For decades, trips to your local auto mall were met with heavy sighs, sweaty palms, and uncomfortable negotiations with dealership personnel who were driven to get you into a new purchase of a vehicle before the sun had set. In recent years, however, online auto retailers – like Carvana – have stood at the forefront of the online car buying movement, emerging not only as an exciting alternative to the old way to buy a car, but serving as an increasingly preferred choice amongst car buyers as a result of the no hassle, no gimmick online car buying experience that we offer.
The era of COVID-19 has only cemented this trend, shifting Carvana’s approach from a new way to buy a car, to the way to buy a car, offering customers efficiency, transparency, and selection all from the comfort and safety of home.
Yet, while Carvana has set the standard for convenience in car buying, car buyers also want to know they’re getting a good deal on a quality vehicle. For many, the price paid for a new vehicle purchase is on par, or exceeds the benefit of convenience, leaving people to wonder whether Carvana is as cost-friendly as it is simple and straightforward.
Are Carvana prices good?
Fortunately for those who are more price-conscious, Carvana is extremely competitive when it comes to getting a good deal on the car you’ve been longing for.
For one, we’ve made it our mission to eradicate the bogus and hidden fees that have perpetuated the traditional car buying experience. At Carvana, we invite customers to “Live Feelessly” by creating a car buying environment that doesn’t rely on trickery or mind games to earn your business. By eliminating the unnecessary “doc fees” to print your paperwork and additional rogue dealer mark-ups, we empower customers to take a stand against the price gouging that has all too often walked hand-in-hand with buying a car, souring the experience for an untold number of individuals.
Carvana was also founded on the idea that tools could be built to let you direct your own car buying experience, while also enabling you to save money along the way. With no physical dealership locations and sales personnel on staff, Carvana has lower overhead costs compared to the average brick-and-mortar dealership, allowing it to operate more effectively and pass those savings onto you.
Generally speaking, for every car a traditional dealership sells, it costs them roughly $2,000, with $1,500 being paid to the dealership’s personnel and $500 going towards costs of running the physical dealership. Those are numbers that add up.
At Carvana, we’ve built our business around cutting out overhead costs so that customers receive great value for the vehicles they buy. Specifically, our nationwide delivery network makes it less expensive to deliver high quality vehicles to customers when measured against the cost to run hundreds of dealership locations across the country. In fact, *roughly 25% of Carvana’s current inventory is priced $1,500 or more below Kelley Blue Book® Suggested Retail Value, with many other vehicles also priced below Kelley Blue Book® Suggested Retail Value.
Is Carvana a good place to sell your vehicle?
For those looking to sell a vehicle to Carvana, we combine the simplicity and convenience we’ve been known for with the promise of providing you with our strongest offer for your vehicle based on the vehicle’s details and current market conditions. Your offer from us is good for seven days and we’ll buy your car for cash, or allow you to trade-in your old vehicle for a new set of wheels from our expansive online inventory.
When it comes to vehicle protection, Carvana also enables you to affordably bundle two kinds of coverage with your vehicle purchase in CarvanaCare and Gap Coverage. CarvanaCare covers your car by extending its original warranty, covering costs should something break down, while Gap Coverage covers what you still owe on the car should it be totaled or stolen, providing peace of mind long after your car buying experience with us is over.
Does Carvana negotiate on price?
Our goal is to make car buying as easy and stress-free as possible by eliminating the pricing games you might find at a traditional dealership. Our vehicles are priced as competitively as possible, but we don’t negotiate on our prices – the price you see is the price you get! Your final out-the-door price is calculated inside of the purchase process and will include: the listed price of the vehicle, local taxes, title, registration (varies by state), and any extras you choose to add, such as CarvanaCare or Gap Coverage (see above). There may also be a delivery charge based on the address chosen for delivery.
Keep in mind too that in addition to eliminating dealer or doc fees, all of our cars come with a 100-day comprehensive warranty and 7-day Money Back Guarantee, helping reduce that feeling of buyer’s remorse to leave you feeling confident and comfortable with your purchase after the fact.
Carvana’s no-haggle and no-hassle approach also applies to those who look to sell or trade-in their vehicle with Carvana. The value you receive after filling out our online appraisal is our best offer, as we do not participate in price matching or negotiating.
In the end, your ability to score a good deal with Carvana is just as notable as the ease and convenience of purchasing a vehicle from us that we tout. No matter how you slice it, Carvana goes the extra mile to ensure you’re saving both valuable time and money.
*Disclaimer: Savings amount based on the difference between Kelley Blue Book® Suggested Retail Value and the current Carvana listing price, not including tax, title, registration, or delivery fees. Percentage of inventory reflected was pulled June 1, 2021 and reflects totals on that specific date.
