Top 14 Places to Sell A Car Online for Top Dollar

In the last couple of years the amount of sites you your car on as well as preowned listings have soared beyond expectations. A huge part of it involves the lack of new vehicles available. The uncertainty involving the economic future has made it so the average consumer is trying to spend less for a car. Most auto lenders have made it harder to lease vehicles affordably due to concerns that resale values couple plummet, forcing people to buy a used car to keep payments low.

That makes it a great time if you are the one selling a car as the multitude of buyers allows you to get top dollar, more than any other time in recent history. There are so many options to sell your car that will work for you. Potential buyers can run a free vehicle history report on most of these sites which is great because for the most part, you won't be able to test drive.

So then what are the best places that you can sell your car online where it can be seen nationwide? Let's dive in and take a look at 14 of the best sites to sell your car online.

1. Autotrader

The oldest and longest standing online marketplace to sell your car is Autotrader. Starting off as a print media many years ago, they are one of the first. They feature over 3 million used car listings from 250,000 private party sellers just like you and about 40,000 third party listings from dealerships make up the rest. It is estimated over 15 million people monthly visit the site via Google search alone. You can't ignore them if you want to sell your car fast. Users can search by style (sedan, SUV) or by year, make, model.

The website itself is very detailed in explaining how to sell a vehicle and feature great buying guides too. They do a great job of educating you on how to sell your car quickly and safely.

Although in some ways this is somewhat of an a la carte service as they don't offer in-house payment services or escrow, we chose this one as our number one because they are most popular for private party sellers. We also chose them due to their reach as everyone is very familiar with who auto trader is and what they are for. Additionally we also like that your listing come also out on the Kelley Blue Book cars for sale. Inspired by the competition, they now can get you an instant cash offer from the values found on the Kelley Blue Book site for your vehicle. If you like it, sign over the vehicle title when they come to your door to pick it up. Not ready? Their offer is good for seven days. The partnership to get a Kelly Blue Book instant cash offer using their values made sense.

If you decide not to go with the Kelly Blue Book instant cash offer, you can list. You can get your feet wet with a $25 basic listing or if you want all the bells and whistles you can opt for the $90 premium listing with maximum exposure. Listings can come with a vehicle history report as well to make it easier for your potential buyer to do research. Make sure you check them out.

2. CarGurus

These guys showed up on the scene almost out of nowhere at one point and have been annihilating the competition. So it's hard to not give it the number 1 spot. They receive an estimated 16.7 million search visitors a month. This makes them one of the top sites to sell a car since they have a lot of exposure for your vehicle. They have five levels of a used car deals which helps you list your vehicle at the best price to get the fastest results when trying to sell your car. The values seem to come in a little higher than Kelly Blue Book instant cash offer. You can also see new car listings as well if you are considering that as an option.

They make our second pick not just because of their exposure and high traffic but because of how easy the site is to use. With so many eyes on your vehicle, you have a great chance to get closer to your asking price. It's also impressive that they manage the payment process securely for you, removing the concern of bogus checks or other payment scams.

The buyer can send payment for a used car from a private seller direct through CarGurus pay (formerly known as autopay). They will hold the payment and let you know when it has cleared so you can handover the keys and title to the buyer after selling your car. Once the buyer confirms they have the title keys and the car, payment is released. They do an ACH transfer that appears in your account within three business days. Even though this is a great feature, you can still deal directly with the seller.

3. eBay Motors

Now how can you have a list without eBay? eBay Motors has long been one of the best sites for selling your car online or to find a used car. The great thing about eBay Motors is chances are you know how to use it! You already have the app. Both buyers and sellers make use of it all the time. Just this time you are selling your car instead. If you want to sell or looking to buy, eBay is great. Local listings are free, however national listings are priced out between $16 and $125. You can list used cars or a new car. Of course, the point of eBay is for everyone to see your car nationwide. If you need to sell and want to get the full value of your car, you have come to the right venue to sell a car online. In fact buying or selling, eBay s one-stop for you.

You also don't have to run an auction to attract prospective buyers. You can simply create an eBay Classified Ad on eBay motors that will come up right along auction listings for your vehicle. It's a great way to sell your car quickly and may consider it as the best way to sell if looking for an auction setting. With classifieds you can exchange contact information, like a phone number. That's always a plus since there's no eBay commission. The one thing will be that is a bit inconvenient is that you have to renew every 30 days. So do make sure you keep that in mind. This is the best site to sell a car when it comes to convenience.

eBay knows why they are charging more than others. That's because eBay is an easy go-to. Just like you as the seller have easy access, so does the seller for the same reasons as you do. They make our number 3 spot because of thee ease of use, built in financing, and a great spot for specialty vehicles or classic vehicles too. eBay Motors will always be one of the best sites to sell your car online.

