You Can Buy a Car on Amazon, But Should You?
Amazon has rolled out its Amazon Auto program, allowing members to purchase new cars via their Amazon app. This is a new service being provided by the online retail giant and it has many consumers intrigued. While it is possible to buy a car on Amazon now, should you? There are some things to consider before you buy.
Where is Amazon Auto Available?
Amazon Autos was launched on December 10, 2024. Currently, it is only available in 48 cities. Those cities include Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Birmingham, Boston, Champaign/Springfield, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Fond Du Lacm, Ft. Myers/Naples, Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Harrisonburg, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Sheboygan, Springfield, St. Louis, Tampa, W. Palm Beach, and Washington D.C.
At this time, only Hyundai vehicles are available through Amazon Autos, which could be a downside for some people. However, the company has plans to expand its offerings in the new year.
How it Works
Anyone can access Amazon Autos through the app or the website. Once you locate the Amazon Autos section, you can do the following:
- Search for available vehicles by make, model, trim, color, and features
- Receive an instant estimate on any trade-ins
- Find transparent, upfront pricing from the dealer
- Get financing or pay for the car in full
- Carry out the entire checkout process for your vehicle online
- Pick a time to pick your car up at the dealer
Should You Buy a Car on Amazon?
With that information in mind, the question still hanging on many people’s minds is whether or not they should buy a car on Amazon. For me, it’s a hard no (for now). First, you should keep in mind that the service is new. So, there are bound to be hiccups in the process. That aside, their offerings are limited at this time. While that is set to change in the future, right now you can only purchase Hyundai cars from Amazon.
On top of that, you won’t have the chance to test-drive the car before you buy it. You may make the purchase, get behind the wheel, and hate everything about the vehicle. Additionally, there is no clear return policy for cars through Amazon Auto. You’ll probably wind up having to head to the dealer anyway if you don’t like the car.
Another potential downside of buying a car on Amazon is that there is no haggling. Amazon highlights this as a perk of the service, but it could be bad. While negotiations can be stressful, it can lead to you getting the best price possible. When there are no negotiations, it can eliminate your ability to be able to save some money on the purchase of your new vehicle.
That said, I personally wouldn’t buy a car on Amazon. I like to be able to test-drive a car and don’t enjoy the current vehicles Amazon is offering. Not to mention, you still have to visit a dealership to pick up the car, so you’re not avoiding it entirely. However, it could be a decent option for some people.
Would you buy a car from Amazon?
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Drew Blankenship is a former Porsche technician who writes and develops content full-time. He lives in North Carolina, where he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. While Drew no longer gets his hands dirty modifying Porsches, he still loves motorsport and avidly watches Formula 1.