CarGurus is suitable for people who want to get pre-qualified before they shop. This allows you to see your real interest rate and car payments when browsing vehicles so you know which are in your budget. CarGurus can pre-qualify you quickly and without hurting your credit, as only a soft credit inquiry is required initially.
The company is also suitable for those who want to compare loans from different lenders, as it provides offers from Capital One, Westlake Financial, and Global Lending Services.
CarGurus has a handy Finance in Advance feature that allows you to be pre-qualified for a car loan. It means you’ll know exactly what interest rate you’ll pay when receiving offers from loan providers. Pre-qualifying requires a soft credit inquiry, so it won’t hurt your credit to check out your loan options.
The site features a loan calculator that can help you estimate your payments based on your loan term, down payment, vehicle purchase price, and credit score. They also include a blog with articles about car shopping, car reviews, maintenance tips, and more.
Other features of CarGurus include:
Getting started on CarGurus begins with an online pre-qualification process that only takes a few minutes. You need to fill out a form that asks you for personal information like your name, email address, phone number, social security number, date of birth, address, and income.
Next, a soft credit inquiry will occur, and you will see your options. Once you’re pre-qualified, you’ll be able to shop with your personal rates and see the payments for each vehicle. When you find a vehicle, you can print your pre-qualification certificate and take it to the dealer to finalize terms and complete financing.
It’s important to note that a dealer will require you to fill out an additional credit application that includes a hard credit inquiry before finalizing your financing.
Because the company works with several partner lenders, it offers a variety of auto loans. You can get loans for new cars, used cars, and certified pre-owned cars. The terms and requirements for a loan depend on the partner lender you end up working with.
For all partners, you need to be at least 18 years old to pre-qualify and have a valid street address within the USA, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
Capital One requires a minimum monthly income of $1,500. The minimum amount that can be financed is $4,000, and pre-qualification terms last for 30 days. If you have other Capital One accounts, they must be in good standing and not past due or delinquent.
Westlake Financial requires your existing Westlake accounts to be in good standing and that you have no open bankruptcies and a maximum of one derogatory account. The minimum amount that can be financed is $4,000.
Global Lending Services requires a minimum monthly income of $1,800, at least two years of job history, that you have no open bankruptcies, and that your primary source of income be through employment rather than self-employment. The minimum amount that can be financed is $6,500, and pre-qualification is valid for 30 days.
Should the lender have extra requirements, you’ll be notified of these along with your offer. Also, the dealer may ask for documents like proof of income, insurance, and your driver’s license before finalizing the purchase.
Just like with loan types and terms, the repayment options offered on CarGurus can vary. Each lender will offer its own standard repayment options and loan length.
However, the loan calculator on the website does highlight 36-, 48-, 60-, and 72-month loan terms. In most cases, the repayment terms will be flexible and you’ll be able to choose a length that works for you.
CarGurus has measures in place at all levels to protect customer data. It encrypts data when it is transmitted, regularly performs security risk assessments, and adheres to all privacy laws and regulations in place.
The company makes security awareness and data privacy a major part of the training and onboarding process for employees, and data can only be viewed by those who need to see or use it for their job.
It provides a transparent privacy policy that goes into detail about the information it collects from customers, what is shared, how information is used, and how it is kept safe.
You can reach out to CarGurus at 877-492-4737, or you can click Ask a Question on its contact page to start a web chat. It has social media profiles that you can use to connect and get support. The FAQ section of the site is easy to navigate and provides helpful information on getting pre-qualified, the lenders the company works with, and more.
| CarGurus | Auto Credit Express | LendingTree | |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | Varies | Varies | From 2.49% |
Minimum credit score | No minimum credit score required | No minimum credit score required | No minimum credit score required |
| Loan amounts | Varies | Varies | Up to $300,000 |
| Loan term | Varies | Varies | 12-96 months |
| Best for | Those looking to get pre-qualified before shopping | Those looking to get a car loan with poor credit | Those looking to compare offers from several options |
CarGurus works with several lenders to provide a variety of auto loans to customers. The Finance in Advance feature lets you pre-qualify in minutes and shop with your own personalized interest rate. This means you’ll know your monthly payments before going to the dealership.
Its site also serves as a marketplace for buying and selling cars, and there are helpful resources like price trends, a loan calculator, and car reviews.
2 Canal Park, 4th Floor, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141
This review was created with information from the CarGurus website, including its security and privacy policy, as well as other BestMoney reviews on its competitors.
