It seems that every day, new websites pop up to help people buy and sell cars. This can confuse the automotive customer, so we thought it would be worthwhile to go through the different sites and explain the differences among them. It’s useful to know that Autotrader provides the vehicles for sale or “listings” on KBB, and Kelley Blue Book is the trusted resource when it comes to pricing and values for both new and used cars.
Autotrader Facts
Launched in 1992, Autotrader began as a publication showing ads for cars, staying in print until 2017. The website autotrader.com, with much more comprehensive tools, reviews, and vehicle history reports, started in 1997.
With the stated goal of being “your ultimate solution for buying and selling new, certified, and used cars,” autotrader.com offers a number of benefits. It boasts the largest selection of vehicle inventory from dealers and private sellers; a comprehensive selection of buying and selling tips; research and comparison tools, including reviews, photos, and videos; vehicle pricing, including seller specials and dealer discounts; safety information and vehicle history reports; and even help with finance, insurance, and warranty programs. We at KBB.com provide pricing information in our partnership with Autotrader. On each car listed for sale you’ll see a badge with “Good Price” or “Great Price,” letting you know if that specific car is at or below the Kelley Blue Book Fair Market Price Range. You can see a more detailed breakdown of this pricing information on the actual page (the vehicle detail page)that details the specific car you’re viewing.
For those who are unsure about what car they want, Autotrader lets shoppers research and compare cars by body type, mileage, price, and other criteria. In terms of numbers, Autotrader has more than 3 million vehicle listings from 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private owners, with more than 14 million buyers per month.
One unique feature on Autotrader is “At Home Services,” which allows shoppers to search for all new or used cars or those where the seller offers a video walkaround, at-home test drive, and vehicle delivery.
CarGurus Facts
CarGurus was started in 2006 by Langley Steinert, co-founder of Trip Advisor. Car Gurus boasts that it has more car listings than any other major online automotive marketplace in the U.S.
Each deal on CarGurus gets a rating, from great to overpriced, and sorts searches in that order, placing good deals from top dealers at the top of search results.
Algorithms guide the search, taking into account price, mileage, location, dealer reputation, and trim levels. If a car has been sitting on a lot for a long time or has been in an accident, that is noted on the site. Like Autotrader, CarGurus also offers car reviews and offers a forum for user questions.
Now let’s break down the buying and selling options on both Autotrader and CarGurus.
Autotrader Listings for Buyers of New and Used Cars
Autotrader allows buyers to search for new cars by everything from make to style, price, location, and even more. The site also has a feature called “Dealer Home Services” that lets you search only for cars that offer a video walkaround from the selling dealership, a home test drive, and home delivery should you decide to buy.
Each new car listing includes information provided by the seller, including the vehicle’s VIN (vehicle identification number) and often the dealer stock number.
What you will see on Autotrader
At the top of the page, you are allowed to search by make, model, or style. An “Advanced search” button allows you to broaden your search terms, with such things as location, condition, and style.
Then you reach a page that shows an example of a car and a dealership, with the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price). It also includes information on the dealership and KBB’s dealer rating. Boxes appear with Dealer Home Services options, such as whether a video walkaround or at-home test drive is available. You also have the option to expand the search radius from your home.
Once you click on a particular car, the mileage, engine, transmission, fuel economy, exterior and interior colors, and the VIN are included, including seller comments. Warranty information appears lower down the page.
Below that is pricing information provided by us here at KBB.com. This includes the MSRP and how it relates to what we believe the fair market range is for the vehicle. We update this information frequently as it changes depending on things like season (convertibles are more popular in the summer) and desirability or popularity of a particular new car.
If you need to finance the vehicle, below this is the “Calculate Payment” tool where you can plug in the number of months and down payment and (if relevant) the trade-in value of your current vehicle. It will then calculate your monthly payment and what the APR is.
Contacting a seller through Autotrader
At the top of the page is an e-mail click that says “confirm availability” if you like the car.
