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The bottom line: CarGurus connects you with dealers who want to buy your car. You can sell completely online with home pickup or drive to a local dealership for same day payment.
The platform pulls offers from thousands of dealers across the country, so you see multiple options in one place.
CarGurus works best for newer vehicles in good shape. Older cars, high mileage vehicles, and cars with accidents often get no offers at all.
The biggest catch is that dealer quotes are recommendations, not guarantees. Many sellers report receiving lower offers once they arrive at the dealership.
If convenience matters more than getting the most money, CarGurus can work well. Their online option saves you from dealership visits entirely. But if you want the most money for your car, you should shop around first. Compare offers from multiple services with Sell Car Advisor before deciding.
What We Like
- Home pickup is free when you sell through their online option
- Getting quotes costs nothing and takes about 2 minutes
- You typically see two offers at once: one from CarGurus and one from a local dealer
- Each dealer has a star rating so you can see their track record
- They handle the loan payoff if you still owe money on your car
- Dealer sales can get you paid the same day you visit
- Trading in at a dealer might save you money on sales tax depending on your state
- The platform searches thousands of dealers nationwide for you
- Bank transfers arrive in 1 to 3 business days for online sales
What You Should Know
- Not all offers have sell from home option
- 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
- Dealer offers shown are recommendations, 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
Compare Instant Offers
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.
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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. CarGurus and dealers check 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 usually see two offers: one directly from CarGurus and one from a nearby dealer. This is where you decide how you want to sell.
Heads up: The dealer offers you see are recommendations based on value, dealer rating, and distance. They aren’t locked in prices, so the final offer might be different.
3. Option A: Sell 100% Online
If you pick the online route, you’ll upload your documents through their website. Then you complete a self inspection using their checklist. After that, you schedule a pickup time that works for you.
For payment, you can get a bank transfer that takes 1 to 3 business days. Or you can get a check when they pick up your car. Hand over your keys and you’re done.
4. Option B: Sell to a Local Dealer
The dealer path is faster for getting cash. You pick a dealer offer from the list, then drive to their location with your car, paperwork, and ID. They’ll inspect your vehicle while you wait.
After inspection, they give you their final offer. It might be different from the original quote. If you accept, you get paid right there. If you’re buying another car from them, trading in might save you on sales tax in some states.
How Much Money Can You Get?
What you get depends on your car’s age, mileage, condition, and local demand. CarGurus checks what dealers are paying for similar cars and uses that to create offers. If you still have a loan, that affects things too.
Some cars won’t get any offers. CarGurus is picky about what vehicles qualify. Cars with branded titles, major damage, very high mileage, or rare features often get rejected. Electric vehicles with lots of miles can also be hard to sell here.
We tested CarGurus in 2026 with several vehicles. Here are the real numbers we got.
2026
2025
2022 Ford F-150 with 77k miles: $24,500
2021 Toyota RAV4 with 61k miles: $25,700
2018 Tesla Model 3 with 77k miles: No offers
2022 Toyota Corolla with 27k miles and 1 accident: No 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
What this tells us:
- Popular trucks and SUVs got solid offers from CarGurus
- Electric vehicles with higher mileage got no offers at all
- Even low mileage cars with accident history can get rejected
- Older vehicles often don’t qualify, even with clean titles
- Dealer offers sometimes came in higher than the CarGurus direct offer
- CarGurus works best for mainstream vehicles that are 5 years old or newer
CarGurus Reviews – What Other Sellers Say?
| Platform | CarGurus Rating | Good | Bad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Reviews | 2.8 out of 5 stars (107 total reviews) | Easy to use website, lots of dealer options nearby | Dealers often offer less than the quoted price after inspection |
| Trustpilot | 3.6 out of 5 stars (1,163 total reviews) | Quick quotes, simple process, good filtering tools | Final offers at dealerships often lower than online quotes |
| Better Business Bureau | A+ | Responsive customer support, helps with dealer issues | CarGurus can’t guarantee dealers honor their quotes |
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BBB
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Reviews
Expand to see reviews from 2025:
Trustpilot
BBB
Reviews
Reviews
Reviews
How CarGurus Compares to Other Buyers
We submitted the same vehicle info to CarGurus, Carvana, and WeBuyAnyCarUSA in 2026. Here’s what each one offered.
| Vehicle Profile | Carvana Offer | CarGurus Offer | WeBuyAnyCarUSA Offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Tesla Model 3 (77k mi) | $14,200 | No offers | $12,076 |
| 2022 Ford F-150 (77k mi) | $22,000 | $24,500 | $21,501 |
| 2021 Toyota RAV4 (61k mi) | $24,600 | $25,700 | $24,441 |
For the Tesla Model 3, CarGurus gave no offer at all. Carvana offered $14,200 and WeBuyAnyCarUSA offered $12,076. Carvana won that one by a lot since CarGurus wouldn’t even make a bid.
