Cars.com introduces ‘one-stop hub’ to help car owners track their vehicle’s value
Cars.com wants you to know what your car is worth.
The car-shopping marketplace has launched Your Garage, a tool designed to give car owners the ability to track the value of their vehicle over time.
Your Garage integrates vehicle valuations and real-time market-driven data, Cars.com said, giving consumers greater visibility and liquidity so they can make informed decisions about the best time to sell or trade in their vehicle. It can then connect them with a local retailer to transact.
The company compared Your Garage to tracking the value of a home, saying it offers a “one-stop hub” for consumers to keep track of the financial trajectory of their vehicles, so when it’s time to trade it in they’ll know what the expected value should be as they enter the market. The aim is to allow car owners to manage their vehicles and plan for the future.
“Nearly half of car shoppers plan to trade in their vehicle to help offset the cost of the purchase of their next vehicle,” chief product officer Matthew Crawford said, citing the results of Cars.com’s recent survey of in-market car shoppers. “Our goal with Your Garage is to empower car owners with the technology needed to monitor a vehicle’s value over time, understand their financial leverage and make informed decisions about the right time to trade in for top dollar.”
“A car is the second-largest purchase most consumers will make, behind their home. Your Garage allows consumers to understand the value of their vehicle at a moment in time to help them make decisions about when to consider trading in or trading up for a new car.”
Cars.com said Your Garage includes an Instant Financing tool for rapid financing deals and New Car Hub for vehicle comparisons across makes and models and vehicle configurations, as well as a breakdown of purchasing pathways and their advantages.
Other features include the Cars.com Market Value, a view of the vehicle’s current estimated market value, List Your Car for Free for consumers looking to maximize the return on their current vehicle in a profitable market, and Instant Offer, which connects consumers to a competitive, market-driven guaranteed offer (pending inspection) from a local retailer.
Cars.com said it will expand its “Possibilities” brand campaign to include new advertising introducing Your Garage.