Buying a used car has become easier than ever thanks to an abundance of online resources and the explosion of app-based car-buying services. Many of the newer services act as a one-stop shop to buy cars directly and have them delivered, providing a more streamlined buying process. To keep up with the shifting market, many auto dealerships have overhauled their online shopping platforms for a more positive buying experience that includes home delivery.
Buyers aren’t the only ones benefiting from this shift in the used car market. Sellers are also flocking to used car sites to get a good price for their vehicles.
Our picks for the best used car websites
If you have a car to sell you may be wondering where to list it. There are tons of websites that cater to different sellers’ needs, so finding the best used car website can be tricky. Here are some of our favorite used car websites for buyers, along with some other sites where sellers can unload cars and trucks quickly.
AutoTempest: best for millions of results in one place
AutoTempest aggregates a massive selection of used cars from millions of listings across multiple sites. Buyers go to AutoTempest to find cars from all the biggest used car sites like Cars.com, Carvana and TrueCar, plus private sellers from places like eBay and Craigslist. They cater to the buyer looking for the most options in one place. We included AutoTempest on this list because they’re able to capture all the results in one search, saving you time and helping you find your ideal used vehicle.
Car sellers also benefit from AutoTempest’s wide reach across multiple car-buying platforms. Read the complete AutoTempest Guide to learn more.
Pros & Cons of AutoTempest
| Pros | Cons |
| User-friendly interface | Some vehicle details are incomplete |
| Expansive selection for car buyers | Transactions aren’t completed on this site |
AutoTrader: best for powerful search and filtering tools
AutoTrader is popular with both car buyers and sellers because of its powerful search tools. Sellers like the fact that some listing packages come with a money-back guarantee (no sale, no charge) and listings are syndicated on Kelley Blue Book. There’s also the option to sell to a dealership for a faster sale or even to get an instant cash offer on the site. If a speedy sale is more important to you than getting top dollar, AutoTrader is one of the sites that make it easy to unload a vehicle fast.
Autotrader has also partnered with Kelley Blue Book to provide an excellent price advisor tool that helps bring clarity and open communication to the buying process.
Pros & Cons of AutoTrader
| Pros | Cons |
| Powerful search feature | No financing options for buyers |
| Money-back guarantee for sellers |
Bring-A-Trailer: best for buying and selling best for rare and specialized vehicles
Bring-A-Trailer caters to used car sellers and buyers looking for more rare and specialized cars. Inventory includes everything from souped-up sports cars to rare antiques. It’s an auction site, but buyers pay most of the fees while sellers just pay a single $99 fee for the listing. If you’re selling a vintage vehicle or something special, there are some good reasons to choose this site. First, it gets a lot of traffic; second, that traffic is mostly made up of passionate people who are actively looking to buy. Interested in buying or selling a classic car? Check out our Bring-A-Trailer guide to learn more about how to use this site to its full potential.
Pros & Cons of Bring-A-Trailer
| Pros | Cons |
| Good selection of rare vehicles | Auction-style bidding make prices unpredictable |
| A high volume of traffic | Postings are only available for rare/special vehicles, not everyday-use cars |
Cars.com: best for quick listings that reach a large network
This site remains the gold standard for auto sales because they syndicate their listings so widely and they have a huge inventory. When you sell a car on Cars.com through either the free listing option or one of the paid options, your listing may be included on their other properties (Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com, and NewCars.com) and on Cars.com affiliate sites. They also offer sellers the option of making quick sales to dealers, so if you need to move your vehicle fast, you can.
A word of advice: While the site’s huge inventory is an obvious pro for buyers, it can be a challenge for sellers to stand out from the crowd. You’re likely to have the most success with a model that’s in high demand. For less popular vehicles, it’s helpful to use high-quality photos that will catch buyers’ attention.
Pros & Cons of Cars.com
| Pros | Cons |
| Large inventory for buyers | Difficult for sellers to stand out in large inventory |
| Syndicated network to promote quick sales |
CarGurus: best for free listings with high traffic
This is another site that lets sellers create listings for free, though be aware that if you sell your vehicle via the listing, you’ll be charged $99 regardless of the purchase price. Lots of buyers come to this site—20 million per month—because of CarGurus’ unique deal rating feature.
