Carvana vs Truecar Comparison: Fees, Features, Reviews, and More

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Which is Better for Selling the Car?


After looking over what Carvana and TrueCar offer to car sellers, Carvana came out as the better option. Its instant offers have a longer validity period (7 days compared to TrueCar’s 3 days), providing you with more time to consider the offer

Additionally, you can choose from their three payment options depending on which is the most convenient for you. All payments are processed within the same day of finalizing the sale.

And if you’re getting a new vehicle, you can also use the trade-in value to purchase your new car from them. The company offers a free pick-up service, so you won’t need to bring your vehicle anywhere to claim their instant offer. 

If you ever prefer to drop off your vehicle, Carvana has 34 locations across the country where you can do just that. With its free pick-up and drop-off locations, you can sell your car faster with Carvana than with TrueCar

Finally, its customer service is available via chat, email, phone, and social media, giving you more options to get answers before selling your car to them.  

Carvana Summary

  • Get an online quote within 2 minutes
  • Free pickup wtihin 100 miles of a hub
  • Offer valid for 7 days or 250 more miles
  • Haggle-free process to sell your car

TrueCar Summary

  • Enter VIN to instantly get a car estimate
  • Offer is good for three days
  • TrueCar pays through check
  • Offer comes from one of Certified Dealers

Carvana vs. TrueCar Comparison


Company Carvana TrueCar
Logo carvana logo truecar logo
Cars accepted 1992 or later models, in running condition Cars in most types of conditions
Fees $0 $0
Requesting quotes Online application Online application
Offer validity 7 days or additional 250 miles 3 days
Payments offered Cash via ACH, check, or direct debit; or trade-in value Cash or trade-in value
Payout 1 to 2 days Same day
Car pick-up Free pick-up or drop off Drop off
Physical locations 34 Car vending machines across the US Over 10,000 certified dealers
Turnaround time 1 to 2 days 48 to 72 hours
Customer service Phone, chat, email, or social media Phone, email, and social media channels
Reviews 4.0 4.0

Cars Accepted


Carvana accepts cars that are in running condition and are 1992 or newer models. The company also buys vehicles that have salvaged or rebuilt titles. 

Meanwhile, TrueCar will buy your car regardless of its condition. Considering that, you can sell your car to them if it’s damaged, wrecked, or junk.  

Fees


Carvana and TrueCar don’t charge any fees when you sell to them. You can also opt for a free pick-up service when you sell your car to Carvana.  

Requesting Quotes


To request a quote from Carvana, go to their Sell My Car page and enter your car’s Vehicle Identification Number or VIN. If you don’t have it, you can enter your license plate number and state registration instead. Then, click the Get My Offer button. 

The website will direct you to another page where you can enter more details about your vehicle. These include the mileage, engine, transmission, features, and condition. You’ll also need to provide some information on your car’s history.

After completing the online form, Carvana will show you their instant offer right away and a brief explanation of how they came up with the amount. 

Requesting a quote from TrueCar is quite a different process. Although you can get an instant offer online, you’ll need to get your car inspected at one of their certified dealers to know their final offer, which can vary from the initial one.  

Offer Validity


Carvana’s offer is valid for 7 days or 250 miles, whichever comes first. TrueCar offers, on the other hand, are only good for 3 days. 

Payments Offered


With Carvana, you have the option to get cash for your car or use the trade-in value towards your next vehicle. For cash options, you can get paid through a check, direct deposit or ACH, or direct debit. 

TrueCar, on the other hand, doesn’t specify payment options as these depend on the certified dealers that will purchase your car. As a best practice, check with the dealership about their payment options before taking your car to them for inspection. 

Payout


After accepting their offer and finalizing the sale, both Carvana and TrueCar will process the payment within the same day. If you’re opting for a trade-in with Carvana, you can also get your new car when they come to pick up your old vehicle. 

Car Pick-up


Only Carvana offers a free pick-up service. Since you won’t need to bring your car anywhere, you can also expect that the Carvana agent will have to go through final selling steps before taking your vehicle away. 

These include inspecting it to confirm its condition based on your online application, checking the documents, and processing your payment.

Physical Locations


Carvana has 34 car vending machines across the country, which can also serve as a drop-off location to sell your car. Meanwhile, TrueCar works with over 10,000 independent dealers where you can claim instant offers for your car. 

Turnaround Time


Selling your car to Carvana can take up to 48 hours only. After all, you can complete their online application and get an instant offer in 2 minutes. Then, you can schedule a pick-up time within the next two days. 

Once their agent arrives to pick up the car, you can finish the sale within the next hour. On the other hand, selling to TrueCar can take up to 3 days since you need to take your car in for inspection at a nearby certified dealer. 

Their payment processing is also not guaranteed, as that depends on the dealership. If the offer isn’t good enough, you’ll also take time to check other certified dealers. 

Customer Service


You can contact Carvana’s customer service through the following: 

TrueCar offers the following channels to contact their support team: 

Reviews


Most of the complaints Carvana received at the Better Business Bureau came from car buyers, pointing out issues with the vehicles they purchased. However, its customers liked that the company has a quick and efficient car-selling process, thus its relatively high average rating at Trustpilot and Consumer Affairs.

TrueCar also received impressive ratings at Trustpilot from over 1,700 customer reviews. While many of these positive reviews came from car buyers, some sellers mentioned the seamless process and how their website is user-friendly.

Carvana & TrueCar Alternatives


Peddle

Peddle Summary

  • Buys used, damaged or junk car nationwide
  • Get instant quote on (855) 925 4302
  • Free towing within 48 hours after offer
  • Receive payment upon car collection

Peddle is among the top alternatives to Carvana and TrueCar for car sales. It also offers an efficient online process that lets you know how much you can sell your car for. 

If you’re okay with the price, like Carvana, you can schedule for Peddle to pick up your car.

You also don’t need to worry about fees, as Peddle offers their services for free. But compared to Carvana and much similar to TrueCar , Peddle buys cars in any condition, even non-working, damaged, or junk.

CarBrain

CarBrain Summary

  • Get an online offer within 2 minutes
  • Get cash for your car in under 48 hours
  • CarBrain buys cars in over 7 conditions
  • Up to 7 days to accept CarBrain’s offer

CarBrain is another excellent option to sell your car as it offers a hassle-free process. Besides the online application, you can also contact their hotline to request a quote. It also has a free pick-up service and, like Carvana, pays in check.

However, CarBrain offers more options to reach its customer support team, such as through chat, fax, email, phone, and social media. Also, their ratings in reliable reviews are impressive, averaging 4.8, which came mostly from car sellers.

Wheelzy

Wheelzy Summary

  • Wheelzy stores are open 7 days a week
  • Get offer in minutes – (855) 510-1108
  • Free towing of your car from your location
  • Instant payment via cash or check

Sites like Wheelzy, Carvana, and TrueCar make selling your vehicle efficient and convenient. But compared to the latter, Wheelzy offers a free pick-up service and guarantees payments for their instant offer.

Additionally, you can sell most vehicles to Wheelzy regardless of condition. However, you need to ensure that your car is a 1981 model or newer before selling to them.

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