Test comparison of used car portals - car series

Used car portals: Germany buys & sells online

Used car portals reflect the spirit of the times and are already referred to by many in the automotive industry as the car dealerships of the 21st century. From the customer's point of view this is understandable! After all, it is much more comfortable to sit comfortably on the sofa after work and search thousands of vehicles in used car portals with just one click than to drive from dealer to dealer.

According to a study by management consultants MHP, around two thirds of all customers can imagine buying a car online. Nevertheless, according to a representative survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, 84 percent of customers would not want to do without personal advice when buying a car! So why not combine the best from the digital and analogue worlds?

According to MHP , car dealers expect around 50 percent of sales to be generated online as early as 2030. And this naturally includes used car portals! As innovation leaders in the automotive industry, we at pixelconcept have examined and compared various used car portals in Germany for you.

Buying used cars online is becoming increasingly popular with car buyers

According to a survey , in 2020 more than twice as many Germans were in favour of buying a used car instead of a new one. In addition, about 85 percent of those questioned in a Google study did online research before buying. Used car portals in search of the dream car are an important contact point for many car buyers. And with good reason!

Man buys online on used car portal

This is why used car portals are so popular with car customers

A used car portal like mobile.de, Autoscout and Co. is not only convenient, but also offers many other advantages:

  • No opening hours: Used car portals are open around the clock, 365 days a year. So car buyers have the possibility to search for their new used car even after work.
  • Only one click away: The way to the used car portal is short. Just a few clicks on your smartphone, tablet or laptop and you can choose from thousands of vehicles without even leaving your home.
  • To be inspired: Used car portals are practical for all undecided! Up to three weeks before the purchase, many customers have not decided on a model. On the Internet, they are inspired by various offers.
  • Filters make the search easier: The sophisticated filter systems and algorithms of the car sales portals facilitate the search in a targeted manner. Not only the classic filters such as make and model are popular, but also the closer vicinity.
  • Compare prices: What's the value of the car? Used car portals allow the comparison of different offers and offer the customer greater price transparency in the selection of vehicles.

Here's your chance! If you present your used cars online in an appealing way, you will come into contact with potential new customers who might never have found their way to your car dealership. After the pre-selection on a used car portal, the next step is a visit to the dealer, where you can convince them with on-site service and a test drive. The only question is, which platforms are really worthwhile?

Our used car portal Test brings light into the dark

It is now a fact that used car portals are worthwhile for car dealers. The largest used car portals Autoscout24 and mobile.de even indicate that customers are prepared to spend more and more money. According to the providers of both portals, the average sales price is after all more than 20,000 euros per vehicle.

Man drives in new car from the used car portal

But are the biggest used car online portals also the best? In our test we compared used car portals of different providers for you:

The detailed used car portal comparison from pixelconcept

The used car market in Germany turned over around 90 billion euros in 2019. Much of this business is attributable to the numerous used car exchanges. The car dealership software AUTOMANAGER from pixelconcept , for example, integrates interfaces to over 50 different platforms! Reason enough for us to compare used car portals in a test:

Portalmobile.comCar Scout24pkw.dehey.carebay classifieds
Potential range13 million users10 million usersNot specifiedNot specified35 million users (total, not just car buyers)
Advertising & SalesExtra promotion possibleExtra promotion possibleDepending on the offer bookedSpecial offers and promotionsExtra promotion possible
Evaluation by customersYesYesNoNoYes
Costs for car dealers**Tariff compact 529,99 EuroRate Flex 55 499,00 EuroAccording to price list and contract period on requestCommission on sales successFree, but more than 50 ads per month
0.95 Euro per ad

* All values as published by the used car portals in 2019/2020

** Calculation example monthly costs for 50 ads on the used car portals

Which are the best used car portals in Germany?

Our comparison of used car portals shows that the prize for the best used car portal goes to two candidates at once: mobile.de and Autoscout24. The largest used car portals convince with transparency, high coverage, low wastage and flexible advertising options that justify the higher costs.

  • 1 & 2. mobile.de and autoscout24
  • 3. hey.car

How did the other car sales portals perform in our test?

The provider hey.car is in third place in the comparison of used car portals because, despite a lack of data on reach and promotion, it convinces with its high-quality concept and fair remuneration model.

Ebay classified ads are free as a used car portal, but the high scattering loss of the ad platform could not completely convince us. pkw.de has lost places to the other used car portals because of the intransparent conditions for dealers.

Our reading tip: Would you like to know more about our two test winners mobile.de and Autoscout24? Then read directly in our blog article Autoscout or Mobile - which is the better portal? continue.

Our conclusion: Used car portals are worthwhile for car dealers!

Used car portals offer you as a car dealer the opportunity to meet your potential new customers and convince them of your offer. The best used car portals in our comparison are the industry giants mobile.de and Autoscout24. However, the same applies here: The more contact points, the more turnover! With the following tips you can expand your online presence in a targeted manner:

  • An innovative car dealership software like AUTOMANAGER supports you in vehicle management, sales and the creation of your own online showroom.
  • Professional images will convince buyers of what you have to offer and set you apart from the competition. An app like the picdesigner can support you in this.
  • A car dealership software with smart interfaces like the AUTOMANAGER Marketplace supports you in placing your offers on over 50 platforms with one click.

Would you like to know more about how a car dealership software can support you efficiently in your business and increase the profitability of your used car business? Then feel free to contact us by phone at +49-561-789845-0 or arrange a no-obligation strategy discussion with our team online .

Any more questions? Would you like more information? We look forward to hearing from you.

Feel free to contact us today to discuss your challenges and to learn more about whether Automanager is the right tool for you.
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