CarMax Experiences

I bought my 2010 from carmax and would buy from them again. I chose carmax because the truck I wanted was with them in FL and couldnt find one anywhere else. I bought a 2010 w/ a supercharge for about 1500 more than a similar 2010 from anywhere else. 3500 supercharger for 1500 seemd good to me. plus the 400 or so transfer fee from FL. All of my searching and actually purchasing the truck was done while I was in Afghanistan. Was a little worried at first, but the sales man made me feel comfortable and when I went home on leave, turned out to be exactly what was described and pictured! Good luck!

 

You're correct, they don't sell anything really high mileage there, and you'd be hard pressed to find a 4WD truck/SUV for under 10k that isn't high mileage. Sounds like they should really have been looking at craigslist or a normal used car lot, really.

Sounds like the buyers were a bit unrealistic, even though the sales person shouldn't have treated them that way. The sales staff there aren't traditional car people. Still... no excuse for rudeness.

I think if you looked at their average car, it's something with 30-40k on the clock that is off lease or something, and they sell it for a little more than what an obtainable price is at a traditional dealer. The bonus is, you're in and out quickly and you don't have to battle and wade through tricks and dishonesty to get that price. To many people a user-friendly experience is worth it, and if you decline the warranty and any add-ons you aren't doing that bad on price.

I've heard people say that the prices they give for used cars are pretty decent. They give some utility there too - if you want to sell a car quickly, they probably offer a bit less than you'd get from a private seller, around what a dealer might trade for, and you don't have to buy a car from them to get it. If you want to get rid of something quickly they are a place where you can do that.

 

I sold 2 cars to carmax and no complaints. As for purchasing, I would look somewhere else. The price of a vehicle can always be negotiated down.

 

there are three parts to the whole thing, price, selection, and easy of purchase. CarMax has the last two. You have a good selection because you can pick from their national inventory. The ease of purchase is good as well. Price certainly you can do better, but at some point it's a question of what my time is worth versus a week of shopping around and playing one dealer against another.

 

I sold a truck to carmax it was easy. I also looked for my tacoma at car max. They wanted $22500 for a 3 year old truck with 42000 miles. 2wd 4 cyl access cab sr5. I purchased the same truck new for 21109 out the door.

 

I traded a 2006 PreRunner in for my 2008 DCLB 4X4. They gave me blue book for the trade in and I got the new truck for $3k under blue book. I did all of my research before I even called the store. My area is incredibly dry when it comes to quality used Tacomas so I had mine shipped from Arizona for ~$250. Great financing options and their own, in-house financing company has easier to use options than Toyota Financial did. A very hassle free experience. I would definitely buy from them again.

 

Well here is the final update on the buying situation.

I kept my eyes open for trucks that fit my description locally and ended up finding one at a local dealership. The purchase was very smooth and I was actually pretty comfortable with them. Not much BS.

And with out further adieu...



Ill have more pics soon.

Thank you to everyone that responded. You guys are awesome!

 

Sick! Congrats!

 

Thank you! I plan to have it on the beach this weekend and can't wait!

 

My experience was easy as pie. The only "pressure" was an offering on extended warranty, but I flat out told them no and they left it alone.

I'll shop there again...this is the 7th vehicle I have bought over the years and the best experience hands down.

 

I will never go to them again. I tried to sell my Mazda6 to them last year to see if I could do better than trading it in. They gave me almost have of what my trade-in offer somewhere else was. When I showed them the trade-in offer the manager said that it would probably be in some form of gimmicks such as coupons. Yes, he said "coupons."

So I then showed him the KBB price online of what I should be around and he said "nobody goes by KBB." I told him to walk with me out to his lot and showed him that one of their cars had the KBB on the window for comparison.

A week later I sold the car for more than double what they offered me.

 

Pretty much sums it up ^^^

Also, the sales people are not paid on commission (directly) so they aren't going to pressure you as much.

My parents have purchased 4 vehicles from Carmax and never had a bad experience. I know a few people who work for them and have for many years (corporate office).

 

That's quite unfortunate. I had my Z4 appraised by 4 dealerships including CarMax and theirs was almost $1000 more than all the others.

 

That's not a bad experience...that's just what happens when you trade in a car.

I always sell my vehicles private party and would NEVER trade one in.

 

There's no risk. You walk in, they assess the car and give you a written offer. If you don't like it, fine. Your options are pretty limited to sell a car quickly if you aren't trading it in.

The KBB thing is different. Dealers could go by NADA or some other guide, but it's well known that KBB is a little high on what they say cars are worth. That's why they show KBB in situations where it favors them, but they don't when it doesn't.

 

I understand that they need to make money, but the attitude the manager gave me and the fact that he said my trade-in offer was probably going to be paid in coupons was just ignorant. They don't have to buy my car or offer me more money, but don't say just dumb stuff.