The bottom line: CarGurus shows you estimates from up to five dealers near you, and you drive the car to the one you pick, which inspects it and pays you. It works for a newer car in good shape that dealers near you want to stock.
In our test of three cars, CarGurus had the highest estimate for the 2022 F-150 and the 2021 RAV4, and none for the 2018 Tesla Model 3.
The catch is that the dealer sets the final price after its inspection, and many sellers report being offered less than the CarGurus estimate.
Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once, so you have another buyer’s figure in hand when you reach the dealer.
CarGurus compares instant offers from local dealers side by side
- Offers compared side by side
- Star ratings for each dealer
- Handles your outstanding loans
- Dealer pays by check or transfer
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Offer amount 35% 4/5
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Process ease 20% 3/5
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Offer validity 15% 3/5
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Pickup / drop-off 15% 4/5
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Payment speed 15% 4/5
What We Like
- You pick the day and time you drop the car off at the dealer
- Getting quotes costs nothing and takes about 2 minutes
- You see offers from several local dealers side by side, so you can compare them in one place
- Each dealer has a star rating so you can see their track record
- The dealer handles the loan paperwork with your lender if you still owe money on the car
- The dealer you sell to pays by check or electronic transfer
- In some states, trading in at the dealer lowers the sales tax on your next car
- The platform searches thousands of dealers nationwide for you
What You Should Know
- There’s no home pickup, so you drive the car to the dealer yourself
- Many sellers report dealers offering less money once they arrive at the dealership
- Not all cars get offers, especially older vehicles, high mileage cars, and those with accidents
- Your offer expires after just 7 days or 250 additional miles, whichever comes first
- The dealer figures you see online are estimates, not locked-in prices
- The platform no longer allows private party sales as of June 2024
- Dealers may ask for extra documents like lien account info before buying
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
Compare Instant Offers
How Does CarGurus Compare to Alternatives?
We submitted the same vehicle info to CarGurus, Carvana, and WeBuyAnyCarUSA in 2026. Here’s what each one offered.
2018 Tesla Model 3 with 73k miles Carvana +$2,124
$14,200
See both offer screenshots
2022 Ford F-150 with 72.5k miles CarGurus +$2,500
$22,000
See all three offer screenshots
2021 Toyota RAV4 with 61k miles CarGurus +$1,100
$24,600
See all three offer screenshots
See our other 2026 offers
2022 Toyota Corolla with 27k miles and 1 accident: No offers
See the 2025 offers
2023 Ford F-150 with 37k mileage and clean title: $41,725 dealer offer ($39,400 CarGurus offer)
2022 Chevrolet Bolt with 36k mileage and clean title: $20,500 dealer offer ($13,870 CarGurus offer)
2012 Nissan Xterra with 94k mileage and clean title: No offer
CarGurus’ higher figures are estimates, and the dealer sets the final price after inspecting the car, so they aren’t always what you’re paid. Carvana’s offer holds at the appointment if your car matches what you described and you sell within its 7 days.
If your car doesn’t qualify for CarGurus, check Carvana since they accepted vehicles CarGurus rejected in our tests.
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Offer amount 35% 5/5
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Process ease 20% 5/5
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Offer validity 15% 4/5
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Pickup / drop-off 15% 4/5
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Payment speed 15% 4/5
- Get a real offer in 2 minutes, with no listing
- No haggling: its best offer comes upfront
- Suits a car under 10 years old in good condition
- Pays off your loan when it buys the car
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Offer amount 30% 5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 4/5
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Vehicle acceptance 15% 5/5
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Process ease 15% 5/5
- Buys any car in any condition, running or not
- An offer in seconds, with no listing to write
- Free towing, with no fees taken off the offer
- Pays by check on the spot at pickup
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Offer amount 35% 4/5
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Process ease 20% 3/5
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Offer validity 15% 4/5
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Pickup / drop-off 15% 3/5
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Payment speed 15% 4/5
- Appraisal at a branch or at home
- Check handed over on the spot
- Paid same day by Zelle, ACH or check
- Mobile appraiser comes to you
To see what different buyers offer for your car, get quotes from several at once:
Compare instant offers before you accept one
How to Sell a Car to CarGurus?
1. Enter Your Car’s Details
Start by typing in your license plate or VIN number. Then add your current mileage and answer questions about your car’s condition. Be honest here because your answers determine what offers you get.
The whole process takes about 2 minutes. You’ll need to enter details about any damage, accidents, or mechanical problems your car has.
Step1
Step2
Step3
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Step6
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Enter VIN or license plate
Enter zip code
Select sell/trade or get car worth
Enter car’s details
Select color
Enter car’s condition and history
Select trade-in option
Enter contact information:
Get an offer from CarGurus
Get an offer from the dealer
Tip: Be conservative when describing your car’s condition. The dealer whose offer you pick checks everything during inspection. If you oversell your car, expect a lower offer when they actually see it.
2. Review Your Offers
After you submit your info, CarGurus searches through thousands of dealer offers. You’ll see offers from nearby dealers, up to five of them, and none from CarGurus itself. This is where you pick the dealer you’ll sell to.
