Would you buy a car online?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So, I’ve been looking at cars and have almost certainly decided on a Kia Soul.

I’ve test driven a new one, and been searching and found this one through Carvana. The prices is good, the mileage is good/low, and it’s a manual transmission, which tends to be my preference. I paid for a vehicle history report from AutoCheck and all there looks fine.

But I’m struggling with the idea of buying a used car without driving it first. When I read reviews about Carvana they’re either “everything is awesome! best car buying experience ever!” or “it was terrible! The undercarriage was rusty and they gave me trouble with the return even though it was within the 7 day no-questions-asked time period.”

Would you buy a car this way?

2

Carvana sounds like an interesting idea but I would want to see a vehicle in person and drive it before purchasing. I would look around locally to see what you can find. If you have a Carmax check there.

3

I agree. I shopped for and picked out my car online (the exact individual car, not not just a make and model to shop for), but I shopped on dealer websites and went in and looked at it and test drove it before buying it.

4

Way before “on-line” back in 1992, I ordered a Plymouth Voyager minivan while I was stationed in England. I’d never even driven one. I picked it up at a dealership in Cincinnati.

However that was a new car with a factory warranty. I’d want to test drive a used car.

5

The only way I might buy a used car online is something like eBay and it would need to be a rare car I couldn’t find nearby, the seller would have to have terrific feedback, and the listing should have lots of photos and defect descriptions.

6

I’ve bought cars online twice, one on eBay and my current one off Craigslist. But in both cases they were within an hour of my location, both were from registered used car dealers, and most importantly I went and drove both before actually buying. A car is not only a big purchase but it is also a personal one. I therefore wouldn’t buy even a new car without driving it first*!*

7

I’ve purchased 4 vehicles on eBay without driving them first. I haven’t regretted any of them. It’s entirely possible that I’ve just gotten lucky but I wouldn’t hesitate doing it again.

8

Perhaps you could hire a mechanic to check it out.

9

My brother has purchased vehicles online. He has always told the people that he is thinking about it, and wants to drive it first. If they won’t go for that, he figures there is a problem.

He’s driven cross-country to get what he wants, and he has also flown out and driven back.

10

Is there something special about that one? You should be able to get a new 2015 for close to that price.

11

If they stood by their return policy (and from the OP, it looks like that’s in question), I’d do it. You do need to drive it and you absolutely should get an independent pre-purchase inspection, but if the return period gives you a reasonable window to do those things, you don’t have much to lose. Unless, again, they give you shit about returning it.

12

Nope, and new is on my list of possibilities - it depends on what kind of price I’m able to get at the dealer.

Thanks all. You hit on a lot of my hesitations about buying this car through this service. I’m just too uncomfortable with not being able to drive it and really look under the hood before agreeing to buy it. This way of buying a used car, at this point in time, is not for me.

13

I bought my current car on Ebay.
I found the ad, examined the photos, messaged the seller, spoke on the phone, paid a deposit (about 15% of the purchase price), bought a one-way ticket (Florida), gave it a test drive, handed over the certified funds and drove it home.
It all went smooth as can be.