CarGurus or Auto Trader?

Where’s the best place to sell your car online? Here, we compare online marketplaces CarGurus and Auto Trader.

* All data below is accurate as of 01/02/23

Who is CarGurus?

CarGurus is a US-based business that was founded in 2006 by Langley Steinert, co-founder of TripAdvisor, as an automotive blog for consumers to review cars or ask questions. It now runs as an advertising platform for used and approved used cars. CarGurus started expanding internationally in 2014 and launched in the UK in December 2016.

How is CarGurus different to Auto Trader?

CarGurus offers more than 90 car brands including Audi, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Vauxhall and Volkswagen. Auto Trader have over 100 car brands for you to choose from.

Auto Trader

Auto Trader lets you buy or sell used, approved-used and brand-new cars, along with bikes, motorhomes, caravans, trucks, plant and farm machinery. There are various ways to sell your car to suit your best needs – you can advertise your car on Auto Trader or sell your car instantly through an instant offer if you’re looking sell your car straight-away.

CarGurus

CarGurus provides a variety of used and approved-used to choose from. With CarGurus, you can only sell your car to them for the price they send you through their partner company The Car Buying Group.

Finding the best deal

CarGurus ranks their search results by “best deal” sorted by an algorithm, which is based on CarGurus’ own instant market value alongside dealership ratings submitted by site users.

On Auto Trader, you can choose which criteria matter to you most by selecting from a range of filters available.

Filter your search according to your needs

You can filter and refine your search on Auto Trader by choosing the criteria that best suit your needs. Search by total price or monthly price or over a dozen further categories available, including gearbox, fuel type and car colour. You can also filter the distance of the dealerships or the method of car deliveries.

Find the best priced deals

Auto Trader ads also feature a price indicator, so you can still see when you’re getting a good deal. Our price indicator uses several data points to show you how the asking price compares to similar cars for sale on Auto Trader, and help you find the right car at the right price. We keep dealer profile reviews separate (you can see those on the dealer’s profile page) so you’re getting an accurate view of the car’s value, not tempered by who’s selling it.

Choice of stock

CarGurus UK lists used and approved used cars, vans and trucks on their site.

In addition to used and approved used cars, Auto Trader also stock new cars, bikes, motorhomes and caravans, trucks, and plant and farm machinery. We also offer car leasing, PCP and HP deals.

Auto Trader

Vehicles type
Finance available
Trade sellers
Private sellers

CarGurus

Vehicles type
Finance available
Trade sellers
Private sellers

Valuing your car

CarGurus offers a car valuation tool that is based on their instant market value, which compares data points including make, model, trim and year to estimate a fair retail price.

Auto Trader offer a free online car valuation to help buyers understand how much their car is worth.

Checking vehicle history

Both Auto Trader and CarGurus offer a five-point check on all used cars advertised online.

On Auto Trader, you can also buy a comprehensive 26-point independent report on the vehicle for complete peace of mind.

Saving and comparing adverts

You can save searches on both CarGurus and Auto Trader.

On Auto Trader, you can save and compare up to four cars without an account. If you have an Auto Trader account, you can save and compare as many as you like!

Compare key features

Once you’ve saved the vehicles you like on Auto Trader, you can revisit your saved preferences and easily compare their key features, including gearbox, fuel type, mileage and engine size. It also shows how different vehicles are priced. We also include additional information on the dealer’s rating and distance from your location so you can make a more informed decision on where you buy from.

Get notified when a specific car is listed

If you’re after something specific and it isn’t listed on Auto Trader, you can save your search and we’ll send you a notification when a car that matches your search criteria is added. In two simple steps you can save your search – just choose the make and model you’re after and select ‘save search’. We’ll notify you as soon as a car of your liking is listed so that you never miss a good deal.

How do we compare?

How do we stack up against other automotive websites?

* Please note this is a non-exhaustive list.

Who are Auto Trader?

Offering used cars from private sellers and trusted UK dealerships, brand new cars and more, Auto Trader have over 40 years of experience as the UK’s largest automotive marketplace.

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