Ten top car-buying apps
ten top car-buying apps
Published: Feb 24, two thousand seventeen Ten:04 a.m. ET
Find the car you want at the right price
NicoleArata
This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet.
There’s an app for everything today, so why not use one for car shopping?
Shopping for a car online requires diligent research and repeated checking of listings — usually on numerous websites.
Smartphone apps cut out some of that work. They can send mobile alerts when prices drop or fresh cars surface, and have abilities their company websites don’t, like scanning a window sticker or vehicle identification number for price estimates. Plus, you’ll have bargaining power in the palm of your mitt when you talk with a dealership or private seller.
We checked out many of the most downloaded and top-rated car-buying apps. Here are our favorites:
1. Used Car Search Pro
Used Car Search Pro is the dark pony of car apps. It searches 40,000 dealerships and private sellers for cars, and its fifty nine search filters include every conceivable parameter to find your wish car — even obscure ones like driver height, so you find a car with enough headroom. The app also judges the market value of cars to make sure you’re getting a fair price and even sorts your selected cars by “best deal.”
Two. CarMax
This app accesses CarMax’s nationwide inventory of 35,000 vehicles. You can get alerted when prices drop, compare up to ten cars at once, and calculate payments on your phone. You also get free vehicle history reports, and CarMax’s pro and customer reviews. Plus, you can scan window stickers or bar codes to access a vehicle’s information at any CarMax dealership.
Recall, the app exclusively searches CarMax dealerships — which have nonnegotiable prices. If you appreciate upfront pricing, that’s fine news. If you don’t mind haggling for the best deal, maybe CarMax isn’t for you. If there’s a CarMax near you, the app provides a no-hassle car-buying practice.
Trio. Autotrader
Autotrader searches for fresh, used and certified preowned cars near you, and saves your selected cars into your “My Autotrader” profile. Car shoppers get a free vehicle history report on each car, plus pricing information and road-related car reviews. The app connects you with dealerships or sellers by phone or email, and lets you share cars you love with friends and family by text.
Four. Edmunds
Edmunds is an expert-auto-advice website with an arsenal of car pricing contraptions and calculators. The shopping feature lists vehicles near you that match your specifications, but the research section is where Edmunds pulls ahead. Its top-tier car reviews have everything buyers need, and the helpful “costs of ownership” section violates down average costs for fuel and repairs.
Edmunds’ app also informs you of any incentives and rebates, plus provides Lot Mate — a device that switches on when you inject a dealership lot. Lot Pal alerts users of all nearby Price Promise deals, which are special offers through Edmunds’ network of dealers that can save you thousands on the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
Five. Car Buying by Kelley Blue Book
Kelley Blue Book is a renowned resource in the auto world. The website provides a broad spectrum of car contraptions, but its Car Buying app concentrates on reviewing and pricing specific models, and finding dealerships near you. You’ll also have access to Kelley Blue Book’s car pictures and in-depth movies.
It’s significant to note the app is ordinary to use and has trusted brand power, but it doesn’t have almost all the information its website offers and can’t showcase you local listings of cars you’re searching for.
6. TrueCar
TrueCar users search their desired car and receive a price breakdown based on what others paid for the same vehicle. The app accesses dealer, factory and fucking partner incentives, including ones only TrueCar users get. And their mobile “price check” feature exposes TrueCar price estimates simply by scanning the window sticker at any participating dealership. The cherry on top? TrueCar’s app has the best cosmetic design of the bunch.
The app sends your contact information and price quote to their network of over 11,000 TrueCar Certified Dealers, which means slew of sales calls but also slew of offers.
7. Instamotor
Instamotor is a safer, lighter version of Craigslist. It’s a private-party market where users can buy or sell used vehicles directly, but the app helps buyers avoid getting scammed. Every listed car gets a free fraud check, recall check and vehicle history report.
Sellers set their own prices, so prepare for haggling. Once you’ve determined the price, Instamotor provides calculators to explore auto loan rates, and you can even apply for financing through the app. Inventory is still limited as the app is just a year old and presently only available in certain cities.
8. Cars.com
This app compares fresh and used cars side-by-side, and gives you brief bulleted lists of what experts like and dislike about the vehicle. Use the search filter to get dealership information and find cars listed for sale near you. You’ll also have access to owners’ reviews for particular car models. Additionally, the app provides auto loan and trade-in calculators that showcase how your payments will be affected by factors such as your down payment and interest rate.
9. Vinny
As its catchy name suggests, this app calculates the wholesale price of any used car by scanning its VIN. The best part? It doesn’t have to be part of any particular network — like TrueCar or CarMax’s scanners. The prices are calculated using national car auction data and can be adjusted for miles and condition. All scans are “parked” in your Garage for later viewing.
Ten. Wyper
Wyper is the Tinder of car apps. You “wype” — meaning swipe — through results of local listings of cars that fit your search parameters. The app uses an “interest algorithm” to provide a more personalized sequence of choices over time. Having only launched six months ago, Wyper is arguably too fresh to judge. But its joy, dating-app-like concept makes it one to observe.
