Autotrader Review: Is It Worth It? (2024 Guide) (2024)

Over more than two decades, Autotrader has evolved to become a well-rounded online marketplace. Through its website and app, the company expands access to dealerships and private sellers, allowing buyers to choose from a wide range of used and new vehicles.

In this review, we at the MarketWatch Guides team look at Autotrader’s services, including the company’s Private Seller Exchange, mobile app and financing partnerships. You’ll also find reviews, process overviews and other information you’ll need on your hunt for the best place to sell your car online.

Autotrader Car Selling

Sellers can opt for an offer from one of Autotrader’s partner dealerships or choose to sell their vehicles on Autotrader’s Private Seller Exchange. While dealerships may provide fast, guaranteed offers, the private seller market may result in a higher selling price.

Our Autotrader Car Selling Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Our research into Autotrader earned the company an overall rating of 7.7 from our team, with high scores for industry standing and costs. However, the provider earned lower scores for customer support due to a lack of services and benefits compared to its competitors. Some Autotrader customers also report poor experiences with paperwork and the company’s Private Seller Exchange.

Our team reached out to Autotrader for a comment on its low support and customer experience scores but did not receive a response.

Below, you can see how Autotrader stacked up in each of our team’s ranking categories:

Autotrader Car Buying

Customers can purchase new and used cars through Autotrader’s partner dealerships or buy used from the company’s Private Seller Exchange. Autotrader earned our award for Widest Vehicle Selection.

Our Autotrader Car Buying Rating: 8.7 out of 10

Autotrader’s private seller market and dealer partnerships make it a great choice for those seeking to buy new or used vehicles. However, the company received low ratings for customer experience due to poor reviews online.

See how Autotrader fared in all of our rating categories below:

About Autotrader

Founded: 1997
Services: Vehicle buying, selling, trading in, financing
Vehicles Purchased: Fair to excellent condition
Vehicles Sold: New and used

Autotrader boasts over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. Through its marketplace model, the company makes itself more accessible to car buyers and sellers. In addition to its services through car dealer partnerships and private sellers, Autotrader provides visitors with informational articles, vehicle reviews, financing options and market comparison tools to help during the buying or selling process.

Autotrader Pros and Cons

Is Autotrader Legit?

Autotrader is a well-established online auto marketplace with a direct partnership with KBB. The company does not buy or sell directly and instead partners with dealerships and uses a Private Seller Exchange to help users facilitate auto sales and purchases.

Autotrader Reviews

Autotrader’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) page is currently under review, so the company doesn’t have a rating at the time of publication or any customer reviews available on the site. However, customers on Trustpilot give Autotrader an average rating of 1.6 out of 5 stars.

Positive customer feedback highlights straightforward buying through the Private Seller Exchange and the ease of the selling process overall. Negative feedback focuses on difficulties establishing a car ad on the Private Seller Exchange and the risk of scam offers on the exchange platform.

Our team reached out to Autotrader for a comment on its negative reviews but did not receive a response.

Autotrader App Reviews

Autotrader users can browse cars to buy on the Autotrader app. Available for Android and Apple devices, the Autotrader app allows buyers to customize their budget profile and streamline the search for new and used vehicles.

While the Autotrader app holds a positive 4.7 out of 5-star rating on the App Store, users on Google Play give the app 2.7 out of 5 stars, with negative reviews focusing on issues with the user interface, including search functions, menus and slow loading times.

Our team reached out to Autotrader for a comment on its negative app reviews but did not receive a response.

Autotrader’s online Private Seller Exchange and dealer partnerships expand access to the automotive marketplace for buyers and sellers.
Photo: monticello – stock.adobe.com

How Autotrader Works

Autotrader is an online auto marketplace that helps connect dealerships, buyers and sellers. Autotrader’s website and apps allow users to browse new and used cars for sale from both dealerships and private sellers.

Drivers interested in selling their car through Autotrader can either trade it in as part of a new purchase or list the vehicle for sale on the marketplace’s Private Seller Exchange. Some partner dealerships may extend cash offers for select vehicles.

Sell a Car With Autotrader

Autotrader offers its customers a few options when exploring ways to sell their vehicles. The Autotrader private sale platform functions similarly to Craigslist, eBay Motors and other online private-party markets. Alternatively, you can choose to have a car dealership make you an offer.

Instant Offer From Autotrader Partner Dealerships

Autotrader’s partner dealerships may offer cash or trade-in value for select vehicles. To start the process, visit the company’s Instant Cash Offer page and enter your vehicle’s license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN).

You’ll be asked about your vehicle’s condition, mileage and other details. If your vehicle qualifies, a participating dealership will extend an instant cash or trade-in offer that’s good for seven days.

Instant cash or trade-in offers from dealerships carry no obligation to purchase. Dealership location and drop-off procedures may vary. When dropping off your vehicle at a dealership, be sure to bring:

• Your Instant Cash Offer certificate
• The car title
• A valid photo ID or driver’s license
• Current vehicle registration
• All keys, key fobs and manuals
• A vehicle history report
• Any lease information, if applicable

Autotrader Private Seller Exchange

Vehicles sold through Autotrader’s Private Seller Exchange must be in safe working condition. The company says listings go live on the website immediately.

