America not only offers numerous opportunities for business but also opens doors to enthusiasts of high-quality foreign cars. There are plenty of services operating on the western continent that sell vehicles to foreigners at advantageous prices. Their principle of operation is mainly based on auctions: contenders offer their bid, increasing it until only one candidate remains. Knowing the best site to buy used cars in USA, you can become the owner of an exclusive foreign car at a price lower than the market value.
Leading Сar Site in USA
To purchase vehicles in America, it is necessary to use trusted services. We offer a review of the top websites for buying cars in the USA. Their advantage is equal access to auctions for everyone, including visiting buyers from abroad - those who do not yet have a "green card", citizenship, and other privileges of full social adaptation on the American continent.
Copart.com
The website sells over 3 million cars in the USA annually. It offers 3 tariffs: a free one for beginners and those planning to buy only 1-2 cars over time; "Basic" for purchasing a small number of cars for $99, and "Premier" for $249, featuring cars from closed auctions.
Bidding for purchases is accepted on weekdays. The catalog includes over 359,000 cars from the USA in stock. The auction increment varies, as does the initial price. The catalog contains many vehicles with a starting price of zero at the initial bidding stage.
Manheim
The platform's advantage is selling only cars that are in working condition. The website does not sell cars requiring significant repairs, overtly old, or damaged vehicles. Considering this feature, the Manheim service is used over 100,000 times weekly - this is the average transaction volume in individual terms.
Platform Features:
- to participate, a special license is required, which is issued to registered users after their documents are verified;
- all cars are checked, "clean" in terms of documentation, in working condition, and without visual damage;
- there is a slight difference from the market - it is extremely difficult to get a discount of more than 20% as a result of the sale;
- there is a mobile application; the service operates throughout America - you can quickly import a car from any state.
It is also worth highlighting the detailed product catalog - from VIN to a complete photo report on the condition of the cars.
By the way, special services allow you to check the VIN, obtain a comprehensive report with necessary information about the car, or completely erase all data about a specific vehicle. Such a service is inexpensive, but it shouldn't be neglected, both when buying and selling a vehicle.
Adesa
The service offers several options for purchasing cars. Here, you can buy cars "blindly," placing bids without receiving data about the bids of other contenders. Additionally, some sellers list lots with a pre-fixed price, allowing instant purchase for those with the necessary funds.
The format of standard auctions is also present: in this case, the vehicle goes to the bidder who offers the highest amount last.
Platform Features:
- There are many cars available. There are cars practically without damage, priced at a minimum of -15% below market value. You can buy non-functional cars cheaply for parts resale - the service has over 1.2 million cars after flooding, fire, or severe accidents.
- Clear trading conditions. Dynamic or "blind" sales - the type determines the final price of the car and the number of contenders.
- Low fees. Here, you don't need to pay hundreds of dollars for access to exclusive sales, but there are many cars with significant damage.
- Document verification in some cases is not as strict as on competitor sites, including towards buyers. There is an option to extend the trading deadlines. This fact may not appeal to some users, but it allows for an extension of the application review time by a minimum of 5 minutes, expanding opportunities for those who want to buy a car three times cheaper than the market at the last moment of trading.
Sales can be conducted through the free Adesa mobile application, which operates throughout the United States.
Cars.com
All sales take place online. The website allows you to purchase a car that can be picked up in one of the US states immediately after payment confirmation.
Service benefits:
- Over 250,000 cars in stock.
- Strict document checks for each car before it is listed for sale.
- Quick purchase confirmation at the end of auctions.
- Over 26 years of experience in the American used car market.
To access the website, registration is required, providing document details. For payment, an international bank card must be attached - it will serve as proof of identity during the identification process on Cars.com. A list of other best site to buy used cars in USA is provided in the table.
Site |
Monthly traffic (for popularity assessment) |
Russian/Ukrainian interface and other features |
Cargurus.com |
48 million and above |
No. A popular platform for buying cheap cars in the USA. |
eBay Motors |
680 million and above |
Yes. Provides a seller rating system. |
IAAI (Иншуренс) |
7 million and above |
Yes. Specializes mainly in salvage/damaged vehicles. Purchases are made only through dealer companies. |
Auto Trader |
29 million and above |
No. Essentially serves as a platform for communication between buyers and private sellers as well as dealerships in the USA. |
Kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book) |
25 million and above |
No. The service helps assess the value of a used car depending on the method of disposal. |
Carmax.com |
23 million and above |
No. The website promptly provides up-to-date information on car prices, helping the consumer get the best deal. It is one of the first car sales websites in the USA. |
Features of Buying Used Cars in America
After choosing a site to buy used cars, it remains to familiarize oneself with the general conditions for acquiring vehicles in the USA. Car sales on the presented services in America are conducted on an auction basis. Applicants submit applications for the vehicles they like. Then, candidates are selected from those who offered the best price.
IMPORTANT! The final cost of a car when purchasing on specialized websites in the USA may be higher than initially presented. It should be noted that the price increase is influenced by the number of potential buyers and the amount that candidates can offer. The higher the solvency of the applicants, the more likely it is that you will have to overpay for the selected car.
To purchase cars on auction websites, minimal documentation is required. This attracts buyers from abroad who are not willing to spend time gathering paperwork to take out a car loan from an American dealership. The standard document package required by practically any website to buy used cars in USA includes:
- Driver's License: To use a car abroad, it's important for the owner with a foreign passport to have an international driver's license. For example, for citizens of Ukraine, it's the new model driver's license issued since March 1, 201
- National ID: For example, the passport of a Ukrainian citizen.
- Passport: It's the primary document identifying a foreign citizen abroad.
- Document confirming the right to stay in the USA: This could be a green card, a job or school invitation with a note on the place of residence. It's required to ensure that the buyer is legally present in the United States and has no reason to purchase a car for illegal purposes.
Typically, car websites in America offer a simplified buying process. Applicants bring their passport and driver's license, and also propose their price for the car. Then, through a tender process, the most suitable candidate is determined, who then takes possession of the car. The car is transferred on the basis of ownership rights. All documents are issued immediately after payment of the agreed amount.
TIP! For quick service payment, it's better to bring cash. Some services prefer to verify credit cards within 1-3 days, which can significantly extend the transaction period.