For the Ford F-150, CarGurus came out on top with $24,500. Carvana offered $22,000 and WeBuyAnyCarUSA offered $21,501. That’s $2,500 more from CarGurus than the next best offer.
For the Toyota RAV4, CarGurus again had the highest offer at $25,700. Carvana offered $24,600 and WeBuyAnyCarUSA offered $24,441. CarGurus beat Carvana by $1,100 on this one.
Here’s the catch with CarGurus. Their higher offers are recommendations, not guarantees. Many sellers report that dealers lower the price once they inspect the car in person.
Carvana’s quotes tend to stick if your car matches what you described. So while CarGurus shows higher numbers upfront, you might not actually get that amount.
If your car doesn’t qualify for CarGurus, check Carvana since they accepted vehicles CarGurus rejected in our tests.
Best for Newer Cars
Buys newer, low-mileage cars
Offers pickup or free drop-off
Competitive trade-in value
Best for Used Cars
Instant offer in 2 minutes
Instant offer and free pickup
Get paid on the spot
Best for Junk Cars
Sell your car in 30 minutes
Easy-to-use
Buys non-running cars
Want to see how your car stacks up across different buyers? Try our comparison tool below.
Compare Instant Offers
Compare Instant Offers
Alternatives: Sites Like CarGurus
Related:
Common Questions About Selling to CarGurus
How does CarGurus figure out what my car is worth?
CarGurus looks at what dealers nationwide are paying for cars like yours. They factor in your car’s condition, mileage, local demand, and current market prices. This creates a baseline for what dealers might offer.
Can I sell a car I still owe money on?
Yes, but it depends on whether your offer covers what you owe. For online sales through CarGurus, they pay off your lender and send you the difference if your car is worth more than the loan. If you owe more than the offer, you’ll need to pay that gap before selling.
Local dealers handle loans their own way. You’ll need to talk through the details during your visit.
What paperwork do I need?
You’ll need your title or loan paperwork if you’re still making payments. Bring your current registration and a valid ID too. Service records can help but aren’t required.
For online sales, you upload documents through their website. For dealer sales, bring physical copies with you.
When do I get paid?
For online sales, you can get a bank transfer that arrives in 1 to 3 business days. Or you can get a check on the day they pick up your car.
Dealer sales are faster. You walk out with payment the same day you complete the sale at their location.
What if my car doesn’t get any offers?
CarGurus turns down certain vehicles. Branded titles, major damage, very high mileage, older cars, exotic models, and electric vehicles with lots of miles often get rejected.
If that happens, check other online car buyers.
Can I still drive my car while waiting to sell?
You can, but be careful. Your offer expires after 7 days or 250 extra miles, whichever happens first. If you drive more than 250 miles or wait longer than a week, you’ll need to get a new quote.
How does home pickup work?
CarGurus sets up a pickup time that fits your schedule. Their driver shows up and checks your car to make sure it matches your description. They handle the paperwork, give you payment, and drive off with your car.
Can I negotiate the price?
Online offers through CarGurus are fixed. But dealer offers might have some room to move, especially if you’re also buying a car from them or doing a trade in.
Why might the dealer offer less than the online quote?
The quotes you see online are recommendations, not locked in prices. CarGurus notes that these offers are based on dealer rating, distance, and inventory needs. When dealers inspect your car in person, they sometimes find issues that lower the value.
This is one of the most common complaints about CarGurus. Many sellers drive to a dealership expecting one price and leave with a lower offer.
Is CarGurus legitimate?
Yes, CarGurus is a legit company that’s been around since 2006. The platform connects you with real dealers who want to buy cars.
CarGurus Review
CarGurus connects you with thousands of dealers and shows you two offers at once, an online offer and a local dealer offer. Process ease and offer validity score lower because dealer offers are recommendations not guaranteed prices, and many sellers report receiving less money once they arrive at the dealership.
Product Brand: CarGurus
3.7
Pros
- Home pickup is free with their online sell option
- You typically see two offers at once
- Each dealer has a star rating so you can check their track record
- Handles loan payoffs if you still owe money
Cons
- Dealer offers shown are recommendations 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
We updated this review in January 2026 by getting fresh quotes on multiple vehicles and checking recent customer reviews. The main issue that continues from 2025: Dealers still frequently reduce their offer after inspecting your car, even when you describe it accurately. This keeps showing up in reviews and BBB complaints.
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