CarGurus vs CarMax Comparison: Which Is Better For You to Sell Car?

DollarBreak is reader-supported, when you sign up through links on this post, we may receive compensation. Disclosure.

The content is for informational purposes only. Conduct your own research and seek advice of a licensed financial advisor. Terms.

Which is Better for Selling the Car?

---

Overall, CarMax is better to sell your car to compared to CarGurus. First, it’s completely free to sell your car while it may cost you $4.95 to list your car on the CarGurus platform. What’s more, CarMax offers cash or trade-in value for your next car while CarGurus only offers cash. CarGurus offer is valid for 7 days or an additional 250 miles while CarMax offer is only valid for 7 days. Finally, it takes up to 48 hours to sell your car to CarGurus.

CarGurus vs. CarMax Comparison

---

	CarGurus	CarMax
Cars accepted	Any cars, subject to restriction	Cars in most conditions, with exceptions
Fees	$0 for instant offers, $4.95 for listing fees	$0
Requesting quotes	Online application	Online application
Offer validity	7 days or an additional 250 miles	7 days
Payments offered	Cash	Cash, trade-in value
Payout	Bank transfer, check	Bank draft
Car pick-up	Free pickup	Drop off
Physical locations	None	235 CarMax stores nationwide
Turnaround time	Up to three business days	Up to 48 hours
Customer service	Chat, phone, email	Chat, phone, email
Reviews	2.4	1.7

Cars Accepted

---

You can sell any car at CarGurus if you’re listing it on their website. But if you prefer to request an instant offer for your car, CarGurus has several factors to consider before they deem your car eligible. 

These include the vehicle’s age, aftermarket customizations, and other related factors. 

When it comes to selling cars to CarMax, you can sell any car in most types of conditions. The cars that they normally don’t accept are that have:

• Frame damage
• Flood damage
• Salvage history

Fees

---

Selling to CarGurus and CarMax doesn’t cost anything. You can request quotes online for free when you visit their websites. Similarly, you don’t have to pay for anything if you get an in-store appraisal at CarMax. 

However, listing your car at CarGurus to look for private buyers charges a listing fee of $4.95 per vehicle. 

Requesting Quotes

---

You can request a quote at CarGurus through an online form on their website. It will ask you to enter your vehicle’s license plate number or VIN. After that, you’ll need to provide additional details to describe your car’s condition and history. 

Before submitting the online form, you’ll need to provide an active email address. CarGurus will send you the instant offer through email, along with other instructions on how to claim it. 

Quote: Similarly, you can use an online form through their website to get an instant cash offer from CarMax. The difference is that as soon as you finish entering your car’s details, condition, and history, the CarMax website will generate an instant offer.

You can accept the offer right away and choose the nearby CarMax store to claim the offer. In some cases, however, the website might not generate an offer right away. In that case, you’ll need to bring your car to a CarMax Store for appraisal. 

Offer Validity

---

Both CarGurus and CarMax offers are valid for 7 days. However, CarGurus also considers an additional 250 miles reading on the odometer. Beyond that, you’ll need to request a quote again even if you’re claiming the offer within 7 days. 

Payments Offered

---

CarGurus pays cash through checks or bank transfers. CarMax, meanwhile, hands payments through a bank draft, which you’ll need to deposit to your bank account. Also, you can claim your payment and use it to purchase your next car at the CarMax store.    

Payout

---

Getting payment through bank transfers is the fastest option when you sell your car to CarGurus. This typically takes up to 1 to 3 business days from the day they pick up your car. Plus, you’ll get the money straight to your bank account.

Some banks might not be eligible for this option. In that case, you can still opt to receive check payments. CarGurus normally sends out checks within the same day they pick up the vehicle. From there, how soon you’ll receive the check depends on the postal service. 

CarMax hands out the bank draft as payment within the same day you bring your vehicle to their store. Just note that some banks might have a holding policy for bank drafts, so it’s best to check it first to manage your expectations. 

Car Pick-up

---

CarGurus offers free pickup when you sell your vehicle to them. You can schedule a pick-up after accepting their offer. 

CarMax, on the other hand, requires you to bring your car to one of their stores to finalize the sale. 