Every listing is assigned a deal rating that can range from great to overpriced, so if you’re trying to get top dollar for your ride and you’re not willing to adjust your price, this might not be the best place to post your listing. However, if you are offering a good deal for your used car you can easily reach a huge number of potential buyers through CarGurus.
Pros & Cons of CarGurus
| Pros | Cons |
| Sellers can create listings for free | With deal rating, sellers may not be able to get top dollar |
| High buyer traffic |
CarMax: best for large inventory with many in-person locations
Shop a large, nationwide used car inventory, then buy online or at a location near you. Their detailed search filters make it easy to find what you’re looking for.
For sellers, CarMax will give you a real offer for your vehicle online. Actually completing a sale with CarMax, however, will require you to go to one of their stores for an in-person appraisal of your vehicle. As is the case with almost all the sites that buy cars, you’ll probably get less for your ride than you would if you sold it directly to an individual buyer. But the upside is that you will leave CarMax with a check in hand, and they’ll be the ones handling all the necessary paperwork.
Pros & Cons of CarMax
| Pros | Cons |
| Detailed search filters | Sellers must complete the sale in person |
| Easy process for selling cars | Trade-in offers are typically low |
Carvana: best for convenient buying and selling process
This is another car-buying site that combines a convenient shopping experience with home delivery services. Carvana sells used cars right on its website and delivers anywhere in the U.S. Buyers also have the option to pick up vehicles in one of the company’s car vending machines.
Sellers also like Carvana, which like many of the sites above, buys cars and trucks. If you sell to Carvana, the process is fast and easy, and they’ll come with a truck to hand off a check and cart your vehicle away.
Pros & Cons of Carvana
| Pros | Cons |
| Buying process includes home delivery | Prices may be higher than other used car dealers |
| Home pickup of vehicle for sellers |
Craigslist: best free listings for local market
The big, obvious benefit of selling a car on Craigslist is that you can create a hyper-local, photo-rich listing for free and make a no-stress sale without having to worry about coordinating car transport with a faraway buyer. That said, selling your car or truck may take longer because you’re not putting it in front of a nationwide audience of buyers. It’s up to you whether the convenience of selling locally is worth waiting for.
Pros & Cons of Craigslist
| Pros | Cons |
| Provides the convenience of a local market | Car sales may be slower due to a smaller market |
| Sellers can get top dollar | Scammers and shady characters abound |
eBay Motors: best for easy local buying and selling
If you’re already familiar with how selling on eBay works, then listing your vehicle on eBay Motors might be a great option for you. Setting up listings is simple and listing fees are reasonable, making eBay Motors an accessible choice if you want to sell your car locally (and if you want to help a faraway buyer coordinate car transport, Montway makes it easy.)
Are there downsides to listing on eBay? The biggest downside may be that bids are non-binding, so a buyer can back out for any reason at any point in the process. However, many sellers find that the ease of listing and inexpensive fees outweigh these drawbacks.
Pros & Cons of eBay Motors
| Pros | Cons |
| Listings are reasonable and easy to set up | Not all sellers are reputable, need to watch for scams |
| Buyers can find unique vehicles | Buyers can back out of the sale for any reason |
Edmunds: best for trustworthy listings and accurate appraisals
Edmunds is a trusted source in the car-buying industry, offering side-by-side comparisons of different vehicles, buying guides and connections to dealers around the country. Find fair prices and incentives on your car of choice as well as exclusives and extras, and get the best deal possible when you find your dream car.
Pros & Cons of Edmunds
| Pros | Cons |
| A reputable, long-standing company | Comparison tool only applies to new cars |
| Various tools for new car buyers | Vehicle history reports are not free |
Hemmings: best for buying and selling classic and collector cars
Hemmings is where buyers who are looking specifically for classic and collector cars go to buy. So if that’s what you’re selling, this site is worth exploring. Hemmings is super popular with classic car enthusiasts, and they’re not kidding when they say a listing, which will be published online and in print in Hemmings Motor News, can reach millions of buyers. The best part is that these buyers love cars and usually know exactly what they want. For example, if you’re selling a Porsche 911, you’ll attract buyers who love that car as much as you do. If you need to ship your recent purchase to your home or other location, consider classic car transport.