Then there are a number of ways to contact the dealership, including a private message with your name, email, and (optionally) phone number. Or you can send an email and ask questions about the car.
Used Cars
Autotrader features new- and used-car listings from both dealers and private parties. The search options for both include such parameters as year, make, price, style, location, color, etc.
One key difference is that used cars can be filtered via vehicle history (number of owners, any accidents) and mileage. Many listings also include a link to a free Carfax report.
Each listing includes information from the seller, features, and general model information such as reviews, where applicable. Information about the original warranty is also available, as well as KBB’s Fair Market value.
Similar to the new-car listings, the used listings also offer a variety of ways to contact the seller, such as email, chat, and of course a phone number.
Certified Pre-Owned
Some of the used cars are Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicles. Manufacturers run CPO programs through their dealerships. A CPO car is one with low mileage that undergoes a thorough inspection and includes a warranty from the manufacturer.
More Search Choices
Even beyond the conventional new- and used-car listings, Autotrader provides different classes of search on other pages. At the bottom of the home page, there are options to find classic and exotic cars, motorcycles, or even RVs. One category that may be handy for certain buyers is a special search for those with bad credit. After all, everyone deserves a chance.
Autotrader Listings for Sellers
Since Autotrader exists to help not only buyers but also sellers, Autotrader offers a few different choices for private-party sellers. Listings are on a pricing scale. A Basic ad costs $25. A Featured ad charge is $50, and a Premium ad goes for $90. Due to Autotrader’s partnership with us at KBB.com, any Autotrader posting also appears here on our website.
Each listing includes the ability to display photos as well. The Basic listing option comes with three photos, Featured gets 20, and a Premium ad includes 30. There is also the option to add 10 more photos to any package for an additional $20.
Sellers also get a view counter to see how successful their ad has been and how many people have clicked on it.
Seller Options
Sellers can include a vehicle history report, which costs $15 with a Basic or Featured listing but comes with a Premium ad. Spotlight Ad status is another $15 option, which bumps the ad up on the search results page from time to time. This is free with Premium.
Premium ads also get something called the Supercharger listing, which makes the ad stand out in search results. This costs $10 with a Basic or Featured ad.
KBB Instant Cash Offer
Yet another advantage to Autotrader’s partnership with us at KBB.com is that a seller has the option of using Kelley Blue Book’s Instant Cash Offer, which gives the seller a cash or trade-in offer from KBB at participating dealers. This eliminates the hassle of selling a car, which includes scams or even damage to one’s property.
CarGurus Listings for Buyers
On the main page, the vehicle search is similar to the method used by Autotrader. Make, model, year, by zip code, and of course style (truck, SUV, sedan, etc).
Once you select a make (and model), the next page offers several cars (some with photos, some without). There are a number of filter options, from lowest price to lowest mileage, closest to the zip code, or even how new the listing is. Listings include price, MSRP, where the dealership is, a dealer rating, phone number, and an option to email for more information.
Once you click on the car, more information comes up, including additional vehicle details and finance options. There’s also data on how long the car’s been on the page and any list-price changes. Lower down on the page is a monthly payment calculator. Also available is a list of contactless services that a dealership may offer.
CarGurus Listings for Sellers
CarGurus listings cost $4.95 and run for 30 days. The main page has a menu including make, model, year, trim, etc., including mileage. There’s also an option to look information up based on the car’s VIN. A Photo Wizard tool helps sellers photograph the vehicle and suggests any special features that will attract buyer interest.
Private-party transactions can use something called CarGurus Pay where the site acts as a secure intermediary. The service makes sure the money transfers and generates a bill of sale. This feature is included in the listing price and strongly suggested. Sellers are also welcome to conduct direct cash transactions.
CarGurus also allows sellers to limit customers to “vetted buyers.” This is a person who is willing to upload an ID that is confirmed to be legitimate.
