Car reviews and advice

CarGurus makes buying your next car simple. To start your search, begin with our Used Cars search page. Enter your desired make and model, the postcode where you'd like to search, and set your desired search area. We'll provide a selection of vehicles, complete with pricing, mileage, and our Instant Market Value. Find one you like? Just hit the "Request Info" button on the search results page to contact the seller. For more information about budgeting, researching, test driving, and negotiating, see our Tips for Buying a Used Car.

CarGurus works with thousands of franchised and independent dealers across the UK to help shoppers find the right car at the right price. Use our search filters to locate vehicles within 10 miles of you to keep it close to home, or search nationwide for the largest selection. If a dealer from outside your search area offers delivery, we'll show their results, too, including any charges.

There are a handful of tips for timing your next car purchase. Some buyers swear by waiting until the end of the month to secure a good deal, but that's not always a guarantee of success. Another tip is to search for cars out of their normal season (for example, prices of convertible tend to be lower in winter), or timing your search for when a new version of a model is released (such as searching for a Golf Mk7 when the Mk8 is being launched). Shopping on the weekend can be a bit more hectic due to higher demand at the dealership, and many deals advertised during holiday weekend sales events are also available at other times during the same month.

The choice to buy versus lease a vehicle is largely dependent on your budget and lifestyle. Choosing to buy means that you'll have more flexibility regarding the vehicle's use, and it will become an asset—you'll own it—once you've paid it off. However, buying is generally the more expensive option. Leasing is typically less expensive from a monthly cost standpoint, but most lease agreements put a limit on how many miles the vehicle can be driven and, of course, you'll need to hand it back at the end of the agreement.

A great used car is one that's in good, safe condition and that fits your budget and your needs. One way to help ensure the former is by having a potential purchase inspected by an independent mechanic, while the latter will depend on various details related to the buyer's finances and lifestyle. See our article, How to Get a Used Car Inspected for more information.

There are more ways to sell a car today than ever before. You can list it for sale privately (including via our sister website, PistonHeads, part-exchange it at a dealership, or get an instant quote via an online car-buying site that'll arrange for somebody to collect the car once you've agreed a price. Whatever option you prefer, starting the process with a valuation via CarGurus Instant Market Value tool is a good way to understand your car's current worth.

Most new-car purchases are financed through car loans of some kind. In fact, taking out a low-interest loan to help with a car purchase can be a wise financial decision. To find out about the different types of car finance, including PCP, HP, PCH and more, read our guide: Car Finance Explained.

Some shoppers want to move through a vehicle purchase as quickly as possible. Others revel in negotiation. Whatever your process, CarGurus recommends that every car-buyer perform adequate research, understand the details of the transaction, and, when buying a used car, invest in a pre-purchase inspection. For more information, read our article on How to Negotiate the Best Car Price.

At CarGurus, we use Instant Market Value to determine whether a car's price makes it a fair, good, or great deal—or if it's overpriced. CarGurus Instant Market Value (or IMV) relies on a sophisticated algorithm that updates continuously to stay on the cutting edge of market trends. IMV also factors in details like dealership reputation. We use IMV to sort our listings, helping to keep things unbiased: You'll see the best deals first when you search for a car on CarGurus.