Read This First: Where, Why and How to Buy a Car Online

How to Buy a Car Online

The days of walking into a car dealership and buying a car are fading fast. Millennials and future generations are not interested in haggling over car payments, and they would rather purchase a car from the comfort of their own home. This means that car dealers are making a concerted effort to shift toward online sales.

Don’t know how to buy a car online? We’ve got you covered! Read on to learn about the benefits of car shopping online and where to look to find the perfect car for you!

Why Buy Online?

Car shopping is a notoriously tedious process. You have to choose from any number of dealerships in your area, and then go tour the lot and see what cars they have. Then, of course, you get hit with the “these are going fast, better act fast.” It takes a whole lotta time and there’s a whole lotta pressure involved.

This is why buying a car online is a superior process. Anytime you’re in the market to buy a new car, you’re going to go online to start doing your research. Once you find a car that fits your wants and needs you can seamlessly transition to buying online.

Buying online takes all the pressure out of the buying process. You can look for the best deal possible and even get your car delivered to you. On top of that, you don’t have to spend all day shopping for a car and making a deal — you squeeze in your shopping on your schedule, whether it’s midnight or 5 p.m.

Go the Traditional Route for a New Car

There are many good reasons to buy from a traditional dealership for used cars, but if you want a new car, you don’t really have any other options. The good news is that shopping for new and used cars online from a traditional dealership is a super simple process! Get ready for car shopping heaven.

Dealership

You can buy both new and used cars online from a traditional dealership. The great part about buying directly from the dealership online is that you’ll usually get a special price for buying online and won’t have to haggle. You’ll also have the option to buy certified pre-owned cars from the dealership that have a warranty directly from the manufacturer.

Manufacturer

You can only buy new cars from a manufacturer. But this option is great for anyone who is especially particular about every little detail they want in their new car. All you need to do is go to the manufacturer’s website, and from there you can select your desired model and have it custom made just for you.

Buying from the manufacturer doesn’t mean you have to pay full MSRP. Keep an eye out for special deals throughout the year and then purchase your car when it’s available at a significant discount.

Going Used?

There are a lot of options available in terms of buying a used car online. Check out the best routes to go when buying used!

Carmax

CarMax exists as both an online dealership and an in-person dealership. The beauty of CarMax is that you can look for your perfect car and have it shipped in from anywhere in the country.

While you’ll likely be able to find your ideal car from a local CarMax dealer, you will have to pay a small fee if the car you want has to be shipped long-distance. Once the car is transferred in, you’ll go pick it up from your local CarMax.

CarMax offers a seven-day money back guarantee and a 30-day limited warranty for their cars. You can also purchase extended coverage.

Carvana

Carvana is taking online car shopping to the next level. This is a 100% online service that allows you to pick from any number of used cars online. Once you find and buy your perfect car, Carvana will deliver it right to you or you can pick it up from one of their car vending machines (yes, seriously). It’s a super easy and non-stressful process.

Carvana offers a seven-day money back guarantee and a 100-day limited warranty on every car they sell.

Independent Dealerships

If you’re having trouble finding a car at traditional dealerships, then you can absolutely find a car here. Independent dealerships are exactly what they sound like — auto dealerships owned and operated by independent individuals with no ties to specific manufacturers.

Here you can choose from a wide variety of makes and models online. Once you’ve found the right car you can make your purchase online, too. After you complete your purchase you either go pick up the car from the dealership or they’ll bring it to you, depending on the dealership’s rules.

Super simple!

What About Financing?

You do not have to be prepped and ready with cash to buy a car online unless you’re buying a car from a private individual. Pretty much every online car dealer has financing options available.

It does differ, however, from your traditional auto dealership because it’s a no-haggle process. You put in your financial information into a form, just like a standard credit check for a credit card, and include the amount of money you have to put down. Once you process the application, you’ll be able to see how much your payment will be depending on the term of the loan you select.

You can even trade in your car online at some internet dealerships like Carmax and Carvana. You won’t be able to roll their value into your purchase, but you can use the cash they pay you to pay down your auto loan.

Now You Know How to Buy a Car Online!

Whether you choose to purchase from a dealership or a private seller, buying a car online is the way of the future. Now that you know how to buy a car online, you’re well on your way to a much less stressful and streamlined car buying process. What could be better than buying the car of your dreams in your pajamas while drinking your morning coffee?

Now that you have the car of your dreams, you’re going to have to maintain it. Check out the rest of our website to help make car ownership less stressful with helpful service repair manuals and more!