Carvana vs CarMax vs Peddle vs KBB: the best place to sell your car

There's no single best place to sell a car. There's the best place for your car, your timeline and how much effort you want to put in. A three-year-old SUV in great shape and a fifteen-year-old sedan that won't start belong in very different places.

This guide compares the options most people look at: Carvana, CarMax, Kelley Blue Book's Instant Cash Offer, Peddle, Bidbus, and Online Trade-Ins. It sticks to how each one works and what each one publishes about its process. We run one of these services, so we've kept to facts you can check on each company's own site, and we tell you when another option fits better.

The short version

The big split is between instant offers, where one company quotes a price, and auctions, where several dealers bid on the same car.

Carvana

Carvana buys cars online. You enter your VIN or plate and details, and Carvana gives you an offer that it says is valid for 7 days. Free pickup is available in most areas, or you can drop the car off. At handover Carvana checks the car against what you described; if something doesn't match, such as damage you didn't mention, warning lights or extra miles, the offer can change, and you can decline.

Good for: sellers who want a fast, no-visit sale and a firm number to compare against.

Watch for: the offer only holds if your description is accurate, so be precise about condition and mileage.

CarMax

CarMax makes instant offers online and in its stores, and says its offers are valid for 7 days. You can finish the sale at a store, where CarMax verifies the car and pays you on the spot, or use home pickup where it's available. CarMax says you don't need to buy a car from them to sell one, and the offer is the same either way. It adjusts offers when the car's condition, use or history differs from what you entered.

Good for: sellers near a CarMax store who like settling it in person in one visit.

Watch for: expired offers can be refreshed online, but the new number may be different.

Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer

Kelley Blue Book's Instant Cash Offer gives you a number online that you redeem at a participating local dealer. KBB says the offer is valid for 7 days and can be redeemed during business hours, pending the dealer's inspection. If the inspection finds the car differs from what you entered, the dealer can lower the offer. You can apply it to a trade or just sell the car.

Good for: sellers who want to deal with a local dealership but walk in with a number already in hand.

Watch for: the final number comes from the dealer's inspection, not from KBB, and KBB says it isn't responsible for adjustments.

Peddle

Peddle buys cars in almost any condition, including ones that don't run, and arranges free pickup or towing. You answer questions online, get an offer in minutes, and are paid when the car is picked up, provided it matches what you described.

Good for: older, high-mileage, damaged or non-running cars that other buyers won't take.

Watch for: for a car in good shape, an option built for every condition may not be the one that pays the most.

Bidbus

Bidbus runs online auctions where dealers bid on your car for two hours. It's based in Southern California, and press coverage describes it operating in California and Texas. Coverage of its funding reports a seller fee of 1% of the sale with a $300 minimum, charged when the car sells.

Good for: sellers in its markets who want dealers competing for their car.

Watch for: check current fees and terms on Bidbus's own site, since they can change.

Online Trade-Ins

Online Trade-Ins is a dealer auction too, built city by city, so the dealers bidding are within driving distance of you. You list your car once from your phone: VIN, mileage, a short condition questionnaire and guided photos. Licensed dealers within driving distance bid for two hours, and you watch every bid arrive live. A bid in the last minute adds time to the clock, so nobody wins by sniping, and dealers can set a maximum and let auto-bid raise for them one step at a time.

You set a reserve, the lowest price you'd take. If the top bid meets it, the car is sold. If it doesn't, or you didn't set one, you have 24 hours to accept the top bid or walk away. When you accept, you book a drop-off time from the winning dealer's calendar.

Listing is free. The seller fee is $250 or 1% of the winning bid, whichever is more, charged only when the dealer buys your car. If the dealer passes or doesn't show up, you pay nothing. We don't buy cars ourselves, so we have no reason to want a low price.

Good for: sellers in a city we serve with a car dealers want, who'd like to see what the market pays before committing.

Watch for: once your reserve is met, the sale is binding. Backing out after the deal is locked in costs $99.

Read how the auction works, step by step.

