Ten great apps for buying a car
There鈥檚 an app for everything today, so why not use one聽for car shopping?
聽requires diligent research and repeated checking of listings 鈥斅爑sually on multiple websites.
Smartphone apps cut out some of that work. They can send mobile alerts when prices drop or new cars surface, and have abilities their company websites don鈥檛, like scanning a window sticker or vehicle identification number for price estimates. Plus, you鈥檒l have bargaining power聽in the palm of your hand when you talk with a dealership or private seller.
We checked out many of the most聽downloaded and聽top-rated car-buying apps. Here are our favorites:
1. Used Car Search Pro
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Used Car Search Pro is the dark horse of car apps. It searches 40,000 dealerships and private sellers for cars, and its 59 search filters include every conceivable parameter to find your dream car 鈥� even obscure ones like driver height, so you find a car with enough headroom. The app also judges the market value of cars to make sure you鈥檙e getting a fair price and even sorts your selected cars by 鈥渂est deal.鈥�
2. CarMax
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This app accesses CarMax鈥檚 nationwide inventory of 35,000 vehicles. You can get alerted when prices drop, compare up to 10 cars at once, and calculate payments on your phone. You also get free vehicle history reports, and CarMax鈥檚 expert and customer reviews. Plus, you can scan window stickers or bar codes to access a vehicle鈥檚 information at any CarMax dealership.
Remember, the app exclusively searches CarMax dealerships 鈥� which have聽nonnegotiable prices. If you appreciate upfront pricing, that鈥檚 great news. If you don鈥檛 mind haggling for the best deal, maybe CarMax isn鈥檛 for you. If there鈥檚 a CarMax聽, the app provides a no-hassle car-buying experience.
3. Autotrader
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Autotrader searches for new, used and certified pre-owned cars near you, and saves your selected cars into your 鈥淢y Autotrader鈥� profile. Car shoppers get a free vehicle history report on each car, plus pricing information and road-related car reviews. The app connects you with dealerships or sellers by phone or email, and lets you share cars you love with friends and family by text.
4. Edmunds
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Edmunds is an expert-auto-advice website with an arsenal of car pricing tools and calculators. The shopping feature lists vehicles near you that match your specifications, but the research section is where Edmunds pulls ahead. Its top-tier car reviews have everything buyers need, and the helpful 鈥渃osts of ownership鈥� section breaks down average costs for聽fuel and聽repairs.
Edmunds鈥� app also informs you of any incentives and rebates, plus provides Lot Buddy 鈥� a tool that switches on when you enter a dealership lot. Lot Buddy alerts users of all nearby聽deals, which are special offers through Edmunds鈥� network of dealers that can save you thousands on the manufacturer鈥檚 suggested retail price.
5. Car Buying by Kelley Blue Book
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Kelley Blue Book is a renowned resource in the auto world. The website provides a broad spectrum of car tools, but its Car Buying app focuses on reviewing and pricing specific models, and finding dealerships near you. You鈥檒l also have access to Kelley Blue Book鈥檚 car pictures and in-depth videos.
It鈥檚 important to note the app is simple to use and has trusted brand power, but it doesn鈥檛 have nearly聽all the information its聽offers and can鈥檛 show you local listings of cars you鈥檙e searching for.
6. TrueCar
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TrueCar users search their desired car and receive a price breakdown based on what others paid for the same vehicle. The app accesses dealer, factory and partner incentives, including ones only TrueCar users get. And their mobile聽鈥減rice check鈥澛爁eature reveals TrueCar price estimates simply by scanning the window sticker at any participating dealership. The cherry on top? TrueCar鈥檚 app has the best cosmetic design of the bunch.
The app sends your contact information and price quote to their network of over 11,000 TrueCar Certified Dealers, which means plenty of sales calls but also plenty of offers.
聽7. Instamotor
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Instamotor is a safer, easier version of Craigslist. It鈥檚 a private-party market where users can buy or sell used vehicles directly, but the app helps buyers avoid getting scammed. Every listed car gets a free fraud check, recall check and vehicle history report.
Sellers set their own prices, so prepare for haggling. Once you鈥檝e decided the price, Instamotor provides calculators to explore auto loan rates, and you can even apply for financing through the app. Inventory is still limited as the app is just a year old and currently only available in certain.
8. Cars.com
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This app compares new and used cars side-by-side, and gives you brief bulleted lists of what experts like and dislike about the vehicle. Use the search filter to get dealership information and find cars listed for sale near you. You鈥檒l also have access to owners鈥� reviews for particular car聽models. Additionally, the app provides auto loan and trade-in calculators that show how your payments will be affected by factors such as your down payment and interest rate.
9. Vinny
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As its聽catchy name suggests, this app calculates the wholesale price of any used car by scanning its VIN. The best part? It doesn鈥檛 have to be part of any particular network 鈥� like TrueCar or CarMax鈥檚 scanners. The prices are calculated using聽national car auction data and can be adjusted for miles and condition. All scans are 鈥減arked鈥� in your Garage for later viewing.
10. Wyper
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Wyper is the Tinder of car apps. You 鈥渨ype鈥� 鈥� meaning swipe 鈥� through results of local listings of cars that fit your search parameters. The app uses an 鈥渋nterest algorithm鈥� to provide聽a more personalized sequence of choices over time. Having only launched six months ago, Wyper is arguably too new to judge. But its fun, dating-app-like concept makes it one to watch.
Nicole Arata is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email:聽narata@nerdwallet.com.
This article first appeared in .听
