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NADA vs. KBB
What is NADA?
NADA Summary
- Access buyer and seller resources
- Generate accurate valuations for buying or selling
- More variables for valuations, not just the year, make and model
- User tools to help buyers and sellers
NADAGuides is an acronym for National Automobile Dealers Associations, and its mission is to provide users with detailed information about motorcycles.
It was established in 1917 to offer reliable car values for users, including car owners, dealers, lenders, and insurance companies.
How Does NADA Work?
The NADA website is packed with a database of vehicle prices spanning over 90 years. You’ll also find online tools to help you estimate the following;
- Safety ratings
- Fuel efficiency
- CC of cars
- History
- Prices
In addition, you can get a free dealer price quote by providing the details of your preferred vehicle, including Make, model, and year of manufacture.
As well, NADA enables you to check your vehicle history report. The report is comprehensive and contains valuable information, including;
- The general condition of the vehicle
- Whether the vehicle has been involved in an accident
- Actual mileage
When buying a car, you can search for new or used cars in your location and get their immediate value.
To get started;
- Select the vehicle type or style
- Get the vehicle history report
- Get a free dealer price quote within two minutes.
- You can compare loan offers from up to five lenders
- Use the loan calculator to get the best installment that fits your budget.
You can also find comprehensive car shopping guides and car reviews on the website. Further, there are car articles, comparison guides, new car previews, and insurance guides to help you navigate the world of automotives.
What is KBB?
KBB Summary
- Provides an Instant Cash Offer and purchases your car within a day
- Helps to determine your car’s value if you want to sell it privately
- It’s free to use the KBB valuation tool
- No obligations – you can use the KBB valuation tool and sell your car privately
Kelly Blue Book(KBB) was established in 1926 to offer a guide in vehicle pricing. It’s a renowned online platform for car valuation and assessment. Here you can get up-to-date prices of different models including Wagons, SUVs, Luxury Sports cars, Couple and Sedan.
The company estimates the book values of vehicles by analyzing market dynamics, gathering pricing data, and looking at prevailing economic conditions.
How Does KBB Work?
KBB uses criteria such as warranty, car’s condition, popularity, and prevailing market condition to estimate the value of a vehicle.
With these parameters, it rates vehicles as good, fair, excellent, and poor. The car values are consistent and form the basis of decision-making for dealers, private sellers, and buyers.
In addition, the website offers unbiased reviews on different vehicles such as SUV, Crossover, Sedan, Truck, Hatchback, Convertible, Luxury, Coupe, Electric, and Wagon.
Some of the most popular reviews include;
- The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid Review
- 2021 Volvo XC90 Review
- 2021 Volvo XC60 Review
KBB’s editors contribute the latest news in the motor vehicle industry, offering feedback and advice to shoppers. As well, you can get comparisons and valuable recommendations about cars.
KBB also has an instant cash offer service for vehicle owners willing to sell their cars. They do this by linking you to a reputable dealer who will buy your car for cash or trade-in.
Here is how the cash offer works
- You start by filling an online form on the website with your car’s details. Don’t forget to give vital information, including the license plate number, VIN, model, year of manufacture, and make.
- After that, you’ll get an instant offer from participating dealers. This offer has a validity period of seven days.
- Once you accept, the dealer may come for the vehicle or have you drive it to the yard.
- After ascertaining everything is in order, they will pay you cash.
You also get recommendations for auto repair prices, auto shops near you, and service & repair guides.
Additionally, KBB also has research tools that can improve your user experience. These include;
- Car finder
- Vehicle history report
- Car loans recommendations
- Insurance tools
- Check my credit
- Recalls
NADA vs. KBB Fees
NADA charges $24.99 to access a single-vehicle history report and $49.99 for 25 reports. In contrast, KBB does not charge any fees for users to access the website or use its valuation tools.
NADA vs. KBB Payments
NADAGuides doesn’t accept payments on behalf of the parties. Likewise, KBB doesn’t handle payment on behalf of the buyers or sellers. When selling your car, they’ll only connect you to the participating dealer, and from there, you can receive instant cash, cheque, or trade-in credit.
NADA vs. KBB Pick Up
NADAGuides doesn’t have vehicles in its inventory, and thus they don’t offer pick-up services.
By comparison, KBB doesn’t offer pick-up services since they don’t handle the sale process.
NADA vs. KBB Towing
NADAGuides doesn’t offer towing services since they don’t buy vehicles from car owners.
On the other hand, KBB doesn’t offer towing services because they only offer a platform for car owners to get an instant offer on cars.
NADA vs. KBB Customer Service
Most customers express satisfaction with Nadaguides customer services. They are happy with the interphase and availability of up-to-date car values.
On the other hand, KBB customers feel that a lot of spam messages are getting into their inboxes hence a low level of satisfaction.