How to choose where to sell

• Your car is in good shape and you want the most for it: get dealers to compete. Run a dealer auction, and get an instant offer or two as a floor.
• You want it gone with the least effort possible: take the best of two or three instant offers.
• Your car doesn't run, or has serious problems: a service built to take any condition, like Peddle, is often the simplest path.
• You're buying your next car at a dealership: get an outside number first, then see if your dealer will match it as a trade-in. Our trade-in value guide explains why that matters, especially in California.
• You want the absolute top dollar and have weeks to spare: a private sale can beat everything, at the cost of time, strangers and paperwork. See how to sell your car online.

What every buyer checks at handover

Whoever buys your car, the final step looks similar. Knowing it in advance avoids surprises.

• Identity and ownership. Your driver's license and the title, or your lender's details if there's a loan.
• Mileage. The odometer is checked against what you entered.
• Condition. A walk-around and often a short drive. Warning lights, damage you didn't mention and missing keys are the usual reasons an offer changes.
• Payoff. If there's a loan, the buyer confirms the payoff amount with your lender before paying you the difference.

If your description was accurate, the number you agreed shouldn't move. On Online Trade-Ins, a dealer who wants to pay more than 10% below their bid needs your agreement. Say no and there's no sale and no charge to you.

Questions to ask before you accept any offer

1. Is this number guaranteed, and what could change it at inspection?
2. How long is the offer good for?
3. Are there any fees, and who pays them?
4. Who pays off my loan, and how quickly?
5. How and when do I get paid?
6. What happens if I change my mind, or the buyer does?
7. Who handles the title transfer and the DMV paperwork?

How to compare offers fairly

1. Use the same description everywhere. Same mileage, same condition grade, same disclosed damage. Otherwise you're comparing guesses.
2. Compare money in your pocket. Subtract fees, and note who pays off your loan and how fast.
3. Check how firm each number is. An instant offer is subject to inspection. A dealer auction's winning bid is subject to the car matching the listing too. Neither changes if you've described the car honestly.
4. Check the deadline. Most instant offers last 7 days. A dealer auction result needs your answer within 24 hours if the reserve wasn't met.
5. Ask what happens if the buyer backs out. On Online Trade-Ins, if the dealer passes, the hold on your card is released and you pay nothing.

Selling a car that needs work

Not every car is a clean, low-mileage example, and that's fine. Where you sell matters more when the car has problems.

• Cosmetic damage only: dents, scratches and worn interiors lower the price, but dealers and instant-offer companies handle them all the time. Disclose and photograph them.
• Mechanical issues or warning lights: describe them precisely. A dealer who knows exactly what's wrong can price the repair; a surprise at inspection usually costs you more.
• Not running, or major damage: services built to take any condition, with towing included, are often the simplest choice.
• Salvage or rebuilt title: many buyers won't take one. Say so up front so you only spend time with buyers who will.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best place to sell my car for the most money?

For a car in decent condition, the place where several buyers compete at once. A dealer auction does that in two hours. A private sale can too, but it takes much longer. Instant offers are fast but come from a single buyer.

Is it better to sell my car to Carvana or CarMax?

They work similarly: both make online offers valid for 7 days and check the car at handover. Carvana is built around pickup; CarMax lets you finish in a store or at home where pickup is offered. Get both offers with the same description and take the higher one, or use them as a floor for a dealer auction.

Is Peddle legit?

Peddle is an established service that buys cars in any condition and arranges free pickup. It's most useful for older or non-running cars. For a newer car in good shape, compare its offer with others.

How long is a KBB Instant Cash Offer good for?

Kelley Blue Book says an Instant Cash Offer is valid for 7 days, redeemable at a participating dealer pending inspection.

How is Online Trade-Ins different from Bidbus?

Both run two-hour dealer auctions. Online Trade-Ins opens city by city, with local dealers only. Its seller fee is $250 or 1% of the winning bid, whichever is more, charged only if the dealer buys your car; press coverage reports Bidbus's fee as 1% with a $300 minimum. Compare both sites' current terms before you list.