[ad_1]
Amazon is putting its own spin on car sales — without a trip to the dealer or even a test drive.
The retail giant announced on Tuesday that shoppers could buy their next car through Amazon if they lived in one of 48 major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Portland through "Amazon Autos" on Amazon.com.
Amazon is partnering with Hyundai first, with plans to add additional manufacturers and cities in the coming year, the company said. The cars are all new and start at $22,500 in price. They include models like the Hyundai Kona, Sonata Hybrid, and Elantra.
Related: You Could Buy Your Next Car on Amazon, Seriously — But There's a Not-So-Convenient Catch
In turning to online car sales, Amazon joins a marketplace already occupied by other online car retailers like Edmunds, Carvana, Shift, and Vroom, but those sites also feature used cars for sale; at the moment Amazon only offers new cars.
What would happen if I tried to buy a car from Amazon? Here are the pros and cons that emerged when I tried out the new feature.
Pro: Transparency
Amazon says that shoppers can see transparent pricing upfront with Amazon Autos, and I wasn't disappointed. Clicking into a car, a new 2025 Hyundai Elantra SE, I was able to see a detailed price breakdown, down to the carpeted floor mats ($210) and how much the dealer charged compared to the Manufacturer Suggest Retail Price (MSRP).
Pricing through Amazon Autos.
I was also able to estimate the monthly payment based on the down payment and loan term.
The product page also transparently outlined the condition of the car, how much mileage it had on it, and the terms of the manufacturer's warranty.
Related: I Tested the 'Invest As You Shop' App to See If It Really Makes Investing Less Intimidating
Con: Selection
Right now, Amazon is only selling Hyundai vehicles, so cars from other automakers are nowhere to be found.
This con could soon disappear: Amazon says it will add cars from other manufacturers in 2025.
However, the selection is also limited in price, with the cheapest car selling for $22,510 excluding fees, taxes, and dealer charges. There are no used cars available for sale at the time of writing.
Related: I Tried Making an AI-Hosted Podcast with Google's NotebookLM. It Worked Surprisingly Well.
Pro: Familiar Interface
Buying a car through Amazon Autos felt like shopping on Amazon, so I felt right at home. There were categories like price, model year, and trim color on the left-hand side, and there were products in a list sorted by price in the center.
Even though the car product category is new to Amazon, the familiar interface made the process easy to navigate.
How Amazon Autos looks.
Con: No Negotiating Power
Amazon says that it shows transparent pricing, "eliminating the need for negotiation." I can buy a car and complete my entire order, including securing financing, without talking to a human being about the price and trying to negotiate it down.
While it can be less stressful to have the whole process online, it is also less personal. And I can't help wondering if I'm getting the best deal online or if I would be better off going in person.
This, along with the limited range of selection, ultimately dissuaded me from buying a car from Amazon — for now.
Related: I Tried 3 AI Headshot Generators and There Was a Clear Winner
0 Comments