Timely thread. I, too, sold a vehicle -- a 2019 Honda Ridgeline RLT AWD -- to Carvana. And, as others have written above, I was drawn in initially by the amount I was offered online. Because I had purchased my Ridgeline in Nov. 2019 for nearly $4k less than the MSRP ($33,800) -- which certainly seemed like a super deal at the time -- what I was offered by Carvana, $35,002, worked out to just over $1200 more than I paid for it in 2019. That just seemed too good to pass up. I mean, how often can you by buy, own outright, drive to your heart's content, and then sell a vehicle for $1200 more than you paid for it two years prior? Not often, I dare say; not for just an ordinary, mass-produced truck.
Moreover, what really impressed me, however, was how quickly I received payment for my truck. Carvana's offer and the subsequent sale's agreement stated that, because I opted for electronic payment directly to my bank, that would speed the process, and that I could expect to receive payment within 1-to-2 days. In fact, Carvana picked up my Ridgeline at 1:58 p,m. last Tuesday and I received my direct payment at 3:40 a.m. Wednesday, 11 hours 40 minutes after the sale. Needless to say, I was impressed. Still am.
Oh, and I should add that the "inspection" of my truck by the "appraiser" consisted of her turning the ignition key to the "on" position and verifying the odometer read as I'd stated in my original description of the truck. The woman never drove my truck. Nor did she even started the engine. I'd been with her from the time she arrived, and she never asked to see anything; never opened the hood, the rear storage area (in the bed), nothing. I gave her both keys, she placed them in a lockbox attached to driver's door window and locked the truck. That was it. She signed and handed me the sales agreement, and left. I asked if she wanted to come inside, have a soda, anything? Nope. I went to lunch with my wife, and when we returned home two hours later, the truck was gone. My neighbors came over to tell me they had seen it being loaded on a flatbed by the "smallest woman" they had ever seen.
I'm now considering buying a Toyota, and for some strange reason that I've yet to process, I'm drawn to a 2.0-liter Corolla SE sedan. Go figure. I'd prefer a car with a manual transmission, but they apparently are somewhat hard to find (but are still discounted; an important fact among my car/truck buying habits). I doubt that I'll own it for two years depreciation free, but you never know these days.
