Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Can anybody please share their experience on buying vehicles from Carmax? It seems like a good concept with no haggle and extended warranty options. For casual buyer this is probably a safer online option than going through ebay motors. I guess Autotrader is another option. Any suggestion is appreciated.
Can anybody please share their experience on buying vehicles from Carmax? It seems like a good concept with no haggle and extended warranty options. For casual buyer this is probably a safer online option than going through ebay motors. I guess Autotrader is another option. Any suggestion is appreciated.
I have heard both good and bad about buying from Carmax. I have never had a bad experience with them personally. From what I see, their prices can be higher than those prices at other sources, but I don't see their prices as outrageous. What I do love is Carmax's buying process. It's hassle-free. Also, they gave me a remarkable trade value on my vehicle. It was a couple thousand more than Kelly Blue Book (KBB) value. I had the same vehicle appraised at a few dealers and they offered a thousand or so less than KBB. I think it really depends on who you talk to though.
We bought our last car through them. For the most part, I found their prices higher than private sellers, But we got a really good deal on what we got because it was a low-mileage SUV that had been sitting on the lot during last year’s gas crisis. I think they needed to move it, so it was considerably less than what the dealer was asking for the same year and model. The experience was good. But they won’t be the first place I look next time, because as I said, in general their prices are somewhat higher than average unless you happen to stumble on an unusual situation like we did.
Things must be different in TN. I've tried 2 times to buy a car from them. Both times there was a problem with my trade. They seem to think that Kelly Blue Book is important when you are buying. It's a different story on your trade in. One of my trips there they actually had my trade a year older than it was. When I pointed it out they changed the year on paperwork but would not adjust trade-in allowance even after showing them the difference in Kelly. I walked out, have bought 5 or 6 cars since then elsewhere and will never go there again.
Things must be different in TN. I've tried 2 times to buy a car from them. Both times there was a problem with my trade. They seem to think that Kelly Blue Book is important when you are buying. It's a different story on your trade in. One of my trips there they actually had my trade a year older than it was. When I pointed it out they changed the year on paperwork but would not adjust trade-in allowance even after showing them the difference in Kelly. I walked out, have bought 5 or 6 cars since then elsewhere and will never go there again.
I think it all depends on the actual store you go to. Some people swear by Carmax and other's just want to swear AT Carmax.
We purchased a car there, we liked it, because we were looking for a specific model with specific options, and they mostly don't offer it here where we live. So we had one shipped from TX to us in IL. That is real nice to be able to ship a vehicle from another state to here at minimum cost. You know the vehicle never saw winter. IL winters eat the cars up here.
We looked at Carmax and found that EVERY car we were interested in had a price EXACTLY $200 higher than KBB had listed for our town and mileage. We did take a couple on test drives (since I almost always buy from private parties test drives are what dealers are for) and the salesrep always touted the "100% inspection" on every car on their lot. I pointed out to him that there was a huge tear in the back of the passenger seat leather on one and a huge stain on the carpet on another.
Buy private party and have the vehicle checked out.
I've bought and sold cars from/to Carmax over quite a few years. Their sell price will be a bit higher than a regular dealer and their buy price is usually at the lower end of reasonable, that said, I've had no problems with them. Their buy prices are heavily influenced by what is in stock (e.g., if you are trading in a vert Mustang and they already have 5 in stock, you get less, just normal market factors). I read on the web that some folks have had bad dealings with them, but the Carmax outlets I've dealt with here in the Baltimore Maryland area have been fine to deal with.
My (now) ex g/f bought a 1998 F-150 there, this was in 2002. The next year at 61,000 miles the engine went south. Carmax refused to replace the engine, saying it was due to neglect. Mind you my ex didn't drive the truck hard and oil changes were on time, because I did them. To me this means steer clear of Carmax.
My (now) ex g/f bought a 1998 F-150 there, this was in 2002. The next year at 61,000 miles the engine went south. Carmax refused to replace the engine, saying it was due to neglect. Mind you my ex didn't drive the truck hard and oil changes were on time, because I did them. To me this means steer clear of Carmax.
So wait, a YEAR later a car died, and the selling dealership (which bears no responsibility whatsoever for that) refused to spend several thousand dollars to fix it? If it had been a month after purchase maybe...
Your issue with that one ought to be with Ford.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