Heads up: The dealer offers you see are estimates. They aren’t locked in prices, so the final offer might be different.
3. Drive the Car to the Dealer
Before you drive over, email or text the dealer named on your estimate and ask it to confirm in writing that it will pay that figure if the car matches your description, and what it would take off for. Then bring the car, your ID and your ownership papers to the dealership.
The dealer inspects the car and makes its final offer, which can be lower than the estimate. If you accept, you sign the sale there and the dealer pays you.
How Much Money Can You Get?
What you see depends on what dealers near you want for their lots, so the same car can get different figures in different places. CarGurus gathers dealership offers and shows you the best ones in your local market.
In our tests, CarGurus had the highest estimate of three buyers on a 2022 F-150 and a 2021 RAV4. It had none for a 2018 Tesla Model 3 with 73,000 miles, a 2022 Corolla with 27,000 miles and one accident, or a 2012 Xterra with 94,000 miles.
CarGurus Reviews – What Other Sellers Say?
| Platform | CarGurus Rating | Good | Bad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Reviews | 2.8 out of 5 stars (108 total reviews) | No praise from sellers in the past year | Sellers say the dealer offered less than the quoted figure |
| Trustpilot | 3.3 out of 5 stars (1,191 total reviews) | Buyers praise the search filters and quick chat replies; sellers like seeing several dealer bids at once | Sellers report dealers offering $1,500 to $6,000 less than the online figure |
| Better Business Bureau | A+ | Answers every complaint, typically within 5 days | CarGurus can’t guarantee dealers honor their quotes |
Google ★ 2.8 · 108
Trustpilot ★ 3.3 · 1,191
BBB
Reviews
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Reviews
Expand to see reviews from 2025:
Trustpilot
BBB
Reviews
Reviews
Reviews
Compare instant offers before you accept one
Common Questions About Selling to CarGurus
How does CarGurus figure out what my car is worth?
CarGurus collects offers from dealers near you and shows you the best ones. Each figure is an estimate based on the details you enter, such as the plate or VIN, the mileage and the condition. It can change quickly with the market, and the dealer checks it when you bring the car in.
Can I sell a car I still owe money on?
Yes. The dealer that buys the car guides you through paying off the loan and handles the paperwork with your lender.
If you owe more than the dealer pays and you aren’t buying another car there, you pay your lender the difference. On a trade-in, the dealer can roll what’s left into the price of your next car.
What paperwork do I need?
Bring a government-issued ID, proof of ownership (the title or the registration) and, if you still owe money on the car, your loan details.
If the car was inherited or you’re selling it for someone else, you need more, and what depends on your state: a copy of the will, an affidavit of heirship or a power of attorney, for example.
When do I get paid?
Each dealer’s payment timeline varies, so get it in writing from yours, with the payment method, before you sign the sale.
What if my car doesn’t get any offers?
CarGurus shows you links to Peddle and Private Auto instead, or you can try other online car buyers. Dealers’ needs change, so it’s worth trying CarGurus again later.
A car may get no estimate if it has a branded title, major damage, high mileage or old age, if it’s an exotic or rare model, if it doesn’t run, or if no dealer near you wants it.
Can I still drive my car while waiting to sell?
Yes, for up to 250 more miles. The dealer’s offer lasts 7 days or 250 extra miles, whichever comes first, and after that you need a new estimate.
The 7 days are the time you have to reach the dealer, not a price it has to pay.
How does home pickup work?
It doesn’t: CarGurus has no pickup, so you drive the car to the dealer yourself. If your car doesn’t run or you can’t get it there, Peddle picks cars up for free, running or not.
Can I negotiate the price?
Yes. The dealer sets the final price at the dealership, so there’s room to argue it up as well as down. Bring a firm offer from another buyer: it gives you a figure to point to, and lets you turn the dealer down on the spot.
Why might the dealer offer less than the online quote?
Because the dealer sets the final price after it sees the car, and CarGurus can’t make it pay the online estimate. A dealer can change its figure for what it learns about the car or for changes in the market, and sellers report reasons such as the market, details they’d already entered, or a dealer calling the estimate a retail price.
Is CarGurus legitimate?
Yes. CarGurus has run since 2006 and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Sellers’ complaints are about dealers offering less than the estimate, not about scams.
CarGurus Review
CarGurus connects you with thousands of dealers and shows you up to five local dealer offers at once. Process ease and offer validity score lower because dealer figures are estimates, not guaranteed prices, and many sellers report receiving less money once they arrive at the dealership.
Product Brand: CarGurus
3.7
Pros
- You pick the day and time you drop the car off at the dealer
- You see up to five dealer offers side by side
- Each dealer has a star rating so you can check their track record
- Handles loan payoffs if you still owe money
Cons
- Dealer figures shown are estimates, not locked-in prices
- Not all cars get offers, especially older and high mileage vehicles
- Offer expires after 7 days or 250 additional miles whichever comes first
Article Update History
New CarGurus quotes and recent customer reviews added.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"CarGurus Reviews" Accessed Jan. 13, 2026
"CarGurus Reviews" Accessed Jan. 13, 2026
"CarGurus Reviews" Accessed Jan. 13, 2026
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