Which is Better for Selling the Car?
Overall, Carvana is better for selling your car. First, its offer is valid for seven days or for an additional 1,000 miles while CarGurus‘ offer is valid for seven days or an additional 250 miles. Carvana also offers two payment options – cash or in-store trade-in value for your next car. Carvana also gives you an option to schedule a free pickup or drop off your car at Carvana’s location yourself.
Best for Older & Damaged Cars
Buys used, damaged or junk cars
Free tow and no hidden fees
Pays by ACH trasfer or check
Top Pick for Junk Cars
Free, no-obligation cash offers
Offers free paperwork service
Pays on the spot upon pick up
Highly Rated by Customers
Excellent customer service ratings
Honors guaranteed offer for 7 days
Can pick up a car within 48 hours
Great for Low-Mileage Cars
Gives a real offer in 2 minutes
100% hassle-free online process
Free car’s Value Tracker available
CarGurus vs. Carvana Comparison
| CarGurus | Carvana | |
|---|---|---|
| Cars accepted | Any cars, subject to restriction | In good condition, 1992+ |
| Fees | $0 | $0 |
| Requesting quotes | Online application | Online application |
| Offer validity | 7 days or an additional 250 miles | 7 days or an additional 1,000 miles |
| Payments offered | Cash | Cash or trade-in value |
| Payout | Bank transfer, check | Check, direct deposit, direct debit |
| Car pick-up | Free pickup | Free pickup or drop off |
| Physical locations | None | 33 Car Vending Machines |
| Turnaround time | Up to three business days | Up to 72 hours |
| Customer service | Chat, phone, email | Phone, email, online form |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 2.4 | 2.7 |
Cars Accepted
You might be able to sell your car to CarGurus as long as it has a valid VIN and license plate number. The company will determine your car’s eligibility after consideration of the following:
- Vehicle’s age
- Aftermarket customizations
- Other relevant factors
But even if your car is ineligible for instant offers, you can still sell it by listing it on the CarGurus website. From there, private buyers can contact you and make an offer.
Carvana, on the other hand, purchases vehicles that are in good condition and have a year model of no earlier than 1992.
Fees
Getting an instant offer from either CarGurus or Carvana is completely free of charge. If you prefer to list your vehicle on CarGurus and sell it to private buyers, you’ll need to pay a $4.95 listing fee per vehicle. This will list your vehicle on the website for 30 days.
Requesting Quotes
CarGurus and Carvana work similarly when it comes to requesting quotes. You’ll need to go to their respective website and locate the option to sell your car. Then, you’ll see a field where you can enter either the VIN or license plate number.
On the CarGurus website, you’ll need to select the state where your vehicle is registered. You’ll also need to enter the zip code of its current location. Then, make sure to enter the following details as accurately as possible:
- Trim
- Transmission
- Mileage
- Color
- Condition
- History
Finally, you’ll need to provide an active email as that’s where CarGurus will send your instant offer.
Carvana will also ask for this information before they can send you an instant offer. For both companies, you’ll need to provide documentation of ownership and identity. Once done, you can set up the pickup schedule.
Offer Validity
The instant offer you receive from CarGurus is valid for up to 7 days or additional 250 miles. Carvana also offers a 7-day validity but their additional miles are up to 1,000.
Payments Offered
CarGurus pays cash for your car through bank transfers or checks. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t offer trade-ins. Carvana, on the other hand, pays cash and allows trade-in.
Payout
The fastest way to get paid with CarGurus is to link your bank account to your account when you set up the quote request online. This allows them to send you payments within 1 to 3 business days from the day they pick up your car.
In case your bank is not supported in their secure payment portal, you can opt for check payments. CarGurus sends out checks through mail within the same day they pick up your vehicle.
When you sell with Carvana, you’ll get paid in check the same day they come to pick up your vehicle.
Car Pick-up
Both CarGurus and Carvana offer free pickup when you sell your car to them. You can select a timeframe once you accept an offer.
According to CarGurus’ website, pick-up typically takes 15 to 30 minutes only. Carvana doesn’t provide information regarding its pick-up process.
Physical Locations
CarGurus has no physical locations where you can bring your car to sell. Carvana, meanwhile, has car vending machines where you can also drop off your car.
Turnaround Time
Getting an instant offer online takes only a couple of minutes for both CarGurus and Carvana. After all, you only need to provide information you most likely have.
But when it comes to scheduling pickup and inspection, it depends on the availability of their respective teams. Overall, selling to CarGurus can take up to 3 business days, while Carvana can take up to 72 hours.
Customer Service
You can reach the CarGurus support through email at user_support@cargurus.com. When you log in to your account or initiate an instant offer request, you can also access their chat support team. Just click the chat bubble icon at the bottom right of the screen.
Finally, you can call their support team at 877-492-4737, available every Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 9 PM ET.
There are also several ways for you to contact Carvana’s support team. Through their website, you can access the chat support function. Their Contact Us page also has an online form letting you send your inquiries to their team and they’ll reply to you via email.
If you prefer to talk to one of their support representatives, you can call their hotline at 1-800-333-4554. Just note that this line is available every Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 10 PM EDT only.
Reviews
Looking over their Trustpilot ratings, CarGurus received an average of 2.4, while Carvana has a 2.7 rating. At the Better Business Bureau or BBB, CarGurus received a customer rating of 1.54, though its accreditation is A+, the highest accreditation there.
Carvana, on the other hand, is listed on the BBB but has no customer or accreditation rating.
| CarGurus | Carvana | |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| BBB | 1.54 | – |
| Consumer Affairs | 3.7 | 2.6 |
What customers are saying about these companies is a mix of positive and negative comments.
For example, some customers like that CarGurus paid what they promised and that there were no hidden charges. Others also mentioned the quick payment processing. On the other hand, some sellers are complaining about the listing fees they had to pay.
Down at Carvana, sellers are quite happy with the offers they received and that they were able to complete the selling process within 24 hours. However, a user complained about not getting the correct amount for the call they sold to a participating dealership.