Buying a Car: Do You Really Need to Visit the Dealer?

Quick Facts About Car Buying at Home

• Automakers and dealerships have improved online shopping tools in recent years.
• Negotiations and financing arrangements can be handled usually over the phone or online with many dealerships.
• Test drives are important to any car-buying experience, and you’ll likely pay more for services that bring the car to your front door.

If you’re interested in buying a car, you might be wondering if you really need to visit a dealership at all to make a deal. Standard processes have changed in recent years.

Some car shoppers simply don’t like visiting the dealership. Many would rather avoid negotiating with a salesperson, waiting for financing, and spending hours moving to various car lots to test-drive vehicles. Other potential buyers look forward to in-person car shopping. Regardless, the question remains: Can you complete the entire car-buying process without visiting a dealer? We have the answer.

• Can You Buy a Car Online?
• A Move to Online Car Sales
• Pros of Buying a Car Online
• Cons of Buying a Car Online
• With Some Dealerships, it Takes a Bit of Work
• Alternatives to Car Dealerships
• We Advise Caution
• How to Purchase a Car Using a Buying Service

Can You Buy a Car Online?

Yes, buying a car online without visiting a dealership is possible. Even smaller, independent automotive franchises have polished virtual experiences, making it easier for consumers to complete a sale from the comfort of their homes. However, it’s more important than ever to research your options thoroughly. Buying a car online is vastly different than handling things in person. Pay attention to every detail, and ask as many questions as possible. Regardless of how and where you purchase, we always recommend a hands-on, in-person test drive before signing any paperwork.

A Move to Online Car Sales

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a change that was already beginning. Many automakers were moving toward online sales before pandemic-related lockdowns made it the only way to do business. Now, shoppers can handle almost every part of the car-buying process virtually.

Shopping for the right make or model, contacting a sales agent, reviewing detailed photos, negotiating prices, arranging financing, and more can happen without ever setting foot inside the dealership. You can also schedule an in-person test drive virtually. Additionally, some automakers, notably Tesla and Rivian, only process sales directly through their web portals. Potential buyers can arrange a test drive for those vehicles at a local shop or service center.

Pros of Buying a Car Online

• Convenience: Arguably, the biggest benefit of buying a car online is the level of accessibility. All you need is internet access.
• Price Transparency: It’s much more difficult for sales agents to disguise the final price online. When you buy a car online, all the costs are clearly outlined.
• Speed: Browsing the selection online is faster and easier than wandering the car lot. Even e-signatures are faster than signing each document by hand.
• Car Selection: It’s easier to see the full assortment of cars on the website. When new inventory is loaded, you can often set alerts and reminders to review the available vehicles.

Cons of Buying a Car Online

• Limited Test-Drive Options: Some dealers offer a virtual test drive, which provides only a limited overview. Many online shopping experiences still offer the option to test-drive the car in person when buying online.
• Delivery Times and Fees: When you buy a car in person, you can usually drive it off the lot that same day. For online transactions, there’s typically a window of time you’ll have to wait for delivery.
• Scammers: As with any virtual environment, it’s important to stay alert and watch out for scams. Always verify the legitimacy of the transaction before sharing any personal data or information.

It Takes a Bit of Work With Some Dealerships

Even with dealerships that lack online tools, you can do most of the car-buying process online or even over the phone. Finding the car of your dreams online can be easy if you use the right tools.

Autotrader can help you with the search by narrowing the field from thousands of local listings. You can browse vehicles that are new, used, or certified pre-owned (CPO), depending on your preference. With the help of Autotrader, you can sort by make, model, body style, trim level, engine size, and even color.

This saves a lot of time that used to be spent traveling from dealer to dealer looking for the car that’s right for you. Try out our car affordability calculator tool to help you determine how much you can afford to pay for a vehicle.

After choosing a car, you’ll want to research what you can expect to pay for the car.

From there, you can call or email the dealer to start negotiations. While some dealerships might insist that you come in for further price discussions, most will allow you to negotiate the price over the phone or via email if you make it clear that you can’t or don’t want to visit the dealership.

It’s also possible to secure financing online, whether at the dealer or through your local bank or credit union. In this scenario, the only part of the process you’d have to do at the dealership is pick up the car. Some dealers won’t even require that but will drop off the new car at your house instead.

Alternatives to Car Dealerships

Systems like Toyota’s SmartPath, General Motors’ Shop.Click.Drive, and the Hyundai’s Click to Buy allows customers to complete the entire car-searching-and-buying process without ever setting foot in a dealership.

They coordinate touchless test drives — dealers drop the car off at your home or office and pick it up a few hours later. They’ll deliver the vehicle the same way if you buy it.

The experience can feel less pressured than sitting in a dealership. Cadillac, for instance, offers no-pressure, one-on-one virtual tours of its vehicles. With Cadillac Live, you can ask questions to an agent who answers them on video, filming from any angle you’d like and showing off features. However, the agent is not a salesperson.

Another option: Autotrader’s Dealer Home Services. This option lets you conduct the entire process from home for hundreds of cars.

Our research shows that buyers prefer the dealership-free experience. A study of buyers during the COVID-19 pandemic found that those who completed most of the process online were happier with their purchases.

We Advise Caution

It’s now possible to buy a car entirely over the phone and online. But the process isn’t suitable for every buyer or every situation. It certainly isn’t right with every dealership, either.

We find the test drive to be an integral part of the car-buying process. While you might read many reviews that say positive things about a car, it’s hard to know how you’ll feel about a specific vehicle until you’ve actually spent some time behind the wheel.

It’s not a good feeling when you discover after signing the papers that you can’t see over the hood or out the back and realize that the infotainment system is too complicated and the armrest is too low.

So, we suggest visiting dealers for at least the test-driving process unless you can work with a dealership that offers touchless test drives.

How to Purchase a Car Using a Buying Service

It’s worth noting that shoppers interested in buying a car can now choose between a few different car-buying services that offer the ability to buy a car without visiting a dealer. These services locate a vehicle for you and deliver it right to your doorstep, cutting out the need to deal with a dealer.

Of course, their cars will be a little more expensive since they’re providing a service. In many cases, you still won’t have the opportunity to test drive the vehicle before deciding on it. But these services can make the process easier for drivers who really don’t want to spend time in a dealership.

As touchless dealership experiences become more common, having a car-buying service handle the dealership for you may become less appealing. However, their fixed prices can still make them a useful option for buyers who want to cut out the stress of negotiations.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for accuracy since it was originally published. Sean Tucker contributed to the report.