Where to Shop for Cars Online?

[jluv]

I'm currently using autotrader, cars.com, and cargurus. Are there other sites I'm missing that are worth a darn?

Maybe this sounds crazy, but I kind of wish there was a place to put my info and exactly what I want and have different dealers contact me and compete for my business. I know that exists for all kinds of other shit, but what about for vehicles?

Also, seems like most dealers are offering 3.5-4.5% financing for 60 months on used cars with excellent credit. I haven't bought a vehicle in well over 5 years, but I was able to get a MUCH better rate (1.9%) on a used vehicle back then with a credit union. Same CU today told me their best rates are now 3.75%. Is there a trick to this? Anybody have a credit union that's easy to join that they know is offering better rates right now?

Thanks in advance!

[jluv]

Secondary question... Has anyone here bought a vehicle using Carvana? If so, how was the experience?

[UserX]

Do you have an account in autotrader? You can setup very specific custom searches and get notified via text or email as soon as something that matches your criteria is listed.

[jluv]

Do you have an account in autotrader? You can setup very specific custom searches and get notified via text or email as soon as something that matches your criteria is listed.

No, but I have one set up with cargurus, and also one with a dealership where I'll get notification automatically if their price drops on one that I called about, or if they get another like it. Cargurus has been sending me emails for vehicles that don't match what I specified, which is annoying.

Honestly, I'm impatient, and want to get something pretty quick. My goal is to have it before I make my next road trip from CO to TX, and I basically have two Saturdays between now and then where that's a possibility. One of those being this Saturday coming up. Unless I can find a better deal, it looks like I'll be driving up to Denver to grab the very first one that caught my eye. Funny how that works - the dealership wouldn't negotiate, so I told them I was going to keep shopping around, and here I am going back to them after hours and hours of searching for a better deal.

It's only been a week, and nothing new has popped up, but I was hoping maybe there would be sites I haven't tried yet.

[GE]

Some companies offer the service through truecar.com

Pretty much what you're talking about. You use your company email, enter in all the specs for a particular brand of car, and it pings all of the local dealerships in the area that have that, or close to that, in inventory. It was a huge PITA because it's pretty much an automated response and the emails start pouring in right away. I think I started getting calls within 20 minutes. If you had the patience, you could get a good deal, but it sucked having to deal with everyone.

[jluv]

Some companies offer the service through truecar.com

Pretty much what you're talking about. You use your company email, enter in all the specs for a particular brand of car, and it pings all of the local dealerships in the area that have that, or close to that, in inventory. It was a huge PITA because it's pretty much an automated response and the emails start pouring in right away. I think I started getting calls within 20 minutes. If you had the patience, you could get a good deal, but it sucked having to deal with everyone.

Why company email? I definitely don’t need that kind of spam/traffic. Can I not use my personal email?

[GE]

Why company email? I definitely don’t need that kind of spam/traffic. Can I not use my personal email?

It's a company "perk", or labeled as employee car purchasing program or some crap like that. idk if the company helps subsidize it somehow or whatnot. Wife and I both used it over the past 2 years, and they definitely verify your employment to trigger the discount.

[jluv]

It's a company "perk", or labeled as employee car purchasing program or some crap like that. idk if the company helps subsidize it somehow or whatnot. Wife and I both used it over the past 2 years, and they definitely verify your employment to trigger the discount.

Ah. I doubt my company has that.

[John -- '02 HAWK]

Some companies offer the service through truecar.com

Check with your bank mine gives me .5 off of the APR if I use truecar

[John -- '02 HAWK]

I'm currently using autotrader, cars.com, and cargurus. Are there other sites I'm missing that are worth a darn?

make sure use the mfr's inventory search. I have found some dealer's wont list some vehicles because they dont want to pay the advertising fees, or its just hit the dealership and they haven't got it listed through the services.

The time I've looked on Carvana they have been more expensive than the dealer. I haven't tried to haggle to with them as they've never had what I was specifically looking for.

Google car broker if you want another avenue similar to what you discussed. Some may not even charge you as the dealership will pay them the finder's fee

rates are up because of the fed. IE those cheap APRs have dried up

[jluv]

make sure use the mfr's inventory search. I have found some dealer's wont list some vehicles because they dont want to pay the advertising fees, or its just hit the dealership and they haven't got it listed through the services.

The time I've looked on Carvana they have been more expensive than the dealer. I haven't tried to haggle to with them as they've never had what I was specifically looking for.

Google car broker if you want another avenue similar to what you discussed. Some may not even charge you as the dealership will pay them the finder's fee

rates are up because of the fed. IE those cheap APRs have dried up

Thank you.

I’m looking at used. Thinking the manufacturer inventory may not apply, or does it? If so, how do I access that?

Carvana is cheapest within 500 miles, and can bring it to Denver (200-ish miles from me), but they are lowballing my trade and won’t negotiate. In the end, they’d end up being about the same. I guess that’s the rub in this biz.

I’ll check out car broker.

Sucks about the interest rates, but I guess it is what it is. So I guess 4-ish is pretty good?

[helosailor]

Check out https://www.autotempest.com/, it searches several different sites at once. Also, carfax has a good used car search feature.

[jluv]

Check out https://www.autotempest.com/, it searches several different sites at once. Also, carfax has a good used car search feature.

Will do. Thank you!

[BP]

I bought my Jeep with USAA's buying service which uses the Truecar network. It was good for another $500 rebate on top of all the factory incentives.

[Rick Modena]

Sucks about the interest rates, but I guess it is what it is. So I guess 4-ish is pretty good?

Yeah interest rates are higher than giraffe pussy right now. If your receiving 4% you need to jump on it, new cars is higher than that. I bought my Explorer Sport new so I got in at 0% @ 72 mos., but those clowns at FMCC wanted 8% and that was at tier 0-2, I told them to give me the free money!
I also didn't want to spend anymore time shopping around, but I did look at a few other lenders and 4.9%-6.9% seems to be the norm for anything over 48 months...