Buying a car can be stressful. Which is why you’re here thinking about buying a car from Carvana right? Let’s talk about how to buy a car with Carvana. Maybe you have tried other dealers like CarMax, EchoPark, or Vroom. Well, Carvana is different — offering a seamless online car buying experience. Car shopping is not as hard as you think because there are some great ways to buy a car that don’t involve you haggling with dealers, sitting in their lot for hours, and driving around in circles test driving until you find the perfect car that "feels right".
Most people would agree that buying a used car is often more hassle than it’s worth and they can share unpleasant stories which happened to them. That’s why so many people looking for a new car have turned to buying new cars from companies like Carvana. We can show you how too! Check out the tips below, and we'll go over the ways you can get a new car through Carvana along with some of the pros and cons.
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Online Car Shopping? Why Carvana?
Carvana is the premiere online shopping destination for new and used cars. Think of it like a new car vending machine — yes, they actually have towers of cars which work like vehicle vending machines in some places in the country. They offer a unique experience that gives people the chance to buy a car without sales pressure or haggling. Carvana has been in business since 2012, and they sell all new cars with a warranty and pre-sale service check.
Cars that are "Carvana Certified" come with a 150-point inspection and also come with a 7-day money back guarantee return policy. What sets them apart is their dedication to cutting-edge technology, customer service and the 1,100+ reviews on their website of satisfied Carvana customers. The best part about shopping from a company like Carvana? It's hassle-free! With all the processes taken care of for you, you'll be able to get your car in just one day. And once you've found your perfect auto, it will arrive at your doorstep free of charge!
About Carvana
The Car Buying Process Overview
As a car shopper, you can use the following steps to help you get started using the Carvana platform and be on your way to finding used vehicles or selling your car.
Step-by-Step Breakdown
Carvana.com is the place to start your journey.
Use the vehicle search tool to narrow your car choices.
Choose a car that meets your needs and price point.
You can look up your current vehicle by license plate number or VIN to sell to Carvana or trade-in.
Get pre-qualified on the Carvana platform using their lender network.
Once you have your new car picked out, add it to your cart and finalize the details.
The Carvana Team is standing by to help you with any questions you have. Ask away!
Setup and wait for your vehicle to be delivered to you! A Carvana truck is heading your way.
When the truck arrives, take possession of your new car and load your trade-in onto the truck.
That’s it! You have completed the Carvana experience.
The 100 Day or 4,189 Mile Warranty
Are you still considering if Carvana is the right choice to find your next vehicle? Take comfort in the fact that they have you back with a 100 day or 4,186 mile warranty. This helps to protect you as the buyer and validates their 150 point inspection they do for all of their certified vehicles. CarvanaCare and GAP coverage is also available on request.
Research Your Vehicle Options
The first step to buying a new car through Carvana is research. You should get familiar with the different options available in your desired vehicle and determine what’s best for you. When trying to decide which model of a specific car is best, you want to know what features are important to you. For example, if you’re looking at cars under $15,000, knowing that the cars in this price range are great for commuting with mid to higher mileage could be more important than having high-end features like all-wheel drive or leather seats.
If you don't know what model of car would work best for your needs, start by brainstorming the different types of cars you want. Then narrow down your list by price range and desired features. Once that's done, you can use Carvana’s search tool to find the most similar models in each category. Search by year, make, model, and price. You can also set a monthly car payment target and search prices that way.
Get Pre-approved for Financing
One of the best ways to buy a car is by getting pre-approved for financing. That will help you understand how much of a car you can afford and help to set your car budget. Carvana doesn’t require any money up front, so you don’t have to worry about paying full price for a car that may not be in your budget. They’ll help you find the right vehicle and work with your credit score to ensure that you get approved. Also, once you have financed your car loan, thinking about refinancing as a potential possibility in the future can offer additional ways to save money on your car payment if your budget changes later.
Credit Scores
Carvana offers many financing options for varying credit scores. They recommend car shoppers fall in the Prime or Superprime ranges of 600 or more with top borrowers being above a 700 credit score. Loan offers may be available, so check with their lending team to see if you qualify. You can often apply without any impact on your credit since the pre-qualification normally involves a soft pull credit inquiry. The hard pull inquiry during loan finalization is the one which does impact your credit report.
Completing the Process
Choose Your Car
Carvana is all about car shopping convenience. The first step is choosing the car you want. You don't have to worry about thinking of what colors, options, trims, and specifications are available in the market. All of the choices and guess work are done for you and you can simply search the vehicles which are ready to buy. You'll be able to browse the inventory and see a list of all the cars that are in stock at your nearest Carvana location, or if there's not a car that suits your needs, your personal Carvana concierge can even help you find one! Browse the inventory online or visit your nearest Carvana location to buy your dream car today!
