Great Choice for Older Vehicles
4.4/5
Offers convenient at-home pickup and delivery servicesEasy-to-use online platformPays by ACH transfer or certified check
833-672-0583
Get an Offer On Peddle’s Website
Featured Partner
3.9/5
Offers free pickupInspector comes to you for the saleWill pay off your outstanding loan
321-340-6624
Get an Offer On Wheelzy’s Website
Good for Damaged Vehicles
4.3/5
Free towing with all offersGuaranteed offer for 7 daysRecycles end-of-life vehicles
844-596-7477
Get an Offer On Carbrain’s Website
What Is The Best Place To Sell A Car Online?
Whether your old junker needs to go or you want to upgrade your ride, many websites let you sell your car from home. That said, some have better platforms or higher cash offers than others. The best websites to sell your car online are easy to use and take care of the paperwork for you. In these sections, we’ll cover the sites that buy your car such as Carvana and those you can use to sell privately like Facebook Marketplace.
Best Online Car Buyers
Our top three picks for the best car selling sites are Cars.com, Carvana and CarBrain. Below we’ve broken down our ratings for these online car buyers:
Cars.comLearn More CopartVisit Site CarMaxLearn More CarGurusLearn More Cars.comLearn More CopartVisit Site CarMaxLearn More CarGurusLearn MoreWebsite Our Award Overall Rating Learn More Editor's Choice 9 Learn More Most Seamless Process 8.9 Get An Offer Good for Damaged Vehicles 8.7 Visit Site Great Choice for Older Vehicles 8.7 Get An Offer Good for Quick, Fixed-Price Offers 8.7 Quick Payments 8.6 Visit Site Great Value 8.6 Learn More Easy-To-Use Platform 8.5 Learn More Website Our Award Overall Rating Learn More Editor's Choice 9 Learn More Most Seamless Process 8.9 Get An Offer Good for Damaged Vehicles 8.7 Visit Site Great Choice for Older Vehicles 8.7 Get An Offer Good for Quick, Fixed-Price Offers 8.7 Quick Payments 8.6 Visit Site Great Value 8.6 Learn More Easy-To-Use Platform 8.5 Learn More
*To rank these companies, we considered these factors: Industry standing, platform features, cash offer value, support services and customer experience
We’ll cover each of our top picks for the best sites to sell a car online in detail in the sections below. While we received offers from each company, we didn’t always use the same vehicle to get a quote. For example, Peddle and Copart specialize in buying older vehicles, while the other companies buy newer cars. We specify the vehicle in each section.
#1 Cars.com: Editor’s Choice
9/10
BBB RatingA+Instant Offer?YesOffer Rating9.3
Pros & Cons
Pros Instant offer ranges with good values Excellent industry reputation Options to sell to a dealer or privately Cons Exact selling process depends on the dealership Customers found some dealerships add hidden fees
Why We Picked It
Cars.com is our pick for the best website to sell your car online. The company has been around since 1998 and is a household name when it comes to selling your car. Cars.com offers two ways to sell your car: to a dealership in its network or to a private buyer on the Cars.com platform. Cars.com also has an A+ rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which shows it works with customers to resolve complaints.
Read More: Cars.com Review
Selling Experience
Cars.com offers two ways to sell your car. You can sell your car to a dealer in the Cars.com network or list it on Cars.com and sell it to a private buyer for free.
Option 1: You provide information about your vehicle and then get a range for your instant cash offer. If you like the offer, you can continue the process and redeem the offer at a local dealer in the Cars.com network. You can sell your car outright or trade it in for another vehicle there.
Option 2: You can make a free listing on the Cars.com marketplace. People in your area can see your listing and contact you about the vehicle. It’s up to you to protect yourself and make sure the buyer is legitimate.
We found the experience of getting an offer to be fast and easy. Cars.com requires a license plate or VIN to get started.
Offer Value
Instead of giving an exact price for your vehicle, Cars.com provides a range based on your car’s value. This is because you’ll ultimately sell the vehicle to a dealership which will pay based on that range.