4. Cars.com

This oldie but goodie has been up and since 1998. They were one of the first to come into the car market with online offerings. While some of its competition was still selling paper printed listings at gas stations and convenience stores, Cars.com was helping others like your sell your old car. vehicles online. Back then nobody knew about doing much online, let alone car shopping or letting you know you can sell a car online, so they partnered with Motorweek since the beginning where they currently are featured on comparison reviews like this one. They were also on the Car Talk radio show that ran until 2012.

Fast track to today, they have grown to a massive used car inventory of over 3 million vehicles. Not only do they list vehicles on their own site, they feature your listing in over 175 newspapers and partners such as Auto.com , NewCars.com, and PickupTrucks.com. They have about 3 million used cars for sale at any given time. The site is intuitive and easy to navigate.

Cars.com provides listings start from free up to $49. We like the paid package because it provides a free Carfax report. Like CarGurus and Autotrader, you can also get an instant cash offer rather than listing on the site and wait. But what pushes this site down to the number 4 spot is the heavy advertising and it appears to be more centered towards third party dealers than there to help the private seller.

5. Facebook Marketplace

With almost a quarter of the world's population on Facebook, it was common sense to launch Facebook Marketplace. With Facebook Marketplace, are nearly 1.8 million daily average users so that is more than plenty of eyeballs for your vehicle.

Just like our #3, we put Facebook marketplace in our mega list to sell a car because of the ease of access since nearly everyone has the FB app. Everyone pretty much has it and everyone knows how to use it. A bonus of this being a social media platform is that you can also take a look at the buyer's profile. Depending on what they have bought and other information they leave public can give you a better idea of who you are dealing with unlike other sites like Craigslist where it can be a total mystery.

However, use caution when dealing with buyers and get cash for your car quickly and for free. As of 2021 it is estimated that 1.7 million facebook accounts are fake. For these reasons, we give this our number 5 spot on the best places to sell a vehicle.

6. Carvana

Since it's debut, Carvana has changed what a dealership could be by creating the first 100% online buying and selling experience. The reinvented online car selling. Taking some of the best that Carmax pioneered, such as letting you sell a car for the same price regardless if you buy one or not and "no-haggle" - just pay the asking price - with buying done fully online. From the purchase agreement to financing.

They redefined car buying. So much so that now Cargurus, Cars.com, and Autotrader all have adopted their own instant car cash offers to consumers after realizing sellers are willing to take less for a fast result. All by putting the lure of instant cash offer in the seller's hands without having to wait for a sale at times even beating Kelley Blue Book prices for sale or trade. Try them so you can get an offer to see where you stand. Direct competitors like Vroom have now appeared as a result.

Carvana gets our number 6 spot because for being the easiest and simplest way to sell a car. Their offers are generally also good for for seven days. It's literally click and get paid once they show up on your doorstep. They give you decent money and usually don't nitpick during inspections, making it ideal to use. But remember, since they buy your car to sell it later, there is a margin you lose by not selling it yourself.

7. CarMax

Dropping to our number 7 spot is sales giant CarMax. There is no doubt that Carmax has pioneered much of the process that has made them one of the fastest growing dealership chains in the country. Established in 1993, CarMax is the first of its kind. However, although their prices for buyers are competitive and they have good quality inventory, this after all is about the best places for selling your vehicle.

Carmax will give you an online appraisal and then conduct a final inspection for your vehicle by having you bring it to any of their 231 locations. You can also just drive right up without an appointment or going online. If you like their offer you can get cash via transfer or a check you can cash right away. However, a former CarMax employee stated that they get their online appraised value from Edmunds data which is usually higher. As long as your description is accurate, they will honor that offer. Going in person usually gives you a lower than Kelly Blue Book offer for dealer trade.

There’s no obligation to buy from CarMax if you sell your car to them. However, their process is extremely detailed and you can easily see hundreds of dollars slip away from what the car is worth with every checkmark during the inspection. If want to sell a car that has had paintwork, features some road rash on the wheels, worn interior, a ding here and there, or questionable vehicle history, it will all affect your offer big time. You do sell your car fast because they take it there and then if you are ready. If you want to look around for more money on an instant cash offer, Carmax gives you 7 days. In general it's been reported that CarMax offers are usually lower than Carvana or Vroom because CarMax pays for physical locations and staff.

