AutoTrader vs CarMax Comparison: Fees, Features, Reviews, and More

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Which is Better for Selling the Car?

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Between Autotrader and CarMax, CarMax is a better option to sell your car to. First, it’s a dealership itself, which means it will buy your car directly. In contrast, Autotrader lets you list your car for sale and wait for potential buyers to contact you. Alternatively, Autotrader will redirect you to its partner, KBB, if you want to get an instant quote and sell your car to any of the dealerships in the KBB network.

CarMax offers a bank draft on the spot, which is a convenient payment method, as your money will appear in your bank account within a few hours.

What’s more, CarMax offers a free pick-up service in select locations. It also has 240 locations nationwide, so you can pick the nearest one to drop off your car.

Autotrader vs. CarMax Comparison

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Company	Autotrader	CarMax
Logo
Cars accepted	New and used cars	Cars in most conditions with exceptions
Fees	$0 for instant cash offer, $49 listing fees	$0
Requesting quotes	Online application	Online application
Offer validity	7 days or an additional 50 miles (when you sell to its partner, KBB)	7 days
Payments offered	Check	Bank draft
Payout	Same day	Up to 48 hours
Car pick-up	Drop-off	Drop-off and pick-up service in selected areas
Physical locations	Participating dealers across the US	240 CarMax locations nationwide
Turnaround time	Up to 48 hours	Up to 48 hours
Customer service	Phone	Social media, online form, or hotline
Reviews	1.9	1.6

Cars Accepted

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Since Autotrader allows you to sell your car to a dealership or a private buyer, it depends on those parties what types of cars they want to accept.

Meanwhile, CarMax will buy your car regardless of its type, make, model, and condition.

CarMax buys cars even if they:

• Have check engine light on
• Have engine issues
• Are junk 

But note that CarMax inspects cars thoroughly and checks their history reports before buying. The company doesn’t accept cars that have:

• Frame damage
• Flood damage
• Salvage history

In addition, when you sell your car to CarMax, you’ll need to prepare the following:

• Title or payoff details
• Valid IDs of title holders, who should be present during the sale
• Valid and current registrations
• Keys and remotes

Fees

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It’s free to request an instant quote from Autotrader and get connected to its partner dealerships. However, if you’d like to list your car on its platform for a private sale, it will charge you a $49 listing fee.

CarMax doesn’t charge you any fees. It’s free to request an instant quote, get your car inspected, and get paid.

Requesting Quotes

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Autotrader lets you list your car for sale on Autotrader and KBB. Once your ad is live, you’ll need to wait for the potential buyers to call you.

In contrast, CarMax will give you an instant quote after you provide the following information about your car in your online application:

• Make and model
• Year of manufacturing
• Mileage 
• Current condition

While Autotrader doesn’t buy cars directly like CarMax, it can give you an instant quote through KBB. This way, you can skip the process of waiting for potential buyers.

Offer Validity

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Autotrader partners with KBB to give you a quote for your car. KBB’s offer is valid for 7 days or an additional 50 miles. This means that you can either accept the deal within 7 days of getting a quote or drive no more than 50 miles.

CarMax’s offer is valid for 7 days with no mileage limits.

Payments Offered

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Since Autotrader lets you sell your car privately, you can negotiate the payment methods with the buyer. If you decide to sell your car using an instant offer from Autotrader’s partner, KBB, the payment offered will depend on the dealership you’ll sell your car to. However, dealers usually pay by check.

Meanwhile, CarMax will pay you via bank draft.

Payout

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Considering Autotrader’s partner dealers pay you by check, you’ll get your payout immediately. You’ll just need to cash out your check at your bank. 

On the other hand, CarMax pays you by bank draft. While the company pays you on the spot, it may take up to 48 hours for the bank to clear the transaction.

Car Pick-up

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Autotrader doesn’t offer a pick-up service. It’s up to you to negotiate the meet-up place and date with the private buyer.

To be eligible for a pick-up service CarMax offers, you’ll need to be within 30 miles of select locations. Otherwise, you can drop your car off at any of the 240 CarMax locations nationwide.

Physical Locations

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Autotrader doesn’t offer physical location addresses for you to visit. Instead, it connects you with its partner dealerships and their addresses. You can visit the dealerships directly to sell or trade in your car.

CarMax has 240 locations nationwide, so you can choose the nearest one to drop your car off.

Turnaround Time

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Whether you sell your car through Autotrader or to CarMax, you’ll be able to sell your car within 48 hours.

Customer Service

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You can contact Autotrader’s customer service by phone at 1-866-288-6872. 

CarMax’s customer service is available by:

Reviews

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Most complaints about Autotrader on review sites like Trustpilot and the BBB come from car buyers who had issues with dealerships Autotrader has connected them with. Other users have also reported that the company sold their contact details to various dealerships. But it’s noteworthy that Autotrader resolved all these issues and received an A+ accreditation from the BBB.

On a positive note, car sellers claimed that Autotrader’s partner dealers gave them fairly high offers for their cars.

CarMax reviews show that customers had mixed experiences with the platform. Some people praise the company for its ease of transactions and high-quality customer service. Meanwhile, people who have bought cars from CarMax complain about the faulty cars the dealership sells. That’s why it’s recommended to inspect the car before you buy it.

Autotrader & CarMax Alternatives

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Peddle

Peddle is one of the best alternatives to Autotrader and CarMax for when you’re selling your car. It’s a car-buying company that will purchase your car in any condition with no questions asked. Like Autotrader and CarMax, Peddle will also give you an instant quote when you fill out an online form.

What sets Peddle apart from Autotrader and CarMax is that If you accept the offer, Peddle representative will pick up your car for free. Plus, they will hand you a check payment right on your driveway before leaving with your car. The whole car-selling process takes up to 48 hours.

CarBrain

CarBrain is also among the best sites like Autotrader and CarMax to sell your car. Like the two companies, CarBrain also offers an instant quote. However, CarBrain accepts any type of car in any condition.

Unlike Autotrader and CarMax, which require you to drop your car off at their locations, CarBrain will pick up your car from your driveway. After accepting the deal, the CarBrain representative will schedule the free pick-up or towing service within 24 to 48 hours. 

Once the representative comes to your driveway, they will do a quick inspection to see if the car’s condition matches your description. If everything checks, they will pay you by check right before leaving your driveway with your car.

Wheelzy

Similar to Autotrader and CarMax, Wheelzy also offers instant quotes. Unlike these two, Wheelzy’s representative will come to your driveway to pick up your car. They will also pay you by check right on the spot.