Our team received offer ranges for a 2015 Ford F-150 Super Cab and a 2015 Toyota Camry from Cars.com. The range for the Ford was $14,075 to $16,175 and the range for the Toyota was $9,925 to $12,025. Both of these ranges extended above the Kelley Blue Book (KBB) values for each vehicle.
#2 Carvana: Most Seamless Process
8.9/10
BBB RatingNRInstant Offer?YesOffer Rating8.6
Pros & Cons
Pros Easiest remote car selling process Good offer values Can trade-in vehicle Cons Low rating on the BBB Isn’t the best for low-value or junk cars
Why We Picked It
Carvana is the best option if you want to sell your car without leaving your driveway. The company’s name is synonymous with selling a car online because it offers fully digital service from start to finish. Many of Carvana’s have great experiences as evidenced by the more than 10,600 reviews that give the company an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.
Carvana is currently not rated on the BBB. We reached out to Carvana for a comment and here’s how the company responded:
“Carvana is committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences, including making it right when we get it wrong. We are proud to see our dedication to our customers reflected in hundreds of thousands of real reviews averaging 4.7 out of 5.0 stars on Carvana.com. For questions or support needs, please contact our Customer Advocate team at carvana.com/help.”
Selling Experience
With Carvana, you can get a cash offer, accept the offer and possibly even sell your car without leaving home. Before the offer can move on to a sale, however, a Carvana representative will inspect your vehicle. Depending on where you live, the inspection can be done at your house, a Carvana site or halfway between your home and a Carvana site.
Once the vehicle has been accepted, you can either have it picked up or drop it off yourself at a Carvana site. Carvana pays by certified check or direct deposit, which can take two to five business days.
Carvana has 38 physical locations across the U.S., so you can take your car to one of them to sell it or trade it in. Trade-ins work just like sales do with Carvana, and they can often be done remotely. This means you can get an offer online and use that as a credit toward your next vehicle as you shop on the site.
If you do a trade-in, Carvana will bring your new car and take the old one away. However, you might have to bring your car to a Carvana location or meet a representative at another place if your address is outside the service area. The company may charge you if it has to use a trailer to pick up your vehicle.
Carvana’s offer is good for seven days. After that, you may get a different offer from the company. Carvana offers a quick and easy cash offer process in our experience. We also found Carvana will keep emailing updated offers periodically if you don’t sell your car to the company.
Offer Value
Carvana offered us $9,911 for a 2016 Chevy Equinox. While that was in the lower range of cash offers we received for the vehicle, it was still reasonable. We also received an offer of $11,860 on a 2015 Toyota Camry, which was slightly higher than the KBB value. Carvana did offer about $3,000 over market value for the 2015 Ford F-150.
#3 CarBrain: Good for Damaged Vehicles
8.7/10
BBB RatingAInstant Offer?YesOffer Rating8.0
Pros & Cons
Pros Quick car selling process Takes cars with mechanical and body damage Offers include free towing Cons Not the best choice for vehicles in good condition Prices fluctuate based on demand in your area
Why We Picked It
CarBrain is the best option if your car has seen better days. Perhaps it’s been in a couple of accidents or you have received a high repair bill that isn’t worth paying. CarBrain doesn’t have any hidden fees which makes it easy to know what you’d get for your car. The company has an A rating from the BBB and a high customer review score of 4.9 stars on the website.
Read more: CarBrain Review
Selling Experience
CarBrain makes it easy to get rid of your damaged or totaled car. Just enter some basic details on your car and its condition and then review your offer. You could get an instant offer or receive an email or call depending on the vehicle.
CarBrain picks up vehicles in 24 to 48 hours after a signed offer on average. At that point, you’ll provide the keys and a signed title. CarBrain may help get the title released in some cases but it’s best to have a clean title when selling your car.
Offer Value
Our team received a CarBrain offer of $1,230 for a 2011 Honda Civic LX Sedan with 124,000 miles. The car had damage to the front left bumper. This was lower than the KBB private sale value but about what you’d expect for a company that will take damaged cars away fast with free nationwide towing.
