they offer other details on current trends in the automotive marketplace?
- Price. Does the site offer you a way to get the best possible price for your car, either through a discount or through a relationship with a network of trusted dealers? Or does it just tell you where to find the car you want while leaving the haggling up to you?
- Extra Services. Can the site connect you with resources for getting auto insurance, an auto loan, or other relevant products and services?
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Used Car sites available today. We hope these reviews will get you behind the wheel quickly in a vehicle that will last for years to come!
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