Which is Better for Selling the Car?
Of the two featured companies, Carvana is the better option if you’re selling your car. Its instant offers are specific to the vehicles they accept, eliminating any confusion from potential sellers.
Also, its offer validity is longer, thus better, than Cars.com‘s three-day validity. When it comes to logistical matters, Carvana offers free pick-up and drop-off, letting you choose what works best for your vehicle and schedule.
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
Cars.com vs. Carvana Comparison
| Cars.com | Carvana | |
|---|---|---|
| Cars accepted | Eligible vehicles | In good condition, 1992+ |
| Fees | 0 | 0 |
| Requesting quotes | Online application | Online application |
| Offer validity | 3 days | 7 days or an additional 1,000 miles |
| Payments offered | Cash or trade-in | Cash or trade-in value |
| Payout | Depends on the dealership | Check, direct deposit, direct debit |
| Car pick-up | Depends on the dealership | Free pickup or drop off |
| Physical locations | Through partner dealers in the US | 33 Car Vending Machines |
| Turnaround time | Up to 72 hours | Up to 72 hours |
| Customer service | Chat, call, fax | Phone, email, online form |
| Reviews | 2.8 | 2.7 |
Cars Accepted
Cars.com accepts vehicles that are not any of the following:
- Trade-in commercial vehicles
- Vehicles with a taxi, police, fire, or livery history
- Vehicles with no VIN
- Vehicles not built in the US or imported illegally
- Vehicles registered at auto auctions
Carvana, meanwhile, accepts vehicles that are in good condition and with the year model of 1992 or newer.
Fees
Cars.com charges no fees when selling your vehicle to their partner dealerships through the Instant Offer option. Similarly, the platform doesn’t charge anything when you list your car there and sell it to private buyers.
Carvana is also completely free to use when selling cars.
Requesting Quotes
To get an Instant Offer at Cars.com, visit their website and go to the Sell Your Car webpage. Here, you’ll find the options to list your car or to get an Instant Offer. Make sure to choose the latter.
You’ll need to enter your zip code first to confirm if Instant Offers are available in your area. Suppose that it’s available, the website will load to another page where you can enter your car’s VIN or license plate number.
Ideally, enter the VIN so the website will auto-populate the year, make, and model fields. From there, you’ll need to provide the following details:
- Mileage
- Color
- Number of keys you have
- Whether you’re the original owner
- Whether you’re still making payments on the car
- Whether you want to upload photos of your car
- Condition
After providing these, Cars.com will ask for contact details, such as phone number and email. Once done, you’ll start receiving offers from participating dealers.
Carvana’s online application works similarly. You’ll also need to provide details and the condition of your vehicle. Lastly, the company requires your contact information to send you the instant offer.
Offer Validity
Offers you’ll receive from Cars.com partner dealerships are only valid for 3 days. Whereas with Carvana, offers are valid for 7 days or additional 1,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Payments Offered
The Instant Offers at Cars.com are technically from their partner dealers, and as such, you might come across dealers that can offer cash and trade-in. Others might just offer cash for your vehicle.
Similarly, Carvana offers cash and pays through checks. You can also opt for a trade-in and credit the amount towards your new vehicle purchase.
Payout
Cars.com doesn’t provide any specific information on receiving payments for your car. It’s because payout methods may vary across participating dealers where you can get Instant Offers.
On the contrary, Carvana will hand your payment in check when they come to pick up your car.
Car Pick-up
In this step, Cars.com once again didn’t provide any general information. However, it’s safe to assume that the pick-up option is something you can discuss with the dealer where you intend to sell your car.
Carvana, meanwhile, offers a free pick-up option. You only need to schedule the time for them to come and take it.
Physical Locations
You can sell your car to Cars.com through their participating dealerships. Once you complete your online Instant Offer application, dealers will contact you. By then, you confirm whether you can bring your vehicle to claim the offer or have them pick it up.
On the other hand, Carvana works as an independent company that buys and sells cars. Considering that, you can also drop off your car at any of their car vending machines.
Turnaround Time
For both Cars.com and Carvana, completing the online form takes a few minutes as long as you can provide the information asked. You can also accept the instant offer right away, so you can proceed to the logistics part of selling your car.
From there, your preferred dealership will inspect your car and finalize the offer. Once you present all necessary documents to close the sale, you’ll get paid. Overall, it can take up to 72 hours to sell your car to either of the two companies.
Customer Service
You can contact Cars.com through a chat option available on its Contact us page. It also has a phone number in case you need to reach their offices. You can call or fax 312-601-5000.
Carvana lets you contact their Customer Service team through any of the following:
- Chat
- Phone: 800-333-4554
- Text message: 800-333-4554
Note that their hotline is only available between 9 AM to 8 PM EDT.
Reviews
Cars.com received a 2.3 rating at Trustpilot, while Carvana has an average of 2.7. At the Better Business Bureau, Cars.com has an accreditation rating of A+, with a 1.31 customer rating average.
Carvana is updating its profile at the BBB, so its ratings are not shown. Still, the company received some positive reviews, with some sellers finding their offers more than reasonable. Others also liked that they were able to sell their vehicle within 24 hours.
On the other hand, a few sellers at Carvana complained about not receiving the agreed amount for their car.
| Cars.com | Carvana | |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| BBB | 1.31 | N/A |
| Consumer Affairs | 4.1 | 2.6 |
Most of the positive reviews for Cars.com are from buyers who are happy with their purchased cars. Others also liked that the platform has excellent customer service.
In contrast, other Cars.com users found themselves locked out of their accounts. As a result, they were not able to sell their car on the platform and ended up selling it somewhere else.