Selling your car on Autotrader’s Private Seller Exchange follows these steps:

1. Prepare required documents such as the title and registration.
2. Fill out information about your car on Autotrader’s website.
3. Upload quality photos of your vehicle, including of the odometer.
4. Pay Autotrader’s listing fee of $49.
5. Interested buyers reach out with questions and schedule test drives directly with you.
6. The buyer pays, and Autotrader keeps $99 or .99% of the approved selling price before paying you.
7. Hand over the keys and transfer your vehicle title.

Autotrader ads stay active for 30 days. Sellers can extend their ad for free for up to a year if their vehicle doesn’t sell within 30 days.

Buyer and seller privacy is protected in the exchange, and no personal information is shared when you list your vehicle. Autotrader verifies the identity of sellers and buyers through IP addresses, contact information and photo ID scans. Payments are collected electronically by Autotrader and are guaranteed to be secure.

Buy a Car Through Autotrader

While you can purchase used cars through the company’s private market, you’ll be working with Autotrader’s dealer network if you want to buy a brand-new car.

Whether buying on the exchange or from a dealership, Autotrader offers prequalification for financing from Capital One. Prequalification uses a soft credit check, won’t impact credit scores and gives a buyer an idea of how much car they can afford. As always, compare financing offers from Autotrader’s partners with those from other lenders before making a decision.

Autotrader Partner Dealerships

Autotrader’s online marketplace allows users to search for vehicles available at dealerships nationwide. Users can search for dealership cars by zip code, make, model, year and other features.

Buyers can find in-depth information about each available vehicle in its listing, on top of essential seller details, car loan and payment calculators and ways to request more information.

Autotrader Private Seller Exchange

Autotrader’s Private Seller Exchange expands access to used vehicles available near a buyer. Buyers can contact sellers with questions, request test drives and discuss pricing directly from the listing or the Autotrader app.

Autotrader verifies the car’s ownership and history as part of the listing process, so cars listed on the exchange are safe and legal. When applicable, Autotrader satisfies the seller’s loan to guarantee a title exchange.

Autotrader’s Private Seller Exchange gives sellers more control over the price they get for a vehicle.
Image: Feodora – stock.adobe.com

Does Autotrader Provide Good Value for Vehicles?

Autotrader used car prices are often well above KBB fair market value for similar vehicles. However, the company also offers well above KBB value when buying cars from customers. We recommend checking Autotrader prices for both buying and selling against reports from kbb.com.

Autotrader Car Buying Prices vs. Market Value

We found that Autotrader’s asking prices for newer vehicles tended to be a good bit higher than the car’s value. See how the company’s used car listings compared to the KBB fair market value below:

Autotrader Car Selling Prices vs. Market Value

While Autotrader charges higher prices for used cars for sale, its tendency toward exceeding KBB values pays off when selling a car to the company. Most instant cash offers Autotrader gave us for used vehicles in fair condition with 60,000 to 70,000 miles came in well above KBB value. However, it tended to make lower offers for older vehicles.

Remember, how much any company will offer for your used car depends on the car’s condition, age and other factors. In some cases, you may need to consider selling your car for junk or parts to get the most money.

Autotrader Review: The Bottom Line

Autotrader is a well-established online auto marketplace that offers used cars for sale through its Private Seller Exchange. Buyers can also browse new and used cars available through nearby dealerships, explore financing options through Autotrader’s lending partners and take advantage of payment calculators and other tools.

While Autotrader has well-rounded services and expands marketplace access for both buyers and sellers, the company has many poor reviews that reflect negative customer experiences. When considering buying or selling a car online, compare deals available through Autotrader with those from other providers.

Best Places To Buy or Sell a Car Online

When comparing Autotrader prices and quotes, we recommend seeing how the company compares to Cars.com or Edmunds. These two companies offer some of the best ways to sell and buy cars.

Cars.com: Editor’s Choice for Online Car Selling

After extensive research, our team’s top choice for selling a car online is Cars.com. Customers can get instant offers for used cars and trade or sell directly with the company, meaning there are no extra fees or dealerships to contact. The company also offers in-house research and other tools to help customers make informed decisions when buying or selling a car.

Keep reading: Cars.com review

Edmunds: Editor’s Choice for Online Car Buying

While Edmunds offers both car buying and selling services online, the company earned our Editor’s Choice award specifically for its car buying opportunities. Edmunds partners with dealerships to provide a wide range of available vehicles in new and used condition. Through the company’s app, buyers can research and compare vehicles, schedule test drives and more.

Keep reading: Edmunds review

Buy and Sell Cars Online With Autotrader: FAQ

Below are frequently asked questions about buying and selling cars online with Autotrader:

Our Methodology

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best platforms to sell your car. We collected data on several providers to grade each company in five key areas. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the car selling platforms that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Industry Standing: Our research team considers ratings from industry experts and years in business when determining this score.
• Platform: Platforms that offer a variety of features, including instant offers and multiple sales options, are more likely to meet consumers’ needs.
• Cost: To compare providers’ average offer prices, our team conducted a secret shopper analysis for a variety of vehicle types. We also considered the fees companies charge to use their platforms.
• Support: Car selling companies that offer strong transaction support received the highest scores in this category. This includes offerings like free pickup service as well as how quickly you receive your payment.
• Customer Experience: This score is based on customer satisfaction ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot as well as our team’s experience reaching out to each platform.

*Data accurate at time of publication.