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TrueCar Review 2024: Find a Car and Sell a Car
Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
Karen Aho is a freelance writer and editor who covers a wide variety of subjects, including autos. She has more than 25 years of experience as a professional journalist.
Julie Myhre-Nunes Assigning Editor | Auto loans, consumer credit
Julie Myhre-Nunes helps lead auto loans and cars coverage at NerdWallet. She has been in the personal finance space for more than 10 years. Before joining NerdWallet, Julie oversaw editorial teams at NextAdvisor and Red Ventures. Her personal finance insight has been featured on Forbes, The Boston Globe and CNBC. Julie’s writing has been published by USA Today, Business Insider and Wired Insights, among others. Email: [email protected].
Benjamin Din is a lead writer at NerdWallet. He previously was a technology reporter at Politico, where he authored a daily newsletter covering tech and telecom policy.
Benjamin loves to travel — both for work and for fun. He’s reported from three continents and visited nearly two dozen countries. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle and The (Johannesburg) Star, as well as covered two Olympics with NBC Sports.
His goal is to visit a new country and a new state each year.
TrueCar is a digital car marketplace that offers used- and new-car listings from licensed dealers. It also allows consumers to sell or trade-in their car through True Cash Offer. TrueCar was founded in 2005 and works with a network of more than 13,000 TrueCar-certified dealers that are required to meet specific customer service standards. It also powers auto-buying programs for over 250 brands, including AARP, Sam’s Club, Navy Federal Credit Union and American Express.
TrueCar offers a treasure trove of information for car shoppers, from extensive rankings and detailed vehicle reviews to helpful pricing analyses.
The app stands out with its “best of” lists that allow buyers to look for everything from the roomiest cars for tall people to the best supercharged and turbocharged cars. TrueCar also tells you whether a listing price is excellent, great, fair or high, and how much people pay on average for specific trims.
With this much information, users looking to take advantage of all of TrueCar’s offerings may find it easier to use the desktop website than the mobile app.
This app is best for: individuals looking for hyper-detailed information on different types of cars, as well as how they compare with one another.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
TrueCar+ recently launched, which allows shoppers to make their car purchases from home. TrueCar+ autos are available from supporting dealers, currently located in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
TrueCar and other car-buying apps offer users an easy way to browse through thousands of new- and used-car listings from big online retailers like CarMax and Carvana, as well as from local dealers. Many of the top car-buying apps feature robust inventory, access to vehicle history information, and competitive pricing tools.
App features
Loan calculator
Yes, you can estimate your monthly payment for either a loan or a lease.
Vehicle reviews
Yes, TrueCar offers both expert and owner reviews.
Vehicle history reports
Yes, listings include a synopsis of vehicle history information; however, users need to pay for the full report.
Price alerts
Yes, you can receive alerts for price drops.
Cash offers available?
Yes, you can get a same-day offer from a local dealer, valid for three days.
Pros:
Extensive “best-of” lists to help users explore different vehicles.
Includes price ratings for listings.
Offers ratings and reviews from verified owners and experts.
Cons:
You must submit contact information to get dealer name and detailed pricing (you’ll see an estimated price before giving this information).
Depth of data makes navigation difficult.
No noticeable difference between using the app and the mobile browser.
Listing a car on TrueCar:
TrueCar doesn’t allow you to list your own car on the app. Instead, TrueCar will connect you with a local dealership.
Buying a car on TrueCar:
TrueCar does not charge any fees when you buy a car listed on its platform. Once you find a listing you’re interested in, you’ll need to submit contact information to the dealer to find out if the car is still available, to get detailed pricing, or to begin the purchase process online by prequalifying for financing.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula incorporates coverage options, customer experience, customizability, cost and more.
