CarsDirect Review: Can You Get A Good Deal? | Find the best car price (2023)

FAQs

Is CarsDirect a good way to buy a car? ›

Is CarsDirect legit? CarsDirect is a good way to shop for a new or used car, especially if you have poor credit. It's a convenient hub that connects you to lenders and dealers. However, it's up to you to research the lender and seller you're working with before you commit.

Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book has been one of the most trusted names in the auto industry. You might say we literally "wrote the book on car values". And today there's no better place to find the value of your current car than KBB.com.

This is a no-obligation application. But as you continue the process you can expect a hard inquiry from lenders. Review financing options. A CarsDirect representative will then reach out within 24 hours of filling out the form with different financing options.

CarsDirect is not a lender — it's a search hub that helps you find loans from lenders it partners with. The site's tools let you compare multiple auto loan options. CarsDirect says its customers usually are able to purchase their vehicles within 24 to 48 hours after completing the application process with a lender.

What is considered high mileage on a car? Often, 100,000 miles is considered a cut-off point for used cars because older vehicles often start requiring more expensive and frequent maintenance when mileage exceeds 100,000.

End of the year, month and model year

In terms of the best time of the year, October, November and December are safe bets. Car dealerships have sales quotas, which typically break down into yearly, quarterly and monthly sales goals. All three goals begin to come together late in the year.

Many experts believe Edmunds' values are more accurate than KBB's.

What cars offer the best value? ›

In 2004, the firm began to expand into other markets, and subsequently changed its name to Internet Brands in 2005. In June 2014, the company announced that it had been acquired by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) for $1.1 Billion.

FICO® credit scores are the auto industry standard for determining a potential buyer's creditworthiness. Using a variety of factors, the company will give you a three digit score ranging from 300 (lowest possible) to 850 (highest possible).

If you qualify for and accept a loan offer, you'll typically see another small score dip. Hard inquiries will reduce your credit score anywhere from 5-10 points for about a year.

Topping that list is the Toyota Sequoia, which has a potential lifespan of 296,509 miles, according to a new study from iSeeCars.com. The automotive research website analyzed more than 2 million cars to determine which last longest and found that 20 models are able to endure for more than 200,000 miles.

So, the simple answer to that is: yes, it's safe to buy a car online. But, and there's definitely a “but” here, you need to be sure you shop with a reliable dealer that you can trust, and that has a track record in the industry.

Yes! Cars.com is a trusted marketplace and a reliable resource for buying and selling cars.

VINPit was introduced in the market as a unique, detailed, and state-of-the-art VIN lookup online tool, primarily to perform VIN checks online and authenticate used vehicles in just a few minutes. It is a top web-based platform that offers VIN checks, VIN decoding, vehicle history reports, and license plate lookup.

A conventional car can last for 200,000 miles. Some well-maintained car models will reach 300,000 or more miles total. The average passenger car age is currently around 12 years in the United States. Choosing a well-built make and model can help extend your car's longevity.

At what mileage do cars start having problems? ›

As a general rule, most vehicles begin to seriously degrade at around 150,000 miles. It is considered rare, and therefore outstanding longevity, if a car reaches 200,000 miles on the road. That said, there's more to identifying good versus bad mileage on a used car than just the odometer reading.

30,000 to 60,000 Miles

It's a good idea to sell your car before it hits 60,000 miles if you don't want to spend a lot of money on repairs and replacement parts. During this mileage bracket, your car should be about five years old, meaning it'll still command a substantial amount.

According to Edmunds data, December has the year's highest discount off MSRP — 6.1% on average — and the highest incentives. Automakers and dealerships want to close the year with strong sales. They also want to get rid of the prior model-year cars that are taking up space, so they're motivated.

When negotiating, it helps to be able to justify what you're asking for, he adds: “Instead of saying, 'I want to pay this,' try something like: 'I've looked at five or six different cars that are similar to yours in the market. The price range goes from $19,500 to $20,700. I'm comfortable making an offer of $19,100.

