Where’s the best place to sell your car online? Here, we compare online marketplaces CarGurus and Auto Trader.
* All data below is accurate as of 01/02/23
Who is CarGurus?
CarGurus is a US-based business that was founded in 2006 by Langley Steinert, co-founder of TripAdvisor, as an automotive blog for consumers to review cars or ask questions. It now runs as an advertising platform for used and approved used cars. CarGurus started expanding internationally in 2014 and launched in the UK in December 2016.
How is CarGurus different to Auto Trader?
CarGurus offers more than 90 car brands including Audi, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Vauxhall and Volkswagen. Auto Trader have over 100 car brands for you to choose from.
Auto Trader
Auto Trader lets you buy or sell used, approved-used and brand-new cars, along with bikes, motorhomes, caravans, trucks, plant and farm machinery. There are various ways to sell your car to suit your best needs – you can advertise your car on Auto Trader or sell your car instantly through an instant offer if you’re looking sell your car straight-away.
CarGurus
CarGurus provides a variety of used and approved-used to choose from. With CarGurus, you can only sell your car to them for the price they send you through their partner company The Car Buying Group.
Finding the best deal
CarGurus ranks their search results by “best deal” sorted by an algorithm, which is based on CarGurus’ own instant market value alongside dealership ratings submitted by site users.
On Auto Trader, you can choose which criteria matter to you most by selecting from a range of filters available.
Filter your search according to your needs
You can filter and refine your search on Auto Trader by choosing the criteria that best suit your needs. Search by total price or monthly price or over a dozen further categories available, including gearbox, fuel type and car colour. You can also filter the distance of the dealerships or the method of car deliveries.
Find the best priced deals
Auto Trader ads also feature a price indicator, so you can still see when you’re getting a good deal. Our price indicator uses several data points to show you how the asking price compares to similar cars for sale on Auto Trader, and help you find the right car at the right price. We keep dealer profile reviews separate (you can see those on the dealer’s profile page) so you’re getting an accurate view of the car’s value, not tempered by who’s selling it.
Choice of stock
CarGurus UK lists used and approved used cars, vans and trucks on their site.
In addition to used and approved used cars, Auto Trader also stock new cars, bikes, motorhomes and caravans, trucks, and plant and farm machinery. We also offer car leasing, PCP and HP deals.
Auto Trader
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CarGurus
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Valuing your car
CarGurus offers a car valuation tool that is based on their instant market value, which compares data points including make, model, trim and year to estimate a fair retail price.
Auto Trader offer a free online car valuation to help buyers understand how much their car is worth.
Auto Trader’s free car valuations are 100% data-driven, powered by thousands of data points including over 3,500 dealer websites, adverts listed on our site, and values from major auctions, ex-fleet and lease cars. We use data from different sources to ensure we’re providing an accurate reflection of the market and getting the fairest price point for those buying or selling a car. CarGurus’ instant market value is based on other used cars listed on its site.
Checking vehicle history
Both Auto Trader and CarGurus offer a five-point check on all used cars advertised online.
On Auto Trader, you can also buy a comprehensive 26-point independent report on the vehicle for complete peace of mind.
On Auto Trader, all cars go through a five-point vehicle check before they’re listed on our site. We encourage retailers and private sellers listing their cars to conduct and display a full history check. This gives information on outstanding finance, recorded mileage and more. Before you buy a vehicle, you also have the option to sign up for a full vehicle check, which comes with a data guarantee of up to £30,000 for complete peace of mind.
Saving and comparing adverts
You can save searches on both CarGurus and Auto Trader.
On Auto Trader, you can save and compare up to four cars without an account. If you have an Auto Trader account, you can save and compare as many as you like!
Compare key features
Once you’ve saved the vehicles you like on Auto Trader, you can revisit your saved preferences and easily compare their key features, including gearbox, fuel type, mileage and engine size. It also shows how different vehicles are priced. We also include additional information on the dealer’s rating and distance from your location so you can make a more informed decision on where you buy from.
Get notified when a specific car is listed
If you’re after something specific and it isn’t listed on Auto Trader, you can save your search and we’ll send you a notification when a car that matches your search criteria is added. In two simple steps you can save your search – just choose the make and model you’re after and select ‘save search’. We’ll notify you as soon as a car of your liking is listed so that you never miss a good deal.
How do we compare?
How do we stack up against other automotive websites?
* Please note this is a non-exhaustive list.
- Heycar
- YesAuto
- eBay Motors Group
- Facebook Marketplace
- CarGurus
- WeBuyAnyCar
- Caravan Finder
- Commercial Motor
- Motorcycle News
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Who are Auto Trader?
Offering used cars from private sellers and trusted UK dealerships, brand new cars and more, Auto Trader have over 40 years of experience as the UK’s largest automotive marketplace.
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About Auto Trader
We're experts on cars, with over 40 years experience in the automotive industry, so you can count on us to bring you the best deals.
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