The Internet is full of sites these days offering help and research tools for buying anything, from home appliances to electronics, music to real estate, and of course cars. There is no shortage of sites offering help in buying and selling cars, which can include everything from valuing your used car or showing you car reviews, or in several cases connecting you with dealers who want your business. Autotrader.com (a KBB partner) has been doing this for years, with a great reputation for providing consumers with facts so they can make informed choices. Here we look at how Autotrader.com compares with Carfax.
Autotrader Facts
Auto Trader first launched in 1992 in print, showing ads for cars. This print version lasted ceased publishing in 2017. Autotrader.com, with much more comprehensive tools, reviews, and vehicle history reports, started in 1997.
With the stated goal of being “your ultimate solution for buying and selling new, certified, and used cars,” Autotrader.com offers a number of benefits. It boasts the largest selection of vehicle inventory from dealers and private sellers; a comprehensive selection of buying and selling tips; research and comparison tools, including reviews, photos, and videos; vehicle pricing, including seller specials and dealer discounts; safety information and vehicle history reports; and even help with finance, insurance, and warranty programs. We at KBB.com provide pricing information in our partnership with Autotrader.
Autotrader.com lets shoppers research and compare cars by body type, mileage, price, and other criteria. In terms of numbers, Autotrader has more than 3 million vehicle listings from 40,000 dealers and 250,000 private owners, with more than 14 million buyers per month.
One unique feature on Autotrader.com is called “At Home Services” which allows shoppers to search for only those new or used cars where the dealership offers a video walkaround, at-home test drive, and vehicle delivery. This is particularly useful for people who are intimidated by dealer showrooms.
Carfax Facts
We’ve all seen the ads on TV, the cute little animated fox that lets people know about Carfax and its reports. In fact, the specialty of Carfax is providing reports about used cars including such things as the number of owners, service records, and accident history.
Carfax is a division of IHS Markit, a London-based company focusing on information analytics and solutions. With the intention of being the leading source of vehicle history information, Carfax now boasts the most comprehensive vehicle history database in North America. Information comes from more than 100,000 data sources, including all North American vehicle information agencies plus auctions, police departments, repair facilities, and more.
Carfax reports are available on all used cars and trucks from model year 1981 on. Each report includes information such as accident and damage information, such as airbag deployments; flood damage history; the number of owners; state emissions inspection results; service records; vehicle use (whether it was a taxi, rental, lease, etc.); and title information.
The company stands behind its work with something called the Buyback Guarantee, which says that if the report doesn’t include a DMV-issued branded title, Carfax may buy the vehicle back for the full purchase price.
Autotrader listings for Buyers of New and Used Cars
Autotrader.com allows buyers to search for new cars by everything from make to style, price, location, and even more.
Each new car listing includes information provided by the seller, including the vehicle’s VIN (vehicle identification number) and often the dealer stock number.
What you will see on Autotrader.com
At the top of the page, you are allowed to search by make, model, or style. An “Advanced search” button allows you to broaden your search terms, with such things as location, condition, and style.
Next, you come to a page that shows an example of a car and a dealership, with the MSRP. It also includes information on the dealership and KBB’s dealer rating. Boxes appear with Dealer Home Services options, such as whether a video walkaround or at-home test drive is available. You also have the option to expand the search radius from your home.
Once you click on a particular car, the mileage, engine, transmission, mpg, exterior, and interior colors, and the VIN are included, including seller comments. Lower down the page is listed warranty information.
Below that is pricing information provided by us here at KBB.com. This includes the MSRP and how it relates to what we believe the fair market range is for the vehicle. We update this information frequently as it changes depending on things like season (convertibles are more popular in the summer) and desirability or popularity of a particular new car.
If you need to finance the vehicle, below this is the “Calculate Payment” tool where you can plug in the number of months and down payment and (if relevant) the trade-in value of your current vehicle. It will then tell you your monthly payment and what the APR is.
Contacting a seller through Autotrader
At the top of the is an e-mail click that says “confirm availability” if you like the car.