NADA vs. KBB Reviews
| Rating | Nada | KBB |
| Price affordability | 3 | 3 |
| Diversity of products or services | 3 | 3 |
| Discounts and special offers | 3 | 3 |
| Website | 3 | 3 |
| Customer service | 3 | 3 |
| Average | 3 | 3 |
NADAguides has a 1 out of 5 rating on Better Business Bureau. Undoubtedly, this is poor performance, with most users dissatisfied with the valuation service.
Some express the opinion of the car values being inaccurate, especially when seeking financing through lenders.
On the same note, some users are happy with the instant quote service with reputable dealers.
In contrast, KBB has a consumer rating of 1.6 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot and a 1.0 out of 5.0 score on Better Business Bureau(BBB). As you can see, this is poor performance and translates to customer dissatisfaction.
Part of the reason for the poor performance is that most users complain of receiving spam messages even when they’ve not subscribed to receive alerts. In addition, other users complain of getting inaccurate vehicle values.
However, some customers are happy with the service and applaud the support team for quick response to their queries.
NADA vs. KBB Comparison Verdict Summary
One of the major differences between KBB and NADAGuides is how they compute a car’s value. While KBB issues metrics such as a vehicle’s condition, popularity, features, make, model and mileage, NADAGuides focuses on its wholesale price.
Another variance comes in the method of gathering basic data about a car. KBB emphasizes vehicle auctions to get the market price, whereas NADAGuides gathers actual car records from retailers.
In addition, NADAguides assume all cars are in excellent condition and therefore list high prices. Therefore, more people are more likely to believe in KBB values because the prices are not overinflated.
NADA charges up to $49.99 to get a vehicle history report, whereas KBB offers free service. Overall, KBB is an excellent option if you’re looking to save some money.
NADA & KBB Alternatives
Compare to Other Car Buying Websites
Peddle
Get your free offer instantly via online form or call on (855) 925 4302
$0 fees + you don’t have to pay for towing – Peddle will take care of it
Get paid in check during the pick up for any car (damaged, junk, wrecked)
Wheelzy
Quick car evaluation without the hassle – sell your car within 30 min
Choose a convenient date and time for free pick-up, as soon as next day
Get cash in hand the same day the Wheelzy agent picks up your car
| Company | NADA | KBB | Cargurus | Autotrader |
| Towing | No towing services | Available through dealers | Available through dealers | Available through dealers |
| Pickup | No pick up services | Available through dealers | Available through dealers | Available through dealers |
| Offer | Doesn’t buy cars | Available through dealers | Available through dealers | Available through dealers |
| Offer validity period | Doesn’t buy cars | Depends on the dealer | Depends on the dealer | Depends on the dealer |
| Vehicles accepted | Doesn’t buy cars | Accepts vehicles in good condition | Accepts vehicles in good condition | Accepts vehicles in good condition |
| Payment option | Doesn’t accept payments on behalf of parties | Doesn’t accept payments on behalf of parties | Uses Cargurus pay, cheque or escrow | Doesn’t accept payments on behalf of parties. |
Cargurus
CarGurus Summary
- Receive payment within 3 working days
- Find out the market value of your car
- List your car for sale in under 5 minutes
- Up to $75,000 in protection for your sale
Cargurus is an online vehicle marketplace founded in 2006 to connect dealers, private sellers, and buyers of new or old vehicles.
The company uses search algorithms, data analytics, and proprietary technology to improve the user experience for its customers. In addition, they use the Instant Market Vehicle tool to get the right estimate of vehicle values.
You can list your vehicle on the platform by paying up to $4.95 for thirty days. Once someone gets some interest in your vehicle, they will contact you via mail or phone.
Further, Cargurus allows you to get an instant offer on your old car as long as it’s in good condition.
After getting an offer, they’ll connect you to a reputable dealer. To receive your payment, you can use the Cargurus portal or accept cash payments.
Autotrader
AutoTrader Summary
- You can sell or buy a wide variety of vehicles through AutoTrader
- A reputable platform to sell and buy used cars
- You can get fair deals for your second-hand car
- Efficient customer service
Autotrader is a web-based platform that enables users to buy or sell new, old, and certified second-hand vehicles. They don’t hold any inventory of vehicles; however, they help facilitate a transaction between buyers, sellers, and dealers.
Autotrader uses the KBB valuation tool to estimate the real value of a car. In addition, you can get instant cash for cars offers, if you opt to sell your old car to a dealer.
As well, Autotrader charges up to $90 to place an ad on the platform. However, you have an option of choosing between basic, featured, and premium depending on your budget.
Here is a breakdown of the charges.
| Type of ad | Cost |
| Basic | $25 |
| Featured | $50 |
| Premium | $90 |
You can also sell your old vehicle via the platform by providing a brief description. Autotrader will contact you with an instant offer from interested buyers and once you accept, you’ll get instant payment. However, you can’t sell damaged car under this platform.