8. Hemmings

If this was a list focused on the best way sell a classic car, this would be number one on a much shorter list. However, since this encompasses all types of sellers and vehicles, it's on our number 8 spot as much fewer of the vehicles for sale are classic cars. Hemmings is geared towards high end classics and some modern muscle cars.

However, if what you have a sweet classic vehicle you need off your hands and get what the car is worth, then this is the place to be. Keep in mind, it's not cheap at $129. However, you do get a lot for the money. You take advantage of one magazine ad with one photo that can be seen by about 165,000 subscribers for the month. You also get an online listing, unlimited description length and 35 Photos. Potential buyers can see your vehicle from anywhere in the U.S. A buyer from afar can come to you or you can have it shipped.

Hemmings is synonymous with high end classic vehicles and collector cars. They know this well, boasting that they have been "The Bible" of collector car hobby since its inception. Hemmings Motor News was founded by Ernest Hemmings in Quincy, Illinois, in 1954. They have over 10,000 Car Club listings, an virtual car show made by site users in My Hemmings, a Dealer Showroom featuring collector-car inventories of more than 300 classic car dealers coast to coast, and even an online store.

9. Bring-A-Trailer

The guys at Bring-A-Trailer (also known as BAT) are just another example of a well marketed niche car selling site for classics and just the coolest rides around. If want to sell a car like a classic Buick Grand National, Saleen S351 Mustang, a tricked out Lotus Esprit, 1979 Black and Gold TransAm, or need a place where you can sell a mint 2000 Chevy Metro for $18,000 this is where you want to list it.

Just like Hemmings, it's the our pick for another best way sell your classic car, but definitely a top pick for anything that's rare and interesting. Therefore BAT over all makes number 9 on this guide. What makes BAT great is that they have excellent marketing and attract everything from the totally awkward to the amazingly rare. You can get an offer from those looking for your type of vehicle.

The New York Times said BAT is taking the classic car world by storm. They are the subject of a lot of car blogs like Barn Finds , AutoBlog, and others. So if you have something out of the ordinary, cool, or hard to find, this is the spot to sell your car. Check them out to sell privately, quickly, and get top dollar.

10. Cars & Bids

This site market themselves as the place to sell modern enthusiast vehicles. They state on their site, "Auction your modern enthusiast car — anything cool and exciting from the 1980s to the 2020s.". Cars & Bids delivers what they promise beautifully as their listings are just about every cool car anyone would love to have if they could have them all. Looking to sell your Paul Walker 10 second Supra Clone? How about a cool BMW 850i?

These guys may be taking our 10 spot but it's for no other reason than it's specific to the enthusiast niche. But if you want to find the coolest used cars with the most personality, look no further. They are a serious contender that absolutely gives BAT a run for their money. This little nirvana of automotive car selling bliss packs a punch for the car enthusiast. The site is easy to use and is very similar to BAT with vehicle comments but does pack the extra of "Doug's Take" on what he thinks of the vehicle. Sellers sell for free but buyers are hit with a 4.5% commission to the buyer for a max of $4500.00 The high cost may not sit all that great with buyers however unlike eBay that has lax rules about listing and verifies next to nothing Cars & Bids takes the process very seriously.

To sell your vehicle you need detailed photos, service and ownership history, and must not list or advertise the vehicle anywhere else. Cars & Bids might be a newer place to sell your car but they aren't standing still. Users love it because they can get a good sale price that is at market value. The site made headines right away in 2020 when one of the world’s most subscribed to car reviewers on YouTube set out to put a twist on But don't be thrown off by this. Buyers will take your listing much more seriously if they know they are not wasting their time.

11. Peddle

We wanted to add Peddle to this mega selling site list because they will buy almost anything. Have duct tape and trash bags for a windshield, they'll buy it. If you have a car selling with a New Kids on the Bock cassette jammed in the radio since it last ran, it's not a problem. No keys? No worries. This is the best place to sell a car that needs TLC (or the wrecker). Boasting an impressive 85,000 reviews they must be doing something right. Unlike their competition they are not doing both buying and selling. They are only looking to buy and wholesale out.