#4 Peddle: Good Choice for Older Vehicles
8.7/10
BBB RatingA+Instant Offer?YesOffer Rating7.8
Pros & Cons
Pros Has positive reviews on average Buys cars regardless of their condition or whether they have titles Offers free towing services from your location Cons Doesn’t allow negotiation with its offers Isn’t the best option for newer cars Doesn’t buy cars with outstanding loans
Why We Picked It
If you have an older vehicle that’s taking up space on your property, we recommend checking Peddle out. The company buys old and junk cars across the country, whether they run or not.
Perhaps you’ve tried getting an offer from Cars.com or Carvana but got a message saying the vehicle was too old or had too much damage. You won’t get that message from Peddle. According to Peddle, the company has bought more than 2 million vehicles.
Most Peddle reviews show customers have a great experience. The company has a 4.6-star average rating on Trustpilot from more than 120,000 reviews plus an A+ rating on the BBB.
Read More: Peddle Review
Selling Experience
Peddle’s car-selling process is similar to Carvana’s. You input information about your vehicle, including its make, model, year and vehicle identification number. Since Peddle buys junk cars, it’ll also ask if the tires are inflated or if any parts have been removed from the car.
Once you finish the questionnaire, you’ll get a cash offer that’s good for seven days. If you accept the offer, Peddle will send a tow truck to pick your vehicle up from your home. The driver will do a quick inspection and then pay you with a check (or cash in some cases).
We found Peddle’s questionnaire to be more detailed than those of some other companies. However, the online experience is easy to navigate and Peddle provides information and examples wherever helpful.
Offer Value
Since Peddle buys junk cars and provides free towing in as little as a day, don’t expect to get top dollar from the platform. We found Peddle provides decent offers, but the convenience factor improves the value when you don’t have to sell the car yourself.
Peddle gave our team an offer of $1,325 for the 2011 Honda Civic LX Sedan with 124,000 miles, which was slightly higher than CarBrain’s offer. We also received offers for much older vehicles — $820 for a 2007 Toyota Camry with 250,000 miles and $400 for a 2004 Nissan Altima with 250,000 miles.
#5 TrueCar: Good for Quick, Fixed-Price Offers
8.7/10
BBB RatingA+Instant Offer?YesOffer Rating9.2
Pros & Cons
Pros Fast, transparent price offers A+ rating from the BBB Strong online customer reviews Cons No private sale option Contact information necessary to access offer Deals need to be closed with a dealership sales rep
Why We Picked It
TrueCar is the best option if you want to sell your car to a local dealership or possibly trade it for a new or used car. TrueCar works with over 13,000 dealerships across the country to help people buy and sell cars. The company’s powerful platform has many car shopping tools like a car affordability calculator and car loan calculator. TrueCar has an A+ rating and 4.2-star customer review score on the BBB.
Keep reading: TrueCar Review
Selling Experience
As far as selling a car goes, it’s similar to Cars.com in that you get an offer online and complete the sale at a dealership. But what’s different is the TrueTrade™ offer is locked in and good for three days, so you don’t have to worry about the price changing at the dealer.
TrueCar’s valuation process includes multiple questions about things like aftermarket parts, accident history, optional equipment, mechanical issues and interior condition. You have to provide your contact information before you can see the offer, however. Be prepared to receive calls or texts from dealers in your area.
Offer Value
Our team received an offer of $14,525 for a 2015 Ford F-150, which was about $600 shy of the KBB trade-in value. We also got an offer of $11,984 for a 2015 Toyota Camry, which was about $200 above KBB’s trade value. While offer values aren’t the highest we’ve seen, TrueCar is a reliable website for selling your car with a fixed price.
#6 Copart: Quick Payments
8.6/10
BBB RatingA+Instant Offer?YesOffer Rating6.0
Pros & Cons
Pros Sellers receive fast payments upon vehicle pickup Most vehicle pickups occur within 24 to 48 hours Will purchase cars in any condition Cons Website isn’t as simple to use as competitors’ Many fees for buyers
Why We Picked It
Copart is another option for selling an older car that may or may not run. The company holds auctions for the auto industry and buys older cars directly from consumers across the country. It’s a good pick if you want to scrap a car for cash. Copart owns CashForCars.com, which also buys cars from consumers. Copart’s A+ rating on the BBB shows it resolves complaints quickly on the platform.
