Selling a car in Las Vegas
Where to sell
your car for the most money.
The answer changes with the car. Here is an honest comparison of CarMax, Carvana, a dealer trade-in, a private sale, junkyards and us, so you know where yours will fetch the most.
The short answer
Newer running cars fetch the most from retail buyers like CarMax and Carvana, or as a trade-in when you're buying. Older running cars often do best in a private sale. Cars that don't run, are wrecked or have sat for years usually get the most from a buyer who prices the car and tows it free, which is what we do. Get our two-minute offer and compare.
Six ways to sell, compared
Option 1 of 6
Cash For Cars Nevada
Your effort
Little: they come to you
- Pays most when
- The car is old, damaged, not running or worth more than scrap but less than a retail buyer will pay.
- How it works
- A two-minute online quote gives a firm offer. Accept it, choose a pickup time from the windows offered, and we tow it free. You are paid at pickup and we handle the title transfer at no cost.
- Watch for
- We buy only cars you fully own, so a loan has to be paid off first.
Option 2 of 6
CarMax
Your effort
Some: a visit or appointment
- Pays most when
- A newer, running car in good shape.
- How it works
- Online offer, valid 7 days. Store appointment or home pickup, then they verify the car and pay on the spot. They buy even if you don't buy from them.
- Watch for
- The offer depends on the details you give; home pickup isn't everywhere and may have a fee.
Option 3 of 6
Carvana
Your effort
Little: they come to you
- Pays most when
- A newer, running car, sold fully online.
- How it works
- Offer in about two minutes with no haggling, then a quick on-site review and payment on the spot.
- Watch for
- Compare it with a CarMax offer on the same day; they price differently.
Option 4 of 6
Dealer trade-in
Your effort
Some: a visit or appointment
- Pays most when
- You are buying another car from a dealer.
- How it works
- The trade value comes off the new car's price, and Nevada taxes only the net price, which is worth real money on top of the offer.
- Watch for
- A big trade number can hide a higher price on the car you're buying. Negotiate the two separately.
Option 5 of 6
Private sale
Your effort
A lot: you run the sale
- Pays most when
- A running car with retail value and time to sell it.
- How it works
- You list it, show it, take payment, sign the title and give a bill of sale, then file the DMV resale notification.
- Watch for
- Time, strangers, test drives and payment fraud. It rarely pays off for a non-running car.
Option 6 of 6
Junkyard or scrap yard
Your effort
Some: a visit or appointment
- Pays most when
- The car is only worth its metal and you can deliver it.
- How it works
- Priced mostly by weight. Each yard sets its own paperwork rules.
- Watch for
- Towing costs that come off the price if you can't bring the car in.
Which pays most for your car
| Your car | Where it usually fetches the most | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Newer, running, no major damage | Get CarMax and Carvana offers on the same day, and a dealer trade-in number if you're buying. | Retail buyers pay for retail condition. |
| Running, older, worth a few thousand | A private sale can pay the most if you have the time. Otherwise compare an instant offer with ours. | Private buyers pay retail; buyers like us save you the listing, showings and paperwork. |
| Not running, wrecked or long-parked | A buyer that tows free and pays more than metal value, like us. | Retail buyers rarely want it, and a junkyard prices it mostly by weight. |
| Only worth its metal | A scrap yard if you can deliver it; a free-tow buyer if you can't. | Paying for a tow can wipe out the difference. |
The trade-in tax credit in Nevada
If you're buying from a dealer, a trade-in is worth more than its number. The Nevada Department of Taxation says a trade-in “reduces the purchase price by the value of the trade in” and that sales tax is paid on the net selling price. So compare any sale offer with the trade-in value plus the tax you save on it. A leased car traded in gets no such credit.
Junk car buyers in Las Vegas
If your car is a junk car, these are the names that come up most when you search for a junk car buyer in Las Vegas. We describe each only by what its own site says; we haven't checked their prices, so get quotes and compare them on the same day.
Cash For Cars Nevada (us)
Local Las Vegas buyer of junk, damaged and non-running cars. Firm online offer in about two minutes, free towing, a pickup time you choose from the windows offered, paid at pickup, and we handle the title transfer at no cost. Fully owned cars only. See what your junk car is worth.
Self-service parts yard chain with a Las Vegas sell-my-car page and an instant online offer.
National cash-for-cars buyer whose Las Vegas page says it comes to you, tows for free and does the paperwork.
National cash-for-cars buyer with a Las Vegas address.
Vegas Cash for Cars
Local Las Vegas car buyer.
Whoever you choose: check that towing is free and not taken off the price, ask what paperwork they need, and get the sale in writing.
Questions sellers ask
- Where can I sell my car for the most money in Las Vegas?
- It depends on the car. For a newer running car, compare CarMax, Carvana and a dealer trade-in on the same day. For a running older car, a private sale usually pays the most if you have time. For a car that doesn't run or is damaged, a buyer that tows free and pays more than scrap value, like Cash For Cars Nevada, usually beats a junkyard.
- Who pays more, CarMax or Carvana?
- Neither always pays more. Both give an online offer in minutes, and their prices differ car to car. Get both on the same day and take the higher one. CarMax says its offer is valid for 7 days.
- Is it better to trade in or sell my car?
- Selling usually brings a higher number, but a trade-in has a Nevada tax advantage: the Department of Taxation says the trade-in value reduces the purchase price, and sales tax is paid on the net price. Compare your sale offer with the trade-in value plus that tax saving.
- Who buys junk cars in Las Vegas?
- Scrap yards, self-service parts yards such as Pick-n-Pull, national cash-for-cars buyers and local buyers like us. Junkyards pay mostly for weight; we price the car itself, tow it free and pay at pickup.
- Will you buy a car I still owe money on?
- No. We buy only cars you fully own, so the loan has to be paid off and the lien released first.
Related: cash for junk cars Las Vegas · what your junk car is worth · private sale, junkyard or instant offer · report the sale to the DMV
Ready to see your number?
Tell us what you're selling and get a real cash offer. Free towing anywhere in the valley, and the price doesn't change in your driveway.