Background: Purchased a 100k mile, 2015 Lexus RX 350 AWD. Based in NY.
Pros
-Good selection of vehicles, even in the current covid market.
-Purchase process was relatively smooth as long as things are squared away on your end.
-Friendly support staff.
-Took care of any (non-cosmetic) issues I had with the vehicle.
Cons
-Delivery date/time could not be determined or maintained. First time they claimed a delay of 5 days, second time (on the day of delivery) claimed a delay of 3.5 hours, but showed up 1.5 hours early anyway while I was still at work. The driver was friendly but certainly seemed in a rush and tried to coax me into skipping the initial test drive.
-Online pics of 'imperfections' are not reliable (which I already assumed, I mean they are trying to Sell the cars). One quick walkaround and I find this Huge gash in the rear bumper that looked like someone gave their 2yr old with Parkinson's a touch-up paint pen. Just a few inches to the left of that monstrosity of a paint correction is the teenie tiny hairline surface scratch I could wipe away with acetone and a paper towel, and that's the one they photographed...
-Car was clearly not detailed like they claim. Exterior was washed and waxed, but the inside had trash on the floor from the previous owner and the leather needed some serious TLC.
-Biggest complaint is that tint was improperly removed from the front windows (probably to pass NY inspection). This left glue all over them which prevented the windows from operating properly and potentially burning out the motors. Why they would deliver a vehicle in that state is beyond me. Anyway, SilverRock denied the claim to fix it (*rant* but approved a claim to replace Air Filters!... like... What?! Wearable parts, the one thing they say is not covered and they cover it, but won't fix the mechanical issue with the windows because the root cause is cosmetic and doesn't have a part number?! Who makes up these rules?! *end rant*), but Carvana claims they will reimburse me for the cost once I get it done by a local shop. We'll see.
Tips
-Do. Your. Own. Research. Once you figure out what car you want, watch every review you can to see what features it may or may not have equipped. Carvana's listing is frequently inaccurate. For example, my car was listed as having parking sensors (a feature I don't need or care for), but one look at the posted picture shows otherwise.
-If you're interested in a specific listing, do a deep dive into its history. Review the provided carfax for regular maintenance, were reputable shops/dealers used, was it a CPO, what kind of area did the previous owner live in (aka. drive in, is it a city or mostly highways? Is it part of the salt belt?). Carfax likely won't have everything either, try looking up the vin on the manufacturer's website. This should give you all the features the car came with from the factory, including paint color, model year, and any services performed at a dealership. If anything doesn't seem to add up (e.g. the car is an entirely different paint color), skedaddle.
-Get a pre-purchase inspection done as soon as you get the car, preferably within 2 days of delivery. If you notice anything at all wrong or off with the vehicle at the time of delivery or within the 7-day period, let the driver know, submit a claim with SilverRock, or call Carvana ASAP.
Overall I would say Carvana has the right idea down for how cars should be sold in the future, but their execution and follow through could use some serious work. At the end of the day, I have the car I wanted and it was miles better than hassling with a NY salesman over the one car they have on the lot. Hopefully now, whoever has read this knows what they're getting into and will be able to set their expectations and pinpoint the perfect vehicle for their needs. Cheers!
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