Pros & Cons of Hemmings
| Pros | Cons |
| A comprehensive selection of classic cars | Buying and selling fees |
| Huge subscriber base |
TrueCar: best for transparent pricing and comprehensive details on used cars
TrueCar’s mission is to add transparency to the buying process. They analyze timely and comprehensive pricing information from dealers and then publish it in an easy-to-understand format. Armed with that data, used car shoppers can approach TrueCar Certified Dealers with confidence, knowing they have what they need to get a great price.
Shop from nearly one million pre-owned vehicles nationwide including cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and convertibles, each with their own condition report summary so you know exactly what you’re buying. TrueCar excels in giving the buyer a complete picture of the current used car marketplace.
For used car sellers, the platform offers a friendly interface for entering vehicle information and getting a True Cash Offer™ from a local dealer.
Pros & Cons of TrueCar
| Pros | Cons |
| Impressive selection of pre-owned vehicles | Phone number required, results in multiple calls |
| User-friendly interface for used car sellers | Model availability may be limited |
Vroom: best for all-in-one, online buying and selling
This is another car-buying site that has made spending weekends browsing dealerships a thing of the past. Much like Carvana, the company sells cars right on its website and delivers the cars it sells anywhere in the U.S. It also caters to sellers looking for that quick sale. You tell them about your car or truck, they make an offer in 30 minutes or less, and if you accept that offer, they’ll come to pick up your vehicle and pay you for it via direct deposit. Read our Vroom guide to learn about more pros and cons.
Pros & Cons of Vroom
| Pros | Cons |
| All-in-one service for purchase and delivery | Nonrefundable delivery fee |
| Competitive prices for car sellers |
FAQs on purchasing a car online
What’s the biggest car website in the USA?
AutoTrader has been in business since 1997 and has since become one of the most widely recognized and trusted automobile websites in the USA, reaching millions of potential buyers nationwide.
What is the best online portal to sell used cars?
Listings on AutoTrader reach millions of potential buyers and are listed on Kelley Blue Book, making them trustworthy and wide-reaching.
What’s the best place to buy used cars under $5,000?
Private markets generally have more options for low-priced vehicles. Local listings on Craigslist and eBay Motors will likely have the best selection of used cars under $5,000.
What is the most popular used car website?
Depending on what type of used car you’re looking for, you may find success on a number of different used car websites. AutoTrader.com has a very large reach and strong reputation, while Carvana and Vroom deliver the best convenience. Craigslist and eBay Motors are very popular for local market transactions.
Do I pay extra fees to use a used car website?
You will pay extra fees depending on which website you choose. While some sites offer free listings, others will charge you to list your used vehicle. Some only charge a one-time fee while others charge a recurring fee that you must continue to pay to keep your vehicle listed. Be sure to carefully read each website’s terms and conditions to become familiar with their pricing and fees.
How do I know if a used car site is trustworthy?
Carefully read customer reviews to get an idea of a used car site’s reputation and trustworthiness. Look out for the number of reviews a company has as well. The higher number of reviews, the better. Many companies will have a Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating that can tell you a lot about what it’s like to work with a certain company.
Dealership websites
Car dealerships have noticed the influx of car-buying sites and apps on the market, and they’ve responded by delivering an upgraded shopping experience on their own websites. Many car dealerships offer comprehensive search functions and detailed information on their inventory, including estimates on home delivery. Even if home delivery isn’t an option, you can still buy a new or pre-owned vehicle from a dealership anywhere in the country and have the car shipped to your location with the help of an auto transport company like Montway. Calculating the cost of shipping your car is easy with our car shipping quote calculator.
Car transport after an online sale
Long-distance car buying is more popular than ever, which means cars are being shipped across the country every day. Montway Auto Transport makes it easy to get a used vehicle to its new home. With 15 years of experience in the auto shipping industry, we know how to ship cars easily and efficiently. Montway is responsible for over 800,000 satisfied customers since our start in 2007. Whether you’re buying a used car for yourself, or you’re a car reseller that needs to transport vehicles, Montway can help.
Learn more at Montway.com, get an instant quote or call us at 888-666-8929