Read More: Copart Review
Selling Experience
You can get an instant cash offer from Copart using its online form. Start by entering your VIN or the year, make and model of your vehicle. We found the online calculator works for most vehicles, but some situations might require a representative to review your information.
You’ll see an instant offer if in most cases. If you accept the offer, Copart will send a tow truck to pick your car up from your home. The driver will do a quick inspection to make sure the car matches the description. You’ll get less money if something’s missing, like the catalytic converter or a door panel.
In our experience, the calculator was a bit less intuitive than what some other companies have on their websites. While Copart provides free towing, some reviewers have had to wait longer than expected for the truck to arrive.
Offer Value
We received an offer of $847 for a 2007 Toyota Camry with 250,000 miles from Copart. This was just slightly higher than Peddle’s offer. Considering the offers were so close, both are solid choices if you’re looking to sell an older vehicle.
#7 CarMax: Great Value
8.6/10
BBB RatingA+Instant Offer?YesOffer Rating9.6
Pros & Cons
Pros Easy instant online cash offer Pays by check on the day of the sale High offer values compared to other options Cons Requires visiting a CarMax location Not the best option for junk cars
Why We Picked It
Out of all the car-selling websites we compared, CarMax gave us the best price for our 2016 Chevy Equinox. If you’re looking to get top dollar for your used vehicle, it’s definitely a good idea to check CarMax out. The company has an A+ rating from the BBB and has been in business since 1993.
Read More: CarMax Review
Selling Experience
CarMax works a bit differently from other car-selling websites. In reality, you can’t fully sell your car online. You can get an instant cash offer for your vehicle, but you have to go to a CarMax location to finalize the deal. Offers are valid for seven days.
The offer is contingent on an inspection. In our experience, this inspection is fairly quick and won’t bring any surprises if you answered the questionnaire truthfully.
You can sell your car to CarMax or trade it in for another vehicle the dealer has in stock. CarMax can buy your car if you have an auto loan, but you’ll need to bring payoff information from your lender.
The following places don’t have CarMax locations:
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Hawaii
- Montana
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
One of our team members sold their car to CarMax. In their experience, the whole process was quick and easy. After a simple inspection of the vehicle, the CarMax salesperson finalized the offer price and wrote a check. In this case, CarMax paid off the remaining auto loan balance and gave a check to our team member for the extra amount.
Offer Value
We found that CarMax provides great offers for used cars. For example, we received an offer of $11,400 for a 2017 Kia Sportage, which was almost $300 over KBB’s value. Similarly, we got a CarMax offer of $12,000 for a 2016 Chevy Equinox, which was almost $800 over the book value.
#8 CarGurus: Easy-To-Use Platform
8.5/10
BBB RatingA+Instant Offer?YesOffer Rating7.4
Pros & Cons
Pros Instant Market Value tool Offers good for seven days or 250 miles Prequalification available for buying a car Cons Offers sometimes lower than KBB value Instant offers not available in all states
Why We Picked It
If convenience is important to you, CarGurus is a great option. The company can provide an instant offer and pick up your car from your home (in most states). CarGurus has an A+ rating on the BBB and a high customer review score of 4.2 stars. Most reviews are about the car buying process but many say the platform is easy to use overall and customer service reps are helpful.
Read More: CarGurus Review
Selling Experience
The CarGurus platform is simple and easy to use. It took our team about five minutes to get an instant offer. Unlike some other sites, it requires you to provide your VIN or license plate number to give you an offer — you can’t just select your car’s make and model.
Offers from CarGurus are valid for seven days or until you drive an additional 250 miles, whichever comes first. If you like the offer, you can schedule a pickup date for CarGurus to retrieve your vehicle. While CarGurus works with a network of dealers, it’s nice to not have to leave your home to sell your car with the company.
The instant offer option isn’t available in the following states:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
You can also list your car privately on CarGurus to try to get a better price. The platform makes it easy to create a listing and upload photos to attract buyers. The listing fee to sell a car on the site is $4.95.
