Cars.com App Review: Find a Car

Cars.com’s mobile car-buying app is filled with useful tools and features, like a research hub that includes reviews on specific vehicles and car brands, a side-by-side comparison function and a monthly payment calculator. However, while Cars.com features listings from both private sellers and dealerships, the majority of listings are from dealerships.

This app is best for: shoppers going deep on research before purchase.

What is Cars.com?

Cars.com is an online car marketplace that includes listings for new and used cars from both private sellers and car dealerships. The company was founded in 1998 and operates several online car-buying marketplaces, including Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com and NewCars.com.

Marketplace car-buying apps like Cars.com aggregate new- and used-car listings from big online retailers such as CarMax and Carvana, from local dealerships and often from individual sellers. The best apps offer a wide variety of listings, thoughtful and intuitive filters to zero in on your car, access to details on a car’s past and an idea of how competitive its asking price is.

Overall, the Cars.com mobile car-buying app offers plenty of helpful tools and resources for potential car buyers. The app’s user-friendly interface and a wide-reaching search function allow users to filter for many features, such as cars with tow hooks and cars that remember your preferred seating position. The app also offers an extensive library of expert advice and car reviews, which allows shoppers to compare trims, see pros and cons, and find original option packages and pricing, even on used cars.

App features

Pros:

• Car listings include estimated monthly payments.

• Keyword search available to supplement filters.

• Side-by-side car comparisons, expert articles and consumer reviews.

Cons:

• Can’t filter for cars without accidents or damage.

• Can’t filter for one-owner cars.

Listing a car on Cars.com: It’s free to list your vehicle for sale on Cars.com, but you’ll need to do it on the desktop website. A market valuation tool helps you list your car at a fair price.

Buying a car on Cars.com: Since Cars.com aggregates listings from dealerships and private sellers, you can’t buy a vehicle directly through the app. If you're interested in a car, the app allows you to send a message to the dealership or individual seller who's offering it for sale.

Apple store rating: 4.8 stars; 468,500-plus user ratings.

Google Play rating: 4.7 stars; 79,500-plus user ratings.