Then there are a number of ways to contact the dealership, including a private message with your name, e-mail, and (optionally) phone number. Or you can send an e-mail and ask questions about the car.
What you will see on Carfax
One significant way in which Carfax does is different from Autotrader and KBB is that Carfax only deals with used cars. There are no new cars listed or available on the site.
At the top is a button saying “Used Cars for Sale,” although there are also tabs for Used Car Values, Car Maintenance, and of course, Carfax reports.
Once you click on the “Used cars,” there is a menu offering search by make and model, or body type and price, based on your zip code. Then the search options are broken down into other categories, with the options of clicking boxes such as No accidents Reported or Service History.
Contacting a seller through Carfax
Once you click through, more information is available about the car including, the dealer, the price, and things such as a tab indicating how good a value the car is based on what Carfax considers a good price. There is also a tab at the top allowing you to order down the results in terms of price, location, etc.
Once you click on a car, the next page offers more information, such as the car’s mileage, options, where it is, and full dealer contact information including phone number, address, and a contact form.
Carfax ads only include cars sold by dealerships and not private parties.
Used Cars on Autotrader.com
Autotrader features used car listings from both dealers and private parties. The search options are similar to those for new cars and include such parameters as year, make, price, style, location, color, etc.
One key difference is that you can filter used cars by vehicle history (number of owners, any accidents) and mileage. Many listings also include a link to a free Carfax report.
Each listing includes information from the seller, features, and general model information such as reviews, where applicable. Information about the original warranty is also available, as well as KBB’s Fair Market value.
Similar to the new car listings, the used listings also offer a variety of ways to contact the seller, such as e-mail, chat, and of course a phone number.
Certified Pre-Owned
Some of the used cars are known as CPO (certified pre-owned) cars. CPO programs are run by the manufacturers and available at dealerships. A CPO car is one with low mileage that has been thoroughly inspected and includes a warranty from the manufacturer.
More Search Choices
Even beyond the conventional new and used car listings, Autotrader provides different classes of search on other pages. At the bottom of the home page, there are options to find classic and exotic cars, motorcycles, or even RVs. One category that may be handy for certain buyers is a special search for those with bad credit. After all, everyone deserves a chance.
Autotrader.com Listings for Sellers
Since Autotrader.com exists to help not only buyers but also sellers, Autotrader offers a few different choices for private-party sellers. Listings are on a pricing scale, with a basic ad going for $25, a featured ad costing $50, and a premium ad going for $90. Due to Autotrader’s partnership with us at KBB.com, any Autotrader posting also appears here.
Each listing includes the ability to display photos as well. Basic comes with three photos, featured gets 20, and a Premium ad includes 30. There is also the option to add 10 more photos to any package for an additional $20.
Sellers also get a counter to see how successful their ad is and how many clicks it generates.
Seller Options
Sellers can include a vehicle history report, which costs $15 with a basic or featured listing but comes with a Premium ad. Another $15 option is Spotlight Ad status, which bumps the ad up on the search results page from time to time. This is free with Premium.
Premium ads feature a Supercharger listing, which makes the ad stand out in search results. This costs $10 with a Basic or Featured ad.
KBB Instant Cash Offer
Yet another advantage to Autotrader’s partnership with us at KBB.com is that a seller has the option of participating in the Kelley Blue Book instant cash offer, which gives the seller to get a cash or trade-in offer from KBB at participating dealers. This eliminates a lot of the hassle of selling a car, which includes scams or even damage to one’s property.
Carfax Listings for Sellers
Carfax does not offer the option for a seller to purchase ad space on the site, given that it only works with dealers and not private parties. The only option is to sell your car to a dealer.
On the home page there is a line that says “Sell your car in 3 easy steps, ” and a button that says Get Cash Offers. From that page, you provide the VIN, license plate, and zip code. That will bring up the information about the car, including its mileage. You then enter your contact information and any information you deem pertinent and dealers will contact you with what they will offer as a trade-in value.
Again, this is strictly a consumer-to-dealer and not a consumer-to-consumer service.
