Best Used Car Websites for November 2024

CarGurus was created in 2006 by TripAdvisor co-founder Langley Steinert to help consumers post questions and reviews of cars and local dealers. The company later added a marketplace to its site, including its proprietary valuation tool, the Instant Market Value (IMV), which makes it our top choice for affordable cars.

What sets CarGuru apart from most other online auto markets is that it gives each car a “deal rating” and sorts the results from the best deal to the most overpriced. Since the calculation factors in dealer reputation, only sellers that consistently offer the best deals will get the highest scores.

The CarGurus deal rating is calculated by comparing a vehicle's asking price with its IMV which is generated by an advanced algorithm that analyzes each detail of the car against similar vehicles in the marketplace. Combined with information on how long a car has been listed as well as whether its price has risen or dropped over time, this helps shoppers know if they’re looking at a good deal or if they have room to negotiate.

CarGurus still offers a trove of car reviews and other research tools to help educate and inform car shoppers about the quality of new and used cars. CarGurus also lets owners list their cars for free through its marketplace. A quick comparison tool helps sellers set a realistic price, and the site’s pre-created fields ensure that the most useful information is included in every listing.

Launched in 1997, Autotrader was one of the first nationwide, online marketplaces for new and used cars and is our choice for one of the best car sites due to its reputation, reach, and abundant research guides. The site hosts over three million vehicle listings and offers detailed car reviews, finance calculators, and more.

One of Autotrader’s best features is its advanced search function, which makes sorting through its millions of listings much less daunting. Beyond simple make, model, and year, the site offers detailed filters that let users select nearly any search criteria, including gas mileage, exterior and interior colors, transmission type, technology, and more.

Autotrader also publishes a number of resources for car buyers and sellers. These include comprehensive how-to guides, current car reviews, research and news articles, car payment and financing calculators, and even the ability to apply for a loan and shop for car insurance.

To list and sell on Autotrader, however, users will have to pay between $9 and $49 per listing, based on the vehicle's asking price. A 0.99% seller protection fee also applies at the time of sale when using Private Seller Exchange. Listings appear simultaneously on Kelley Blue Book and a free vehicle history report by AutoCheck, included at no additional cost (a $25 value).

Similar to Autotrader, which was the first online car marketplace for private sellers, CarsDirect was the first website to help dealers sell directly to customers online. Launched in 1998, the company is owned by Internet Brands. It’s our choice for the best basic option because of its simplified search engine and helpful buyer resources.

CarsDirect does more than simply show listings from local dealers, however. It also showcases the best deals in a buyer’s area, upcoming seasonal deals, and pricing on upcoming models to help car shoppers focus their search.

Although CarsDirect’s search filters aren’t as detailed as Autotrader’s, the site’s clean results page shows everything a buyer needs to know, including the CARFAX report and a “Check Availability” button that takes shoppers directly to the listing on the dealer’s website.

Each listing on CarsDirect features a link to a simple four-step loan application that takes just 60 seconds to complete. CarsDirect then sends the applications to its network of lenders and returns a list of financing options with estimated monthly payments. Shoppers can also click straight through to the dealer’s website and explore financing options with them directly.

CarsDirect also offers a number of resources for car buyers, including reviews, car news, videos, reports, and a car comparison tool that lets you compare up to 4 vehicles at a time. Users can even save their favorite searches and create email alerts based on the exact type of vehicle or deal they’re looking for.

Originally created as a small four-page car magazine in 1954, Hemmings has become a leading classic car website featuring over 20,000 searchable car ads. Combined with a car parts marketplace and tons of classic car resources, it tops our list as the best site for classic cars.  

In addition to serving as an online marketplace for classic cars, Hemmings also has a number of resources for true classic car enthusiasts. These include pricing guides, buying tips, virtual dealer and auction showrooms, as well as a blog, newsletter, and multiple magazines for classic car lovers.

Although their main rival, Classiccars.com, offers a larger collection of cars for sale, Hemmings boasts a searchable database of classic car parts, along with its own selection of die-cast car models, apparel, books, wall calendars, and more.

Hemmings offers several options for sellers. A week-long auction listing costs $99.95, and if unsold, automatically converts to a six-month Make Offer listing at no extra charge. For direct sales, a $149.95 ad includes a 35-word magazine listing with one photo and an online listing with unlimited words and up to 35 photos. All ads that include it run for one month in the Hemmings Motor News magazine and for six months online.

Founded in 2014, Autolist makes it easy for shoppers to browse millions of used car listings compiled from car shopping apps and dealer websites. Its website and user-friendly app display valuable information on each vehicle, changes in price, and the CARFAX report.

Signing up for a free Autolist account also lets users set up email alerts for vehicles based on specific search criteria. In 2020, CarGurus purchased Autolist, which also allowed owners to sell their cars online with an intelligent tool that calculates a fair asking price for their car based on other vehicles in their area.

AutoTempest was developed in 2008 as an aggregator of online classifieds for cars. It tops our list as the best for comparing options since it draws results from the largest number of databases, including Craigslist, eBay, Cars.com, TrueCar, Carvana, and more.

Besides the sheer number of sites it accesses, one of the advantages of AutoTempest is that it can automatically filter listings in your area when possible. For instance, if a shopper is in Chicago, the site will only compile postings in the Chicago area. Users can also just select the sites they want to get results from to fine-tune their search. For example, you can limit searches to just TrueCar and CarsDirect if you want.

AutoTempest lets shoppers search by basic search parameters such as mileage, price, and more. Searches can also be saved and accessed later from either a web browser or AutoTempest’s mobile app.  

AutoTempest also offers a number of useful resources for car shoppers, including car reviews, buyer guides, checklists, tips for negotiating, and more. Car owners can even sell their cars directly through several affiliate sites, including Carvana, eBay, Hemmings, and Private Auto, with listing fees waived.

Cars & Bids was created in 2020 by automotive reviewer and YouTuber Doug DeMuro to help modern car enthusiasts buy and sell cars quickly and safely. The site is our choice for the best auction site because of its ease of use and focus on protecting both buyers and sellers.

Unlike other auction sites, which can take weeks to get a seller’s auction live, Cars & Bids gets cars listed as quickly as possible and works with sellers to figure out the best schedule. The site also offers a simple submission process that lets sellers know quickly whether or not their car will be accepted.

In an effort to protect car buyers, Cars & Bids provides a vehicle history report for every vehicle it auctions free of charge instead of asking the seller to pay for one. As a fun bonus, Doug DeMuro occasionally chooses a listing to review, bringing extra eyes and buyers to specific auctions.  

Cars & Bids offers free listings, taking a 4.5% buyer's fee with a minimum of $225 and a maximum of $4,500. The site also offers a detailed description of its buying and selling process and FAQs that walk buyers and sellers through every step of the auction process.