Formerly Junkmycar.com, Peddle provides you an instant offer to sell your car You describe your vehicle and go over all the detail. This includes damage, what doesn't work, what works, etc. They buy cars for resale and recycle vehicles. This is why it's wide open to what they will take.

Like any one else they will give you an instant offer. Your offer is good for seven days. But here's what's really cool about these guys. You can take their instant offer if you think old Betsy is worth more than they are giving, ask to "leave the offer on the table" and name a price. They will shop it out for you. No luck and ready to just say goodbye? Take their original offer.

12. Rad For Sale

The name alone might hint as to what this only online auction platform is about. Hyperfocused on the vehicle Gen X nostalgia cars, Rad for Sale is young but eager to get your listing. Forbes took notice as they have sold off about $19 million worth of vehicles in 2020 alone and have a rad 80,000 users.

Looking to sell a prestine E39 M5? Maybe 2JZ Supra? What about a 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Spyder? How about a 1985 Plymouth Colt TURBO? This is your spot. The site ranks number 12 and under Cars & Bids because it's looks like it's missing the polish and detail of the bigger places to sell niche cars like these.

Founded by the same folks that brought you the Driving While Awesome podcast, it proves to be a contender as we are deep in the in an 80's revival within in the 2020's. As you may well know, these vehicles are increasing in value. Expect that to continue. A "rad" car site to sell your car might just be what we need!

13. Craigslist

How can any list be complete without throwing in good old Craigslist when it's time to sell. You can enter a listing for for free and completely anonymously. Needless to say Craigslist is here and doesn't seem to plan to go anywhere. It's great to find local listings. But it doesn't mean it's not a good place where buyers try to find that diamond in the rough to make an offer on. If you take the time to know how to list your car and manuever the process, you shouldn't be worried about selling your car using Craigslist.

Craigslist was founded in 1995 and has been a world wide phenonmon. Just look at the best a of Craigslist. Although it has it's share of craziness. It's still around for a reason.

Craigslist does focus mostly on your city, town, or region. However buyers from afar can find your vehicle nationwide by using services like Autotempest.

14. Exotic Car Trader

Not everyone has an exotic car, so not everyone can use Exotic Car Trader. So that's why it's on on 14 spot for the best places to sell you vehicle. However, if it's an exotic car you have, then you have landed in the right spot. Exotic cars take longe to sell, as not everyone has money to lay down on your Lambo. However it is the best way and a great option for exotics.

Their site caters to high end, high value vehicles. You can create a listing in mere minutes. At that point a staffer wll contact you to iron out details, verify your vehicle's information, and then have a photographer professionally take high resolution photos designed to display your vehicle as it should be.

They do everything in-house for you so you don't have to. Escrow is built in. No need to outsource anyone. If you are buying from afar, they do have shipping however that is not their specialty. They have not made much media yet, but you can find more their founder on LinkedIn.Although some of their listings have show up in places like GM Authority.

Conclusion

It seems like everyone hashes out the same few contenders. Sure, there are no test drives when selling the car to someone sight-unseen. However, there are so many tools out there for potential buyers that researching vehicles. Such as a vehicle history report. The chances are better than ever to get an asking price that makes sense and matches the value of your car. Same goes if you want to buy a car. However, it's clear there are many sites to sell your car and get you the most money in your pocket. And even for those that need to sell a car that is considered a junk vehicle. Many vehicles these days are selling for over Kelly Blue Book value!

The question is how to make sure you get the most money selling your car? What's great about all the places on our list is really that unless you are picking an auction like BAT or Cars & Bids, you don't need to stick with just one. When selling a car, it's wise to get as much exposure as possible. Try to make sure you use multiple sites. Not just one. Especially if selling outside the lower 48, like Alaska or Hawaii.

If it's free, there's no reason to stop you from placing ads on all that cost you nothing. Like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are there to start you off selling your car online for free.

Think it may mean more than just a few listing fees? Use Car Gurus and Autotrader in tandem. If you are looking for an instant cash offer then try all of them. Because every penny counts! Make sure you take advantage of every option and take a look at a cash offer if it's available.

And finally, selling your car to those out of town or out of state is not out of reach. It's easier than ever to ship a vehicle. That's part of what is so great about online car selling. Once you receive your cashier's check or proof of escrow payment you can just remove your license plate, have it loaded up, and mail the title. You can get a quote to ship instantly. Each time you are considering to sell to an out of state buyer, you can already know what it will cost them. You can factor that into negotiations.