True. I live in a spacious midwestern city so that wasn’t a problem. Because the doors are longer they are a tad heavier-also not a problem but I had to adjust when I switched to sedans and remember to close the shorter, lighter door more gently. I hates it when my car door is slammed. I had a sweet Chevy Cavalier 2door too, powered sun and moon roof, ahh.
When I bought my most recent car, I used CarGurus.com. I found the car I wanted at a dealer in VA (I am in MI) and called them to arrange an inspection by a mechanic and then shipping to my home. There is no return policy on that, but it was several thousand cheaper than the ones you could find on Carvana, if you could find them at all (2014 Vovlo S60 T6 R-Design Platinum).
Carvana was founded by some pretty shady assholes, and they are not a profitable company, which means that unless the extended warranty they sell you is from an outside company (not affiliated with them) then you may wind up SOL if the company goes belly-up. And the financing issues mentioned upthread? That’s because Carvana uses the veneer of car sales to get people into subprime auto loans, so they really want the opportunity to sell you a loan.
I bought a 2015 Silverado from Carvana and had zero problems. The truck was delivered at the appointed time (no vending machine, alas) and the registration arrived a few weeks later. I took it to a local Chevy dealer during the return window for an inspection; no problem there except he recommended new tires, which I was gonna do anyway.
This got me kind of curious, so I looked at Jeeps similar to the one I purchased in January on CarGurus.
I couldn’t find the exact style and color. The pricing seemed about the same as Carvana - there are so many factors it’s not an exact science, but I didn’t come away with the impression that I could’ve saved money, if anything it seemed a tad more expensive. When I made that analysis I did allow for the fact a year had passed and I adjusted the model year I was comparing accordingly.
I totally get that Carvana is really in the financing business. I also understand that they are a start-up business that’s running off investor dollars, not profits - and that there is doubt over whether their model is profitable.
For me, both these things were features, not bugs. I had no intention of obtaining any financing, so if they are counting on making up for a lack of profit on financing, all the better for me. If they are actually running the business off investor money while hoping it will eventually become profitable…I’m absolutely fine with having some investor chip in towards my car.
Did you finance it through them?
Comparing the market today with the market in January isn’t really all that accurate, though. In January the prices reflected the season (winter), by late summer with used car inventory drying up fast, prices have risen and stayed firmer. People are selling 2 year old used cars now for almost the same price as new ones because of the shortage of new vehicle inventory.
In any case, I am glad you are happy with your purchase, but I would steer clear of Carvana.
Yes I did. Got a very reasonable rate (3.4% APR) for a three year loan. (I think. I paid it off a while ago.)
I bought a car in June 2019 and another in April 2020. No issues either time. The online “tours” were very thorough and accurate. On the first time I was overcharged slightly on the tax and they sent a refund check. I did have one issue with their in-house financing, which I used both times (and have gotten out of as of last month). The first car pay off was a little rocky but it turned out OK.
For someone like me, who hates unnecessary socializing and has been buying almost everything possible online since around the year 2000, it was almost an ideal experience. I found the cars I wanted, ordered them, and they were delivered to my curb.
(I tried to add this to my previous post but I guess since it took me 30 seconds to type I missed the edit window)
FWIW, I have a 25 year employment history and 23 year credit history, but the Carvana deal last year was the first time I have financed a vehicle. I’ve pretty much parlayed cash from my first summer job from 14-15 and my first vehicle at 16 into a series of cash trade-ins and upgrades for 25 years. I understand they use a subprime lender, but I got a low rate after being denied elsewhere and with only a Capital One pre-approval at 29%. So I may not have gotten the best deal but I got my deal and got it done without any extra BS. I am no longer dealing with their bank and don’t plan on it again but it was a big help at the time.
Hmmmm… I got a small check from Carvana a week or two ago, fifteen bucks and change. No letter or explanation. I figured that they overcharged me on tax or one of the fees they collect and pass through to the state - I didn’t think too much about it, I just cashed the check.