It’s never been as easy to buy and sell used cars as it is now. This is due to the fact that so many online resources and car buying apps exist in abundance.
However, the downside is, well, that there are so many online resources and car buying apps in existence.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to find where to buy a used car or list a car for sale. Too many choices can make the experience risky, or tricky at best. So we’ve compiled some of our favorite used car websites for buyers and sellers and broken it down into a 3-part series.
Part 1: AutoTempest, AutoTrader, and Cars.com
Buy and Sell Used Cars at AutoTempest
AutoTempest amasses millions of listings from the biggest used car sites such as Cars.com and Carvana. They also include private sellers from places like eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace. Buyers like it because they can find what they’re looking for in one place. Sellers like AutoTempest because of the multiple car-buying platforms that their listing can be included.
In a nutshell: The AutoTempest interface is user-friendly and the selection is massive. However transactions aren’t completed on the site, some of the vehicle details are missing, and sometimes cars are listed here that have already sold.
Buy and Sell Used Cars at AutoTrader
Popular with both car buyers and sellers, the sellers really like the fact that the listings are also syndicated on Kelley Blue Book (which is owned by AutoTrader). The AutoTrader system also gives sellers a way to sell their car to a dealership (makes for a faster sale) or get an instant cash offer. If you are looking to sell your car fast, this is the website for you.
After partnering with Kelley Blue Book, AutoTrader incorporated their price advisor tool which vastly improves the car buying process.
In a nutshell: AutoTrader is a good choice with its powerful search feature. They even have a money-back guarantee for sellers. Buyers, however, cannot get financing through the site so the convenience factor is a little heavier on the seller side.
Buy and Sell Used Cars at Cars.com
This service still reigns as the touchstone for online auto sales because they distribute listing information to a multitude of destinations of choice and they have an enormous inventory.
Listing your car for sale on Cars.com (free or paid listing) means that it may also be included on other online vehicle sale websites. And there’s tools available for making quick sales to dealers just in case you need to sell your car really fast.
It does stand to reason, however, that since Cars.com has such a huge inventory, that it could be hard for your listing to stand out. Not to worry if you’re selling a car in high demand. But if the vehicle you’re selling is not as popular, just be sure to include lots of good photographs.
In a nutshell: Cars.com is a good choice for both buyers and sellers who was to sell quickly due to its large inventory from a syndicated network. The downside is really only for sellers who may find it hard to stand out.
