A Driveway Guide: How to Sell + Buy Your New Car Online!
Hi friends! I hope everyone is doing well and you’re all ready for Spring. I know I can’t wait to catch a breath of fresh springy air!
I’ve been so excited to share bits and pieces of my online car shopping and selling experience with Driveway! Firstly, let’s start with a little background for those joining this adventure. I know buying a car online can be scary but, they’re literally there every step of the way (I texted quite often)!
Driveway is dedicated to truly ensuring that you’re always in the driver’s seat while car shopping online. The no-haggle straightforward pricing makes it so much easier while creating a budget- you immediately know what you’re working with.
They even offer financing* directly through them, which I did opt for and I’ll chat about that experience a little further down (it was super simple though, I’ll walk you through my process)! For me, it was so much easier to buy a brand new car online through Driveway than dedicate a day or two to a dealership. I know car inventory is wonky right now, and that’s what sets Driveway apart. They have access to dealers from across the country, my car was shipped to Upstate, NY from an associated Ford Dealer in PA.It was 8 hours away, I looked it up. What’s better than an online car retailer with no price games and full inventory? I’ll tell ya, it’s Driveway, an online car retailer who believes in supporting women to fully take charge of their car purchase. That’s part of why I was (and am) so excited to partner with them, it’s not often that you can pair car sales with women empowerment!
Okay, so let’s race into my process with Driveway for buying a brand new car and trading in my old car. It was easy, involved a couple calls, texting, mailing in paperwork and awaiting for my new beaut.
Here’s the thing, I already knew what I wanted, it was a Ford Bronco. That and only that. Which immediately removed my want or need for a test drive, it was what I wanted and I knew it. I hadn’t ever driven one before either, I had done so much outside research on my own, that I was fully confident it was what I wanted. Now, I know not everyone can get on that level, and it’s normal- this is NEW. Let me tell ya, it is the future though. How do we handle the test drive situation? Driveway has a 7-day guarantee, you can return the car if it’s not a proper fit. Learn more about the 7-day guarantee here: Learn More
Anyways, back to my adventure, my issue wasn’t test driving. It was that I wanted a highly desired vehicle, a 2022 Ford Bronco. You bet your butt, they found me a 2022 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend- just what I was looking for! That part was easy, I told Jeffrey + Tatianna what I wanted and they worked some Driveway magic and located my Ford Bronco Sport in PA. What was next?? Well it’s the numbers, how much could I finance, what was my trade, what did I have for a down payment. All of these things paired with your vehicle cost and associated fees will ultimately determine what you can get. What’s handy is Driveway has an estimated payment calculator right on their website. Take the time to play around with numbers, check to see what it is to get your dream car too!
Okay, so back to it. First, I wanted to know what Driveway could offer for my car. I already knew I had a high mileage car, and had gotten a number from a local dealer (it wasn’t satisfying). Getting an online quote for my used car was super simple on the Driveway website. I entered a few key pieces of information (VIN, miles, features, etc), and I quickly got an email back with the offer….and from there on out it was a no brainer. I’d be buying a brand new car and selling my used car all online with Driveway. They offered $3,659 more than my local dealer. I really couldn’t believe it! What’s next when you know what you want and you’ve already got the value of your used car? Well, if you’re not paying cash, it’s figuring out your financing.
You guessed it, that’s super easy and you can get pre-qualified right through the Driveway website, and that’s exactly what I did. From there on out, it was purely locating a car, starting your order and pushing through some paper! As I had mentioned, my Ford Bronco Sport came from a dealership in PA. Yes, that means there is a delivery fee associated, which you’ll see on their website after you enter your zip code. Communications quickly began with the dealership where the car was located, they overnighted the financing paperwork and all other documents associated with the purchase. I returned the documents, along with my downpayment and before I knew it, Driveway was calling me to schedule the delivery of my brand new 2022 Ford Bronco Sport. Not only that, but at the same time, they were picking up my used Mazda CX-5. This was all done at my apartment building…..yep, I bought a car online without ever seeing it and had it delivered to my apartment.
I know that was a quick overview, but I promise, the Driveway team is there the entire time. I did call and ask Jeffrey questions for about 20 mins to put together a quick online car shopping FAQs guide for you, but honestly, you should also browse their full FAQ page as well.
Leah’s Online Car Shopping with Driveway FAQs
- Can you test drive? Not in the moment, but they do have a 7-day guarantee
- Sequence of events? Get pre-approval, value for trade, find your new whip + get paperwork started
- Where does vehicle service happen? Service will be done in the service department of an associated dealer
- Can I get car add ons or modifications? No, the vehicles are sold as is, any aftermarket add ons are your responsibility.
- Do they handle the transfer or issue a new registration? Yes, this is part of the paperwork process.
- Do they contact my insurance agency to remove the old car and place the new one on the policy? No, this is up to you- remember, you’re in the driver seat of this online car purchase.
- How quickly does the car after paperwork is finalized? Usually 7-10 days depending on your location + the location of the car. Since my Bronco was only 8 hours away, it was less than 7 days for me.
Do you still have questions?! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Driveway for any lingering questions. Of course, I’m happy to share more about my experience, but getting your information directly from the source + building a relationship from the start is the best way to start your process! I hope ya’ll open up your minds and explore the online car shopping world, it’s different, it’s better and you’re 100% in control! Thanks for tagging along on this adventure, stay tuned for more Driveway + Bronco features. I’m not sure the Bronco content will end now that’s started!
XOXO Leah
Disclaimer: All financing is on credit approval. While this post may be sponsored, all words + thoughts remain genuine and are based on my experience only. This blog share is created to help educate + build confidence within the online car shopping world. All questions should be directed to Driveway. All approvals + purchases will be dependent on each individual basis and are not determined by my experience.
