Heycar or Auto Trader?
Where’s the best place to buy your car online? Here, we look at online marketplaces Heycar and Auto Trader.
* All data below is accurate as of 28/09/21
What is Heycar?
Heycar is an online marketplace for used cars that was first established in Germany in 2017. Launched in the UK in August 2019, Heycar is owned by Mobility Trader Holding GmbH, whose shareholders are Volkswagen Financial Services (which also trades as Audi finance, SEAT Finance, Skoda Finance and more) and Daimler Mobility. Led by CEO Mat Moakes, Heycar launched in the UK with over 100,000 listed cars across 1,400 dealerships.
How is Heycar different to Auto Trader
Heycar currently offers vehicles from 53 brands including Audi, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.
Unlike Auto Trader and other automotive marketplaces, it only advertises cars from dealers, so you won’t find any cars advertised by a private seller.
Auto Trader
Auto Trader have over 120 car brands available with more than 415,000 new and used cars being advertised through our platform (as of 01/02/23). We also have 12,929 dealerships selling their vehicles on our site.
Heycar
Heycar stocks 53 car brands on its website, with around 78,000 new and used cars available (as of 01/02/23). There are around 190 dealerships registered and selling their cars with Heycar.
Finding the best deal
Heycar only offers warrantied used cars that are less than eight-years old and have less than 100,000 miles on the clock.
On Auto Trader, we don’t limit by age or mileage, which means you can search for a wider range of cars to suite any budget and needs.
Personalise your search results with filters
On Heycar, you can search and sort deals according to mileage, age, distance and price. They place emphasis on finance options, offering a finance quote on every used car. On Auto Trader, you can search by total price or monthly price, along with over a dozen further categories including gearbox, fuel type and car colour so you can find the perfect car for you.
Find the best priced deals
To help you find the right car at the right price, we also have price indicators that let you know how the asking price compares to similar cars for sale on Auto Trader. Always double-check the advert though, you may find a rare or unusual car up for grabs under a “higher price” flag. You can check the car description in the advert to know if the car has any special features.
Browse through a variety of options
You can find used, approved used and brand-new cars. If a car matching your specifications isn’t available, you can save your search and get a notification when a car is added that matches your search criteria. If you’re not in the market to buy, you can also look at car leasing, personal contract purchase (PCP) and hire purchase (HP) deals with Auto Trader.
Choice of stock
Heycar currently offers new and used car stock
In addition to used and brand-new cars, Auto Trader also stock bikes, motorhomes and caravans, trucks, and, for those in the market, plant and farm machinery.
Stock listed comes from both trade and private sellers for a greater choice.
Auto Trader
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Heycar
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Valuing your car
Heycar and Auto Trader both offer a free online car valuation to help buyers understand how much their car is worth
While Heycar estimate a range for ideal pricing for your car, Auto Trader provides an exact figure that reflects that car’s market value.
Checking vehicle history
Heycar pre-screens cars from their selected dealerships before they are listed on-site to ensure they meet their criteria.
On Auto Trader, every car undertakes a basic vehicle history check – so you can be sure it hasn’t been recorded as stolen, scrapped, imported, exported, or written off
Saving and comparing adverts
Both sites allow you to easily compare cars. On Heycar, you can shortlist three cars at a time.
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
Both sites allow you to compare key features, like the gearbox and fuel type, at a glance for an informed decision on your shortlist. On Auto Trader, we include additional information such as the dealer’s rating and distance from your location so you can make a more informed decision on where the best place to buy a car from.
Get notified when a specific car’s listed
In two simple steps you can save your search – just choose the make and model you’re after and select ‘save search’. We’ll let you know each time 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.
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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.
About Auto Trader
We're experts on cars, with over 40 years experience in the automotive industry, so you can count on us to bring you the best deals.
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