Carvana. Anyone purchased a vehicle from them?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 13, 2008
Messages
415
Location
D-town
I'm seriously considering trying them out for my wife's next vehicle. Their prices seem very reasonable compared to Carmax. Anyone have an experience with the process?
 
Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
I've seen a whole bunch of commercials for them-are they pretty much a NEW car seller? I'd be pretty concerned with a sight-unseen used car seller!

used cars
 
Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet
I don't like carmax because you never really know what you're getting, could be selling a car from Michigan in Texas.

Carvana is just carmax online...


Wait what? They both provide the VIN you so you can run it to determine where the vehicle is from.
 
What's strange is that I would consider flying to the midwest to look at the perfect car but I would not pay Carvana $199 to have the same car shipped to me for a test drive.
 
Originally Posted By: A_A_G
Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet
I don't like carmax because you never really know what you're getting, could be selling a car from Michigan in Texas.

Carvana is just carmax online...


Wait what? They both provide the VIN you so you can run it to determine where the vehicle is from.


Most of the cars on Carmax also have a free carfax so that you can see where the car has been. I will say that a lot of cars sold at Carmax's here in VA are from the rust belt (NY, CT, MA, NH, ME, VT, PA).
 
New car dealers take trade ins. They keep the really good ones to sell on their lot. Many times they will give these cars a Certified Pre -Owned warranty that is sometimes longer then a new car warranty. The ones the dealer doesn't keep go to resale at auctions that companies like Carvana, and your little used car lots buy and recondition. Kind of like putting lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig.

Also a new car dealer is very negotiable on their used cars because they paid wholesale on that trade directly, no middle men.

I like to really look over and under a used car and took an expert with me when I bought my last one. No way would I mail order a used car or a mail order bride.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Stevie
New car dealers take trade ins. They keep the really good ones to sell on their lot. Many times they will give these cars a Certified Pre -Owned warranty that is sometimes longer then a new car warranty. The ones the dealer doesn't keep go to resale at auctions that companies like Carvana, and your little used car lots buy and recondition. Kind of like putting lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig.

Also a new car dealer is very negotiable on their used cars because they paid wholesale on that trade directly, no middle men.

I like to really look over and under a used car and took an expert with me when I bought my last one. No way would I mail order a used car or a mail order bride.
smile.gif




Many dealers do not get enough clean trade ins to stock their used car lot adequately. They also go to auctions. Also, ex-rental cars end up at auctions which can be decent buys for dealers as well.

While I don't know for a fact-I would assume online car dealers have access to auctions as well.

I am assuming you know that many new car dealers do supplement their used car lot from auctions but just left that part out.

I recently traded in a 2012 Subaru Legacy with 57,000 miles on it. Before it was sold-(on the dealers used car lot) it needed a complete brake job at all 4 corners which included pads as well as turning the rotors. The dealer also installed 4 new tires. My point is that even private party (trade-in) vehicles with realistically low miles are not a "polish and sell" situation.
 
Last edited:
Cars coming off leases can be great deals. They are usually very low mileage leases, usually only 10 or 12K miles per year. They must be maintained and kept in great condition as at the end of lease the cars are inspected and lessor has to pay for for every little nick.

I bought my SLK this way as it came off a 3 year lease. Just under 30K miles, in pretty much as new condition. A loaded car that retailed new for $60K, I paid $28K. Fresh service and factory Mercedes warranty still remaining. With the way a new car depreciates it makes a lot of sense to buy used.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Stevie
Cars coming off leases can be great deals. They are usually very low mileage leases, usually only 10 or 12K miles per year. They must be maintained and kept in great condition as at the end of lease the cars are inspected and lessor has to pay for for every little nick.


A few of the leasing companies I'm familiar with have a $1-1.5K allowance for nicks, dings, bald tires etc.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top