CARMAX or dealership

daktula1

Hi folks:

Is it better to buy a used car from CARMAX or a dealership - from all standpoints - price, quality, reliability etc.
What I have found from the CARMAX website is most used vehicles have a rental history. Please let me know as I am in the market for a used car and want to avail of the opportunity to get some good year end pricing.

Mr_Shiftright

That's a good question and I'm sure you'll get a variety of answers based on individual experiences. I think if you want the easiest way out, then CARMAX is not a bad solution, but if you're the type that likes to haggle, you'll probably....probably...get a better deal at the dealer, even if it takes a few weeks off your lifespan.

Aside from no-haggle being attractive to some people, they also offer a 5-day return policy for a full return. Try THAT at a dealer!

On the dealer's side, they offer CPO cars as part of the deal, while with CARMAX if you want any kind of extended warranty, you'll have to pay extra.

I think choosing between dealer and CARMAX also depends on the type of car you want. The new car dealer is likely to have a much deeper inventory of the brand of car you're looking for. CARMAX can locate a car for you and have it shipped to your branch, however, and if you don't like it, you can walk away from the deal.

So, to summarize, CARMAX for ease of purchase and refund policy and probably better "disclosure" of the car's history. DEALER for possibly better price, better selection and better warranty options.

As for trade-ins, that seems to be a jump ball, and you should get quotes for your trade from both parties.