Offer Value
Overall, CarGurus provided mixed offers for the vehicles we tested. We received an offer of $11,123 for the 2016 Chevy Equinox, which was equal to the KBB value. CarGurus offered about $4,000 over the market value of the 2015 Ford F-150 but $3,500 below the market value of the Honda Civic. This is why it’s a good idea to compare a few different cash offers when you sell your car.
Best Sites For Private Party Car Sales
Besides selling to a dealer or online car buying company, you can of course sell your car privately. You have many options from creating a basic listing on Facebook to a detailed classified on a specialty site like Hemmings. We’ll cover a few top picks below. Note: we didn’t rate these platforms against dealership sites because they offer a completely different way to sell a car.
Facebook Marketplace for Used Cars
Posting on Facebook Marketplace is one of the most popular ways to sell a car privately. It’s free to list a car on Facebook Marketplace and to communicate with prospective buyers. The platform requires people to have Facebook accounts, so you can investigate your buyer a little bit before you meet up with them.
This makes it a little easier to avoid scams, though they still happen on the platform. Scammers often use automated programs to contact buyers, so if you get a message about your car the same minute you post the listing, be cautious.
Upload clear photos that show the condition of your car, including a photo of the engine. You may be able to get a good price for your vehicle that’s close to the market value, but be prepared for people to haggle. To increase your chances of getting the amount you want, set your price slightly higher than your bottom line.
Craigslist for Selling a Vehicle Locally
Craigslist is another good option for selling your car privately. To make your listings stand out, upload multiple photos and write a good description that includes all of the essential vehicle information.
While posting an ad on Craigslist was free for many years, it now costs $5 to list a vehicle ad on the platform. This cost is meant to reduce the presence of scammers on the site. However, scammers can still pose as fake car buyers.
Our advice for selling a car on Craigslist is to never accept any form of payment other than what you ask for. Also, watch out for fishy scenarios like someone living overseas who’s sending their relative to pay for the car or someone who wants to send you a cashier’s check for an amount over your asking price.
People sell cars on Craigslist all the time without issues, but it takes common sense and extra effort to separate serious buyers from tire kickers and scammers. The good thing is that you’re anonymous as long as you use the platform’s email service.
Private Auto Sales on eBay Motors
Many people use eBay Motors to sell parts and accessories but it can also be a good option to reach local buyers in a large metro area. Creating a detailed listing with the right keywords can help get more eyes on your car. eBay Motors works well for enthusiast vehicles, too. Be aware that the platform charges fees starting at $19 to create a listing depending on the package. That said, there is no final value fee for selling a vehicle like there is when selling other items on eBay.
We recommend using eBay Motors for local listings but not national sales unless you’re an eBay expert. It’s best to meet up with the buyer in person. Selling a car remotely on eBay requires dealing with deposits and car shipping, which can be a headache.
Bring a Trailer Classic Vehicle Auctions
If you have a classic vehicle or supercar to sell, Bring a Trailer is a great place to do it. The name alone lets people know these cars need some extra care. Bring a Trailer offers auction-style listings for auto enthusiasts. The platform has over half a million registered bidders and offers auto shipping services to the 48 contiguous states.
Bring a Trailer has a strong community and a range of features to make buying and selling easier. For example, sniping protection extends the auction time by two minutes with every bid. This means someone can’t come in at the last second and win the bid.
Since Bring a Trailer is catered to owners of valuable vehicles, it offers three auction services that start at $99 for sellers. The Classic service is a standard seven-day listing with a description written by Bring-a-Trailer. You can add a professional photographer for $330 or even get white glove service to handle ultra-high value vehicles from start to finish.
Hemmings Classic Auctions and Auto Classifieds
Hemmings is another classic car selling auction site and online community. It has categories for convertibles, muscle cars, sports cars, exotic cars, custom builds and more. You can create a seven-day auction or a six-month listing managed through the platform for $99.95. Buyers pay a five percent fee when they purchase through these methods.
You can also post a classified ad for six months and have interested buyers call or email you directly for $149.95. Buyers don’t have to pay a fee in this case. Classified ads appear on the website and in the Hemmings Motor News magazine.
Where Can You Sell Your Car Online?