Physical Locations

---

Since CarGurus offers free pick-up, you need not worry about finding physical locations to drop off your car. CarMax, on the other hand, has 235 stores nationwide where you bring your vehicle and claim your offer.

Turnaround Time

---

The online application to get an instant offer from CarGurus usually takes less than 15 minutes. You’ll receive the offer within 24 hours of initiating this request so make sure to check your email inbox and spam folders. 

Once you have the instant offer, you can schedule the pickup, within 24 hours, depending on the availability of CarGurus’ team. 

Quote: What you can expect during the pick-up schedule is that their representative will confirm the conditions of the car based on information provided in the online application. After that, you might need to provide some documentation as proof of identity and ownership. 

Finally, CarGurus will tow away your car. The pick-up process takes 30 minutes at most. 

Requesting a quote at CarMax also takes several minutes. But since you’ll get the instant offers as soon as you complete the online process, you can quickly schedule your in-store visit. 

You can even drive to a CarMax store within the same day as long as you have all the necessary documentation to sell your car. In-store appointments typically take up to 90 minutes. After which, you can leave the store with a bank draft as payment. 

Customer Service

---

CarGurus’ support team is accessible through a chat icon at the bottom right of the screen when you start an instant offer request. You can also send them an email at [email protected]. 

If you prefer to talk to them by phone, you can contact the support team at 877-492-4737. Their phone support team is available only every Monday to Saturday, between 9 AM and 9 PM ET. 

Meanwhile, CarMax has an online form you can use to reach their customer service. You can also call them at (913) 384-6697 or chat through the message icon at the bottom right of their website. 

Reviews

---

CarGurus and CarMax received a 2.4 and a 1.7 rating at Trustpilot, respectively. At the Better Business Bureau, CarGurus has an A+ accreditation and an average customer rating of 1.54. 

Similarly, CarMax received an A+ accreditation, although its customer rating is at 1.14. Positive reviews for CarGurus mentioned that the company matches instant offers and that there are no hidden charges when you sell your car to them.

Additionally, customers liked that there are several ways to contact support, making it easy to talk to someone about their concerns. But, some sellers at CarGurus had complaints about the listing fees charged to them. 

At CarMax, customers liked that they were able to sell their cars fast, with one user claiming to have completed the sale in 24 hours. Others also liked that they received reasonable offers for their cars. 

In contrast, some sellers at CarMax felt that they could have gotten higher offers for their vehicles. Few also complained about a CarMax store not honoring changing the offer after their vehicles were inspected.

CarGurus & CarMax Alternatives

Peddle

---

Peddle is a company that works quite like CarGurus and CarMax, making it an excellent alternative. You can get an instant quote online and ask them to pick up your car, similar to CarGurus. The total car selling process of used cars typically takes up to 48 hours with Peddle.

But unlike those two, Peddle lets you sell cars regardless of their condition. Considering that, it’s a great option to dispose of old vehicles in your garage or driveway. 

However, Peddle will only buy your vehicle if you have the title. It doesn’t purchase cars with outstanding liens. Additionally, Peddle is among the few companies these days that pay in cash, along with checks.

Wheelzy

---

Sites like Wheelzy and CarGurus are helpful for people looking to conveniently sell cars within 72 hours. And like CarMax, Wheelzy is also available nationwide and you can visit one of their stores to sell your car. 

But what sets Wheelzy apart from CarGurus and CarMax is the type of vehicle conditions it purchases. Technically, you can sell cars of any condition at Wheelzy. 

In rare cases that a vehicle is ineligible for cash offers, you can still sell it to private buyers by creating a listing on the Wheelzy website.

CarBrain

---

CarBrain is a service that offers a hassle-free and quick way to sell damaged cars. It begins with an online form that you fill out with information about your vehicle. Once CarBrain receives the information, it will provide an instant or a guaranteed offer for the car. 

After accepting the offer, CarBrain arranges for a local partner to pick up the car from the seller. Their offers are based on the car’s age, make, model, and condition. 

Additionally, CarBrain offers an efficient service, with the payment made up to 48 hours after accepting the offer through check.