Zdnet’s Takeaways
- Amazon is expanding its car buying program.
- You can now buy used cars. The program starts in Los Angeles.
- Amazon Auto offers no-haggle, transparent pricing.
Last December, Amazon continued its push to truly sell everything by introducing Amazon Auto , a marketplace for shopping for new cars. The e-commerce giant’s automotive offerings are expanding again, as you can now buy used cars through Amazon.
Buy used and certified pre-owned cars
Until now, you could only shop for new Hyundai vehicles if you wanted to shop through Amazon. Starting today, the company explained in a post, you can explore used and certified pre-owned cars from Hyundai and other manufacturers.
The cars don’t come directly from Amazon, but from dealerships near you who choose to list their vehicles. Everything on the buyer’s end, including purchasing or financing, is handled through Amazon. You can filter by model, trim, body style, seating capacity, miles, color, and features.
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One of the biggest advantages of buying from Amazon Auto is that it takes a page from Carvana’s playbook and offers tiered pricing. The company says it offers a “transparent breakdown” of all your costs after you make a selection, so you can see exactly what you’re paying for without dealing with high-pressure salespeople. Amazon Auto also offers comprehensive vehicle history information.
You won’t be dealing with a dealer until you go pick up your car. Amazon says it will even help you find savings and discounts to reduce your costs.
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Any used vehicle purchased through Amazon Auto comes with a 3-day/300-mile return policy and a minimum 30-day/1,000-mile limited warranty.
Currently only available in LA
I added a Los Angeles zip code to see the price.
In the cars I tested, the Amazon price was below MSRP, but exactly the same as the dealer’s price on its own website. I went through most of the process of buying a used 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Limited — right down to the last step and stopping to apply for financing through Amazon. The car was listed for $29,898, and the final price after fees came to $33,665.
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I’m not sure what that price would be if I bought through a dealer, but I imagine I could have gotten a little bit of a bargain (depending on the vehicle). At the very least, for me, the savings are probably worth skipping the trade-in process, so I can see how buying a car through Amazon could be tempting. And competition from similar companies like Carvana and Carmax is never a bad thing.
The program is currently only available in Los Angeles, but it is expanding to other locations. Amazon’s new car program, which launched in 50 cities in December, is now available in 130 locations.
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