To help you compare the options, we’ve pulled together the main ones for selling your vehicle online. Each comes with benefits and drawbacks and the choice depends on what you want out of the selling experience. Below we’ve broken down each type of car buyer’s benefits and drawbacks along with some tips when selling through different platforms.
Websites That Buy Cars
Selling to an online dealer is often the easiest and most stress-free way to sell a vehicle. All that you’ll need to do is provide vehicle information to the dealer such as your VIN, vehicle condition and mileage. Once this is done, you’ll often get an offer on the spot that will be finalized upon inspection. If it fits the description you’ve given, you’ll get the money and the vehicle will often be transported for you free of charge.
If you just want a car out of the way and sold, this option is for you. However, these types of car buying companies tend to give lower offers than you would expect with a private sale platform. The offers are also often non-negotiable, so there is no wiggle room. Even so, if you want to sell a junk car for cash, you’ll often get better deals with these types of buyers than if you went to a junkyard.
What To Look For in Good Online Car Dealers
When looking for the best place to sell your car online, it can be difficult to distinguish what a company offers that differs from its competitors. To help you compare options, we’ll break down the core factors to think about when deciding where to sell your car online.
Customer reviews: Often the best place to start is reviews. Compare ratings for a company’s selling services and overall value to help you make a decision.
Vehicle offers: Car selling websites often offer an easy online quote tool for you to get a valuation for your vehicle. Compare multiple offers across different companies to find the best pricing.
Services offered: A good way to distinguish how a selling experience will go is by seeing what services they offer to make it easier. Look for things like free vehicle pickups, at-home inspections and drop-off options.
Industry reputation: If a company has good ratings from organizations like the BBB, you can expect trustworthy services.
Platforms for Private Party Car Sales
A private-sale platform is another web-based option you can use to sell your car. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and eBay Motors are examples of this. Instead of selling to a car-buying company or a dealership network, you can sell your car directly to another person.
The advantage of using a private-sale platform is that you’re more likely to get full market value for your vehicle. This is especially true if you have a specific make and model that car enthusiasts are eager to purchase.
When you sell to a site like Carvana, that company resells your car for a profit. Companies like Carvana will offer trade-in value to private sellers instead of the market value, which is higher. Since a buyer on a private-sale platform usually wants to own the car rather than sell it for a profit, you can often negotiate a better price with them.
What To Know About Selling a Vehicle Privately
Selling a car privately has its own advantages and disadvantages. The main benefit of selling privately is you can command a higher price. It’s a good idea to check your car’s value on Kelley Blue Book so you can negotiate the full value of the vehicle. Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for a platform and selling your vehicle.
Most platforms have fees: Expect to pay about $5 to $10 to create a listing or a small percentage as a seller’s fee depending on the platform. Facebook Marketplace is one of the only completely free options. Classic car listings can cost $100 or more.
Stay safe: Be cautious when meeting strangers. Take a friend with you or meet the prospective buyer in a public area. Keep any test drive short and nearby.
Do some prep work: Cleaning your car and fixing mechanical issues can help you get the best price. Be sure to collect all maintenance records to show the buyer.
Document with a bill of sale: Getting a bill of sale for a car transaction will provide you with direct records to serve as proof.
Avoid scams: Common scams include buyers offering more money than you’re asking with a money order or foreign buyers wanting to do a remote transaction. Watch out for anyone who is unwilling to meet in public or insists on having a different person meet with you instead.
Be patient: It can take a while to find the right buyer. Speed up the process by creating a detailed listing with photos and a vehicle history report.
How To Sell a Car Online for the Best Price
Deciding how to sell a car is a difficult decision and it can be hard to know where to start. To assist you in this process, we’ve broken down our recommended steps to get the best price for your vehicle online.
1. Gather Vehicle Details
When beginning any vehicle selling venture, you will need details and documents related to your vehicle including:
- Make
- Model
- VIN number
- Vehicle title
- Year manufactured
- Accident history
- Current general condition
- Any repairs or replacements needed
- Modifications with aftermarket parts
- Factory warranty or extended car warranty documentation
You can find most of this information by searching yourself and by getting a free vehicle history report from a provider like Carfax.