Our analysts tell us that new car shoppers are better off waiting for discounts to kick in in the second half of 2023. Falling used car prices make it a good time to buy used. Even as new car prices begin to drop, they remain elevated.

There is good news on the horizon in 2023, however. J.P. Morgan estimates that prices for both new and used vehicles are set to decrease as supply chain issues abate and inflation is poised to keep easing. Per the financial firm, new vehicle prices are slated to go down 2.5-5% while used cars may go down by 10-20%.

Do dealerships use Kelley Blue Book? ›

How are Kelley Blue Book Values Established? Open exclusively to the trade, representatives from dealerships and wholesalers bring vehicles to the auction to trade or sell and they purchase other vehicles they think will sell at their store.

The Kelley Blue Book® Instant Cash Offer is: A fixed offer applied toward your next car purchase or used to sell your current car to a Participating Dealer (pending inspection) Valid for 7 days. No need to negotiate because each offer is a fixed amount.

The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains an office in downtown Detroit, Michigan. After making a minority investment, Carmax purchased the whole company at an enterprise value of $404 million in 2021.

Currently, cars are so expensive due to shortages in parts, workers, and vehicles. Rising inflation is affecting prices as well. Since the pandemic in 2019, data shows that the demand for vehicles grows as supply dwindles.

For buyers looking to keep costs low, the most economical non-hybrids include the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Rio and Mitsubishi Mirage.

Winner: 2023 Kia Niro

A raft of groundbreaking new pure-electric vehicles have debuted in the past few years, along with an expanding roster of hybrid and plug-in-hybrid vehicles.

CarsDirect is an automotive property of Internet Brands, which owns and operates the largest network of car buying and financing resources in North America, including the Car Connection, Motor Authority, Green Car Reports, and Auto Credit Express.

Prices could drop up 5% for new vehicles and 10% to 20% for used vehicles in 2023, according to a report in November from J.P. Morgan. The basis for the prediction is that demand has stabilized and vehicle inventory is improving.

Bad: 300-629. Fair: 630-689. Good: 690-719. Excellent: 720-850.

You can still qualify for a car loan with such a score, but you may notice a higher interest rate compared to what can be normally expected. Depending on how long the loan period is, a 550 credit score will get your interest rates between 15% to 20%.

What does a 700 credit score get you car? ›

A credit score of 700 gets you an interest rate of 3% to 6% on car loans for new cars and about 5% to 9% for second-hand cars.

Credit utilization — the portion of your credit limits that you are currently using — is a significant factor in credit scores. It is one reason your credit score could drop a little after you pay off debt, particularly if you close the account.

Paying off something like your car loan can actually cause your credit score to fall because it means having one less credit account in your name. Having a mix of credit makes up 10% of your FICO credit score because it's important to show that you can manage different types of debt.

It's a good idea to check your credit score before going car shopping to make sure there are no mistakes on the report. Resist early requests from the salesman to run your credit. Only allow the dealership to get your credit application when you are sure you want to buy a car.

If you go through a legitimate service, then buying a car online is just as safe as a dealership.

Regardless of the age of the vehicle, we again found that Carmax is the best bet for a seller looking to get top dollar. The difference in offers is particularly pronounced for vehicles produced in the last six years, as well as those from 2009 and earlier.

Is buying a used car online safe? Buying a car online is easy and it should be safe, too, provided you carry out some basic checks of your own. Reputable garages should check a car's history, mileage and condition - so you should be able to rely on a car's quality when purchasing online.

The report found that Lexus and Toyota make the most reliable cars, while Jeep and Mercedes-Benz make the ones you can depend on least.

What car brand has the most problems? ›

However, according to most mechanical engineers, it is better to have your car inspected by a professional rather than going in blind. The reason why they recommend this is because the dealer or seller might not have disclosed some of the car's issues to you or there may be problems that the seller is not aware of.

Contacting a dealership's Internet department is a much faster way to get a price quote, and that price is often much lower than the one given by a traditional car salesman. Some shoppers might still prefer the traditional car buying approach, which provides a lot of personal attention from a salesman.