We think cars should be fun, but we're aware that the car shopping process can be anything but. Unfortunately, the dealership experience has not changed much over the years. When you go buy your car, your experience will likely look something like this: walk in, get ambushed by a salesperson, get a pitch for a car that is several grand above your budget, take a too-short test drive in the car you're actually considering, negotiate the price, and head to the F&I office. 6 hours later, you'll drive out of the dealership in a new vehicle trying to convince yourself that you made the right choice. Luckily, there are many online car shopping websites that help you prepare for your car purchase so you don't get taken for a ride.
The best way to take control of the car-shopping process is to arm yourself with pricing and vehicle information. This includes collecting vehicle details, quotes, and financing offers before heading to the dealership. The good news is you won't have to leave your couch to start the shopping process. Here at Web2Carz, we focus on the complete car shopping experience, helping shoppers of all credit backgrounds with auto financing, vehicle research, and quotes for new and used cars. While we think we're pretty great, we know car shoppers don't just use one source to gather information, so we've compiled 10 additional virtual car shopping destinations (including a few that let you avoid the dealership entirely).
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Cars.com
Cars.com is one of the best-known names in car shopping with a long history in the industry. First launched in 1998, Cars.com offers car shoppers the benefit of a vast dealer network with a wide variety of inventory. Not only can car shoppers evaluate the vehicles they are interested in with in-depth reviews, but they can also evaluate the dealership options they can purchase from with dealers ratings and reviews. Unlike some other sites on this list, cars.com does not offer financing for the vehicle purchase, it serves as a matchmaking service for you to find your car but you'll have to secure financing elsewhere.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- In-depth reviews for research
- Compare dealerships reviews
- "Deal Ranking" lets you compare cars side-by-side
TrueCar
With a large network of over 16,500 certified dealers, TrueCar makes finding your next vehicle simple and enjoyable. New car shoppers can start by choosing a specific make and model along with other features like engine options and exterior and interior colors. The ample search results will show dealerships that have that exact vehicle and a detailed price analysis based on comparable sales. Used car shoppers can filter inventory by features like miles, pricing, and age. The used listings all have a price rating attached including "Fair," "Great," and "Excellent" to help guide the purchase decision.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- Detailed price analysis for new cars
- Simple-to-use search tool
- Price rating for used cars
Autotrader
AutoTrader offers one of the largest inventory listings for new and used vehicles from over 40,000 dealerships and 250,000 private sellers. In addition to searching for vehicles to buy, Autotrader allows visitors to value their vehicles and sell their current car on the site. The extensive list of filters lets you narrow down your search to find your exact dream car (filters include: fuel economy, drive type, and specific features like keyless entry). Financing options are available through Autotrader's partnership with Lendingtree.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- Massive inventory
- Detailed search filters for new and used cars
- Convenient mobile app
CarGurus
CarGurus features listings from private sellers as well as dealerships. CarGurus allows online car shoppers to search for new and used vehicles by make, model, body style and other specific features. CarGurus adds a unique feature which is their own rating of each car listing letting shoppers know if the vehicle is a "great deal", "good deal", "fair", "high" or "overpriced". The ratings are determined based on comparable car listings and vehicles that were recently sold giving shoppers a sense of confidence before they go to the dealership. Car listings of used vehicles show how long the car has been up for sale and its ownership history, helping shoppers determine if the deal is a good one,
Best Car Shopping Features:
- Large inventory of over 5 million new and used cars
- CarGurus transparency rating (great, good, fair or overpriced)
- Listing history helps shoppers negotiate
Carvana
Carvana lets car shoppers buy a vehicle entirely online, no dealership required. This innovative business model allows shoppers to search for used vehicles among an inventory of over 19,000 cars. This means you can pick out and purchase your perfect used car without leaving the comfort of your couch. Just select the vehicle that works best for you, apply for financing, and purchase the car entirely online. Carvana will deliver the car directly to your door or gives you the option to pick it up at one of their giant car vending machines. "Why would anyone buy a car without test driving it?" you might think. Carvana understands this concern and offers a 7-day money-back guarantee if a customer is not satisfied with their choice.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- Car shopping process takes place entirely online
- Auto financing available through Carvana's website
- 7-day money-back guarantee
eBay Motors
You may think of eBay as a place to sell your junk in lieu of a garage sale or bid on that comic book collection you've been eyeing. A lesser-known fact is that eBay also has an entire site dedicated to car shopping called eBay Motors. eBay Motors lets car shoppers bid on vehicles or pay the set price for the car. Not only can you search for your next new or used car, or truck but also an RV or classic car. If you find a vehicle that is located far away, use the site's uShip feature to securely ship the vehicle directly to your house. As with buying anything online, you want to be aware of scams and evaluate each listing for legitimacy. eBay offers purchase protection which helps protect shoppers, but it is not a substitute for common sense.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- Nationwide inventory of private sellers
- Purchase protection guarantee
- Room for negotiations can lead to lower price
Vroom
Vroom is similar to Carvana in that the entire car purchase is completed online, but this website focuses on upscale used cars with an average price of $30,000. Search for your perfect used car by make and model, body type, year, price, or miles. Once you find a car that sparks your interest, you can browse through the exterior and interior photos and details like the warranty, and the number of previous owners. All of Vroom's vehicles pass a thorough inspection and come with a free CarFax vehicle history report to give you more confidence in your purchase. Although there are no car vending machines like Carvana, Vroom delivers the vehicle to you for a $499 shipping fee. You'll get 7 days to test drive and a full refund will be issued if you're not satisfied.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- No need to go to a dealership
- Financing available
- 90-day limited warranty
CarMax
Starting your search for a used car on the CarMax website gives you an advantage. Unlike other websites on our list which are entirely online, CarMax likely has a brick-and-mortar location in your area where you can go check out the car in person and take it for a test drive. If you don't live near a CarMax store, they will be able to deliver the vehicle directly to you with a 7-day return guarantee. Another benefit of going through CarMax for your used car is the extensive vehicle inspections that every car undergoes. For a worry-free experience post-purchase, you'll have the option to purchase a comprehensive service plan.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- Nationwide CarMax stores for an in-person experience
- Financing with pre-approval available
- No-haggle pricing
AutoTempest
If you're short on time to browse multiple sites and compare listings and quotes, AutoTempest has you covered. With a focus on used car listings, AutoTempest is the car shopping equivalent to the travel site, Kayak, where you can see flight and hotel prices from many different sources. AutoTempest similarly aggregates used car listing from other sites like eBay, craigslist, cars.com, Autotrader, and more. In addition to searching the car listings, you'll find buying guides, shopping tips, and obtain quotes for new cars. If you're interrupted in the middle of a car browsing session, you'll be able to save your search results for later.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- Aggregates used car listings in one place
- Saves search results for later
- Shipping service options for out of town purchases
CarsDirect
Many online car shopping sites have a lot of bells and whistles which can be useful, but in some cases can also become distracting. What we like more about CarsDirect is that it offers a clean and simple shopping experience. Start by searching for a car, see a plethora of useful information including car overviews and pricing details like lease deals and financing incentives. The homepage makes searching for new or used cars quick and easy and gives you lease and finance estimates. See reviews for your searched new car or view car listings for your selected used car listings. Plus, financing options and review videos are available as additional shopping tools.
Best Car Shopping Features:
- Simple-to-use search function
- Save your search history and favorite vehicles
- Side-by-side vehicle comparisons