2. Fix and Clean Your Car
Before selling your car online, clean your vehicle and see if any outstanding repairs, replacements or maintenance items are needed. This can considerably raise your chances of getting better offers.
Generally speaking, getting routine maintenance and making minor repairs and replacements will get you the best bang for your buck. Worthwhile repairs and replacements can include brakes or tires if they’re heavily worn or fixing your lights if they are broken. However, in some cases, making repairs may not be worth it and you may be better off selling to online scrap or junk car buyers.
We recommend researching maintenance and repair costs for your vehicle to get a better idea of whether the returns of refurbishing your vehicle are worth it. Websites like RepairPal.com can give you average costs for repairs and maintenance.
3. Take Detailed Photos
Whether you sell to a private buyer, taking a variety of good photos of your vehicle is a good idea. It is similar to a resume for the car since it displays all the credentials a buyer would need to figure out what they would pay. Some online dealers also require photos of the vehicle.
Get different images of each side of your car’s exterior and interior, including back seats. Also include shots of the engine compartment, the inside of your trunk, and the undercarriage so that you get full coverage. Try to take these photos in places with even lighting, without many shadows, and a plain background to get the best image quality.
4. Get and Compare Online Car Offers
Once you are prepared, it is time to go online and get offers. Due to the nature of online selling, it is easy to get offers in just a few minutes from many online car dealers. Then, compare pricing. If you chose to list on a private-sales platform, this process will take longer as you will be dealing with individual buyers.
5. Complete the Vehicle Sale
Once you get the deal you want, it is time to complete your online sale. Depending on the method you choose, the process for transferring ownership is different. If you go through with selling your car to an online dealer, much of the process will be guided and handled for you by the company. Otherwise, you’ll have to retitle the vehicle, register it in the new owner’s name and pay transfer fees.
Can I Sell My Car Online Today?
You might be ready to get rid of your car today. However, a few situations can prevent you from selling your car at the drop of a hat. Below are some of the most common questions about different restrictions and alternative options for selling any vehicle.
If you owe money on your car, your lender won’t release the car title until you pay the auto loan off. If you owe more on your auto loan than you can get from the car sale, you’ll have to come up with the difference and pay your lender.
We recommend researching your car’s value well before you want to sell it so you can plan how you’ll cover a potential difference. Those options might include paying with your savings, asking family for help or taking out a personal loan.
You’re in a better situation if you can sell the car for more than what you owe. You can simply sell the car and pay your lender on the same day, upon which the lender will release the vehicle title.
You should consider your lender’s protocol for selling the car before it’s paid off. Lenders have specific requirements for selling your car privately if you still owe money on the loan. In most cases, you and the buyer will go to a bank or other financial institution and have a third party verify the payment and communicate with your lender.
If you owe more than the car’s value, some dealers will let you roll that debt — also known as negative equity — into a loan for a new vehicle. For example, you may owe $12,000 on a car that’s worth $11,000. A dealer can increase your next auto loan by $1,000 to allow you to trade that car in. However, we don’t recommend doing a trade-in this way. You can end up owing more than your new car is worth at the beginning of the loan.
Most often, it is not possible to sell a car without a title. Much of whether you can sell a car without the title information depends on state regulations. In most cases you will have to request a replacement title to go through with a sale. However, if you are selling a classic car, a vehicle bill of sale is often enough to prove ownership.
Selling a car to a dealership is definitely an option. Given the current market conditions, many dealerships are looking for older used cars to buy and resell. You can decide to trade in the vehicle and use it as credit to buy a newer car or you can walk away with the cash.
However, before going to an in-person dealer to sell, we recommend getting the fair market value for your vehicle. Resources like Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds can give you this information so you can go into negotiations with an understanding of what you can get.
If you are trying to get rid of a junk car for scrap, you’ve most likely considered the option of selling car parts separately. Once you have removed valuable components from your vehicle such as the engine, battery or GPS system, you’ll be left with a few options:
- Junkyards: If you want a quick and easy process, selling your car to a junkyard is a good option. However, you typically won’t get the best bang for your buck.
- Scrap metal yards: This option focuses on buying up parts and selling the usable ones and recycling valuable scrap metal for other uses. Depending on the value of the metal in your car parts, you can get a good cash offer.
