Key takeaways
- Car buying apps let you navigate the entire purchasing process from your phone, either by browsing private sales or an online dealership’s inventory.
- If you’re looking to sell quickly, some used car dealership apps may also provide instant cash offers.
- Many marketplaces allow you to sell to potential buyers in addition to buying a car — but there may be a fee to list your vehicle.
You can purchase and finance a vehicle from the comfort of your phone with a car buying app. There are multiple ways to buy a car online, and many allow you to sell your current car as well. The level of support you receive depends on the app, so check out your options to find the one that best fits your needs before downloading.
| App name | Available for | Types of cars listed | Can I list my car? | Can I find local cars? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autolist | Apple, Android | New and used | Yes | Yes |
| Autotrader | Apple, Android | New and used | Yes | Yes |
| CarMax | Apple, Android | Used | Yes | Yes |
| Cars.com | Apple, Android | New and used | Yes | Yes |
| Carvana | Apple, Android | Used | No | No |
| Edmunds | Apple, Android | New and used | No | Yes |
| iSeeCars | Apple, Android | New and used | No | Yes |
| Kelly Blue Book | Apple, Android | New and used | Yes | Yes |
1. Autolist: Best for searching by price
You can use Autolist filters to search by make, model, trim, year, price, mileage and other features you’re looking for in a car. Autolist then searches the major used car apps and sites for options that fit your needs. You can also filter your results by how long the car has been for sale, compare prices against other vehicles and view price drops.
If you’re looking to sell your current car, Autolist works with CarGurus. The process requires listing information about your vehicle on the site, then CarGurus will gather multiple purchase offers for sellers to review.
2. Autotrader: Best for selling your car
Autotrader helps you find certified pre-owned cars as well as other new or used vehicles. There is also a tool to search for cars based on your budget. You can view cars based on your desired monthly payment or search for cars available at local dealerships.
While Autotrader is a good choice for buying a car, its main focus is selling your car. Ads you place on Autotrader also go up on Kelley Blue Book (KBB) with a free vehicle history report from AutoCheck. And if you don’t want to wait, Autotrader has an instant cash offer feature.
3. CarMax: Best for skipping negotiation
CarMax offers a no-haggle car buying experience, and vehicle prices shown on the app are only those directly from CarMax dealership. When you’re shopping for a car, you can explore vehicles in your area on the CarMax app. The filters allow you to sort based on price, mileage, make, model and fuel efficiency. You can also search for cars in categories like eco-friendly, family vehicles and off-road. The app also allows you to sell your vehicle, apply for CarMax vehicle financing or check out vehicle history reports.
4. Cars.com: Best for specific filter options
Cars.com has been around since 1998. It allows you to search for new and used vehicles, and you can also sell your car. You can get an online offer or work with a local dealer through the Cars.com app. You can filter your results based on price or sort by an internal ranking of great deals, good deals or fair deals. You can also list your car for free, although there are better options if you’re in the market to sell or trade-in your current vehicle.
5. Carvana: Best for a fully virtual experience
Known for its car vending machines, Carvana is an online dealership that allows you to find, purchase and receive your car without having to leave your home. This approach embraces the ease of virtual shopping, and it can be a good choice if you’re buying used. It has a seven-day test drive period, and you can potentially qualify for in-housing financing at lower rates than bad credit auto loans.
While you can’t list your car directly on the site like some other entries on this list, you can sell your car directly to Carvana. It advertises the ability to give you a real offer in two minutes, and a Carvana rep will visit you to inspect and purchase the vehicle.
6. Edmunds: Best for comparing vehicles
Edmunds has been a pillar in the car-buying world for over 50 years. It covers everything from automotive reviews to vehicle pricing information — and the app is no different. You can see available vehicles in your area, read reviews from industry experts and access a library of resources, including a feature to help you appraise your car.
7. iSeeCars: Best for researching used cars
While most online apps allow you to explore used vehicles, the iSeeCars app is built for deep research for used vehicles. It allows you to search for used cars and find the best deals in your area. It offers dozens of specific filters to narrow down your search — options like fuel type, transmission, cargo room, towing capacity and more. Listings are ranked by the proposed deal’s quality, and you can also set price alerts to be notified if a vehicle you are interested in has a price drop.
8. Kelley Blue Book: Best for checking prices
Like Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book is a fantastic resource for vehicle reviews — and you can use it to get a no-obligation instant cash offer on your vehicle. Its goal is to empower drivers via research to get the best price for their vehicle, and it hosts both expert and consumer reviews.
Its app presents drivers with their chosen vehicle’s fair market price based on the original MSRP, current buyer transactions and data gathered from other sources. You can use this information to track real-time pricing and performance data. If you are unsure if you are getting the best deal on your vehicle, KBB can help you check pricing. The app is a great starting point for vehicle negotiation and assurance you are walking away with the best deal.
Next steps
If you’re interested in buying a used car from a dealer or private party, it’s important to research cars that fit your needs, establish a budget and shop around. And if you plan on applying for an auto loan, it’s a good idea to check your credit score in advance and dispute any errors to ensure your score is as high as possible.
Once you’ve chosen your next set of wheels, take advantage of online resources to lock in your auto loan rate ahead of vehicle purchase to get the best deal. You can do so with some of these car-buying apps to help make the process more seamless.
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