Complete the Purchase
This is the easiest way of buying a car through Carvana and it doesn’t require any effort on your part or your credit worthiness. It will even save you money because you won’t have to pay taxes and fees. You can purchase a car online in as little as 45 minutes!
Car Shipping — Direct to You
Carvana was designed to provide a new car buying experience that is unique for you, simple, and fun. Rather than sitting in a dealership waiting for hours on end, you can buy a car the same day and have it delivered soon. Car shipping usually within a week or two depending on your location by shipping zip code. There's no need to worry about haggling with salespeople who want to sell you something that doesn't fit your needs. You just visit Carvana to find the perfect car, take delivery of it, and drive away!
The Carvana Way
A Marketplace for Certified Vehicles
Carvana is an amazing company that provides a different way to buy cars. They cut out the dealerships and auto brokers who act as middlemen. Instead Carvana operates like a certified vehicle marketplace by delivering cars directly from the customer to customer or from the factory to customers in the case of new vehicles. Carvana offers a wide variety of used cars from top manufacturers like Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Ram. They also stock vehicles from luxury vehicle brands like Porsche, Audi, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Tesla, BMW, and Volvo.
The one thing Carvana doesn't usually have available are exotics like Lamborghini and Ferrari, so you will still have to shop exotics at your local importer if you want to buy one. For daily drivers, Caravan is a great choice and has the best used car deals around. But there's more — they offer service too! When you're ready for a new car, Carvana makes it easy to get what you want through shopping their used car superstore portal.
Financing Your Car
Choosing a Loan or Lease
One of the most popular ways you can get a new car through Carvana is through financing your auto loan. With financing, you’ll be able to buy the car you want at a fair price. There are two types of financing offered on Carvana: loans and leases. With the right loan, you'll be able to finance up to 100% of the sale price. You’ll also have instant approval and no need to contact any bank branches or other lenders.
You will need to have a down payment (around 10% is recommended), borrow the rest from a lender like a bank or credit union, and pay the car loan off over the course of the monthly term like 36, 48, 60, or 72 months. Leases are available with a fixed rate for 3, 6 or 9 months which can include free service and repair coverage. You will also need to have full-coverage car insurance. For more details on how much you can finance and how much interest you'll pay in either case, check out their blog post here: How to finance your car with Carvana.
Taking Delivery of Your Car
Home, Office, or Elsewhere
Most people choose to take delivery of their new car drop off at home or the office. If you’re in a hurry or have a busy schedule, this is where the benefits of the Carvana service shines since the drop off truck will deliver your car to your home or office at the scheduled time! So, you have the option of taking delivery of your new car at any location that is convenient for you.
You could also choose a place like the grocery store parking lot, a nearby restaurant location, or even a friend’s house if you didn't have room near your house or apartment. If you're not sure where you want to take delivery of your car, Carvana can help! They'll match you up with one of the local dealerships near you and let them decide where you should take delivery.
The Carvana Advantage
Convenience and Customer Service
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Concluding the Process
Carvana offers a streamlined car buying process that is convenient for consumers and helps them save money. The company has a customer-centric approach that includes free vehicle shipping, no-haggle pricing, and a friendly staff. This makes Carvana the perfect choice for customers looking to buy a car online and potentially save hundreds of dollars on their new car.
Carvana FAQs
Have questions about using Carvana? Get answers, and find the information you seek.
Carvana has many different types of cars, trucks, SUVs, and other passenger vehicles for sale from many of the most popular automakers and vehicle models.
Carvana sells many types of vehicles including daily drivers and semi-luxury vehicles like Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Ram. They also sell vehicles from luxury vehicle manufacturers like Porsche, Audi, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Tesla, BMW, and Volvo. They do not currently sell exotic cars on their website like Lamborghini or Ferrari.
You can complete the online car buying experience in around 45 to 60 minutes. Keep in mind that shopping for a vehicle usually takes longer than this if you are looking for a specific vehicle, hard to find trim models, rare features, or a pairing of mileage and cost. The delivery of your car can take another 30 to 40 minutes to account for the unload and or trade-in reload process.
Yes, they will potentially buy your used vehicle. You can submit your car for a quote to sell to Carvana.
Carvana offers a 100 day or 4,189 mile limited warranty on the vehicles they sell. They also have a 7-day money back guarantee.
The Carvana Lending Team recommends a 600 to 700 or higher credit score to make sure you will qualify for an auto loan. Check to see if you pre-qualify with no impact on your credit.
Carvana sells cars all over the country! When you want to test drive a vehicle or buy a car through them, they ship the car to you on-demand!