- Online listing platforms: If you want to get the best offer possible for your car parts, opt for selling platforms like Amazon, Walmart and Ebay.
- Auto shops and stores: While not the conventional option, you can sell vehicle parts to local businesses if they are interested.
Best Websites To Sell Your Car: The Bottom Line
For its easy-to-use platform and good cash offers, we recommend Cars.com as our top pick for selling your car online fast. Facebook Marketplace is a good option for selling privately in your local area and Bring a Trailer is our top recommendation for classic car sales.
Great Choice for Older Vehicles
4.4/5
Offers convenient at-home pickup and delivery servicesEasy-to-use online platformPays by ACH transfer or certified check
833-672-0583
Get an Offer On Peddle’s Website
Featured Partner
3.9/5
Offers free pickupInspector comes to you for the saleWill pay off your outstanding loan
321-340-6624
Get an Offer On Wheelzy’s Website
Good for Damaged Vehicles
4.3/5
Free towing with all offersGuaranteed offer for 7 daysRecycles end-of-life vehicles
844-596-7477
Get an Offer On Carbrain’s Website
Car Selling Websites: FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about the best websites for selling your car:
Cars.com is our pick for the best website to sell a used car. You can get an instant cash offer in just a few minutes by providing details about your car. If you want to sell to a private party, you can list your vehicle on the Cars.com marketplace instead.
According to our research, CarMax is the online car buyer that gives the most money for used vehicles. When our team reached out for quotes, they gave us the best price for a 2016 Chevy Equinox, which is why we named it the Best Value vehicle buyer.
To avoid scams when selling your car online, only accept payment for the amount negotiated and in the form you asked for. Avoid buyers who want to pay extra with a cashier’s check — a scammer might give you a fake check and ask you to wire the overage to them. Meet in a safe, public place for the transaction. Also, avoid buyers who are out of state but want to send a “representative” to purchase the car.
CarMax is the largest online used car retailer. According to the company’s annual report, it made $29.7 billion in revenue and sold about 810,000 used cars and 590,000 wholesale auction vehicles during its 2022 fiscal year. Carvana is the second largest online used car dealer, with $13.6 billion in revenue and 412,296 vehicles sold in 2022, according to its annual report.
Kelley Blue Book is the industry leader when it comes to finding the value of your car. Other options include Edmunds, Carfax and TrueCar. You can also find the Kelley Blue Book (KBB) valuation tool on many local car dealerships’ websites, which helps if you’re looking to trade your car in.
Unfortunately, you can’t negotiate with websites like Carvana or CarMax. The offer you receive is the company’s best offer while it’s valid. These online car-buying companies advertise hassle-free or haggle-free cash offers, which means they aren’t open to negotiation.
With Autotrader Private Seller Exchange, you pay $49 plus a 0.99% final sale fee (minimum of $99) to place an ad on Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. Autotrader brokers the sale including messages, offers and paperwork. It’s a way for both seller and buyer to stay safe and avoid fraud.
Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best platforms to sell your car. We collected data on several providers to grade each company in five key areas. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the car selling platforms that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
- Pricing and Financing (30% of total score): To compare providers’ average prices for buying and selling a vehicle, our team conducts a secret shopper analysis for a variety of vehicle types. We look at how they compare to competitors’ prices, consider the fees companies charge to use their platforms and what financing options are available during purchase.
- Support (30% of total score): Companies that offer strong transaction support receive the highest scores in this category. This includes offerings like free pickup and how quickly you receive your payment for car selling services. For car buying services, we look at delivery options, whether the vehicle is inspected and more.
- Platform (15% of total score): Platforms that offer a variety of features, including instant offers and multiple sales options for those selling a car and a wide vehicle selection for those purchasing one, are more likely to meet consumers’ needs.
- Customer Experience (15% of total score): This score is based on customer satisfaction ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot as well as our team’s experience reaching out to each platform.
- Industry Standing (10% of total score): Our research team considers ratings from industry experts and years in business when determining this score.
*Data accurate at time of publication
If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at editors@marketwatchguides.com.
