6 Mins
Sep 10, 2025

Guide to Buying Cars on TrueCar

In this age of online shopping, where everyone wants to buy expensive products from the comfort of their homes, buying cars online cannot be overlooked. To address such a need properly, TrueCar has been serving customers’ needs for the past few decades. To get a car of your choice on TrueCar, you need to properly understand how TrueCar really works, the pros and cons of using it, what you should consider before buying a car online, trends in the car market, changes in regulations, and finally how the TrueCar reviews are. In this detailed blog post, we will look into all these factors and help you use the TrueCar app efficiently.

What is TrueCar?

TrueCar is a free website for buying cars online. The customers buy cars on this platform for better and transparent pricing, real discounts, rebates, and incentives for their new or used cars which are sold by certified car dealers. The company’s dealers are spread around the country accounting for more than 13000 in numbers.

The Platform works by having a car listing which it analyzes to give you honest and smart suggestions about the car’s pricing, it may be high or low for you, comparing it to other vehicles. The car prices are being updated on a weekly basis, and incentives are also checked and updated frequently. While the TrueCar App or website is there to help you find a better car, you must keep in mind that their reports are not inclusive of documentation and administration related fees.

The website is trusted by more than 7 million unique visitors every month. It has earned a great reputation for keeping the prices transparent which is the most important factor for a majority of people buying a car online.

How does TrueCar Work?

While TrueCar website and app are super easy to use, here the simples steps you can to follow use it:

Buying a car with TrueCar

Step 1: Go to Truecar.com to start your search

After the website opens up, you can choose from the options “Shop New” “Shop Used” “Shop Electric” “Buy Online”. You can also use a filter by searching by car’s type, make, or model.

Step 2: Browse vehicle listings

When the site brings up a listing of cars, you can use your zip code to check cars being sold near you. There are also options to improve your search by using filters like purchase online, reasonable prices, year, ratings and more. Moreover, the vehicle also has a rating which is based on high, fair, great, and excellent price criterion. And you can also get to view the car’s mileage and history report.

Step 3: Find the car you’re looking for

If you happen to like a car, you can click or tap on it. You will be able to see more pictures of the car with important details and notes from the seller. You should also create a new account on the TrueCar website to view complete details like taxes, fees, and accessories. You cannot view these details on the basic price overview option.

Step 4: Provide more information

Now that you want to contact the buyer, you must be registered and logged into your TrueCar account. You will need to enable the option for letting TrueCar and its dealers interact with you. You can also contact the dealer directly, because enabling that option will invite spam emails and calls from businesses.

Step 5: Arrange the remaining details with the dealership

After contacting the dealer, you will speak with your dealer to arrive at the car’s location, and make a test drive. You can also visit the dealership for more details. The price mentioned on the TrueCar does not include accessories, taxes, title licensing, documentation fees, and other government or dealer charges. You should get your estimations right from early on.

Pros and cons of using TrueCar

While TrueCar reviews can help you understand the pros and cons of the platform, here are some of the well determined ones:

Pros:

  1. TrueCar is free to use, and you can find a car at fair price

  2. A transparent pricing system helps you know when a car is expensive, too cheap, or just fair in pricing.

  3. You get great offers without having to visit every car dealership yet you get great services anywhere.

  4. A large network of dealers ready to help you anywhere in the country

Cons:

  1. The inventory is limited as you have to depend on the inventory available with dealers.

  2. You have to speak with dealers all the time, who may call again and again to make a deal with you

  3. You can make a deal with an individual or a private party, but you have to depend on dealers.

Considerations for Online Car Buying

Since buying a car online is a matter of extreme care from many aspects, one must buy a car from the best car review websites. You must be considerate of few key elements; researching the seller or platforms, looking at multiple listing to avoid overpaying, must be aware delivery and service charges, checking vehicle history (accidents, mileage, ownership), return and refund policies, interest and loan terms, insurance coverage and service plans, shipping methods, verifying payment methods to avoid scams, and regulations.

Market Trends

Market trends are considered to be the key factor in buying a car online. You need to see what is happening in the market, where the price graph is going; upwards or downward. But since it is not easy to research the trends, you must resort to the Best Sites to Sell A Car Online, such as TrueCar. This platform helps you better understand the price ranges with transparency. If a dealer is asking for a car more than its current market value, you will know the real market trends and will be able to decide accordingly.

Regulatory changes

Every state has different regulations for car buying and selling. If you buy a car from another state, you will have to read up on that state’s regulatory changes and know about interstate purchases and tax matters. This will help you sort your transactions like documentations, taxes, and other processes smoothly.

TrueCar Reviews

TrueCar reviews of dealerships and overall platforms are generally positive with high ratings. The reviews reflect how options have helped millions of people purchase vehicles at reasonable prices.

Here are some of the reviews you can read:

“Great experience! TrueCar.com provided me one central location to review car features, pictures, CarFax info and pricing information. Each dealer honored the advertised price, no problems or haggling.”

“JP was totally professional and helpful in working with me to find the right Subaru fit. Very happy with the whole experience. Alex in finance was also great.”

“The level of communication by TrueCar throughout the process was fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to sell their vehicle. The process was smooth and stress-free.”

“This was the easiest car-buying process I’ve ever had. The dealer contacted me right away, honored the price, and I drove home in my new car the same day.”

“I loved using TrueCar. It saved me time and money. I compared multiple deals quickly and knew exactly what to expect before I even went to the dealership.”

Conclusion

TrueCar has proven to be an appropriate platform for buying and selling cars online. From getting to enjoy transparent pricing to real market trends, you get what you look for. The TrueCar reviews prove that it has a great interface to use with advanced search filter options, and options to find cars near you. Hence, TrueCar is the best car review website among the rivals.

FAQs 

Is TrueCar legit?

Yes, TrueCar is legit. It connects you with trusted dealers and shows real prices. You can check TrueCar dealer reviews to see how other buyers rated their experiences before making a decision.

How does TrueCar make money?

TrueCar makes money by charging dealers a fee when a sale happens through their platform. This means you don’t pay extra for using the site, whether checking prices or browsing TrueCar used car values.

Is TrueCar a good place to buy cars?

Yes, many people find it a good place. It shows upfront pricing and helps compare offers easily. Looking at TrueCar dealer reviews can also give you more confidence before buying.

What are the benefits of buying from TrueCar?

You get transparent prices, easy comparisons, and less stress at dealerships. The site also shows TrueCar used car values, so you know if you’re getting a fair deal on a car.

Do dealers honor TrueCar pricing?

Most dealers do honor it, but it’s always smart to confirm in advance. Reading TrueCar dealer reviews will help you see which dealerships are reliable with their pricing promises.

Can I negotiate on TrueCar?

Yes, you can still negotiate. Even if you start with TrueCar pricing, you might get extra discounts. If you are selling, using TrueCar sell my car can also give you offers to compare.

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