Autotrader annoys me

I always get annoyed with autotrader, because they don't have an option to sort by RWD/FWD, or independent F/R suspension, or... sorry, this was just the only place where I could complain.

Do you know any car listing that does? I like autotrader because it's the only one I know of, other than ebay, that gives you a manual transmission filter.

Exactly. Plus, you can filter by private seller vs. dealer, etc. etc. etc. I'm actually pretty partial to AT.

Besides, you should know the specs of the car you're looking for...

Duke wrote: Exactly. Plus, you can filter by private seller vs. dealer, etc. etc. etc. I'm actually pretty partial to AT. Besides, you should *know* the specs of the car you're looking for...

If I knew what car I was looking for, it would be a lot easier.

And I agree with the manual/auto thing. It just annoys me every time I click on the drive pull down, I get 2wd,4wd, and awd. I want R/F!!

Duke wrote: Besides, you should *know* the specs of the car you're looking for...

Unless you're looking at a price point and are open to various makes and configurations...say for something like an oddball competition where you have an absurdly low price cap.

I almost exclusively use Craig's List now. The prices seem to be the best on the web possibly due to free ads.

Well, you can search for up to three specific makes/models at a time. Factor in price and layout, and in a few passes you can pretty much narrow it down to the usual suspects. Not to mention using the body style filter to avoid a lot of stuff you don't want.

If autotrader had a RWD/FWD option, it would be up to the person posting the ad to select the correct configuration and there-in lies the problem.

When confronted with the question, the typical consumer or typical used car manager would likely enter the info wrong or skip the box entirely. If they did skip the box entirely and you sorted by RWD, the search would only show you the ads for which people checked the box. That search would not show you any of the listings where they did not check the box.

As an example, go back to Autotrader and do a manual transmission search. More often than not, it will bring up a few automatics as well and miss a few that where posters did not check the box.

Does Autotrader have a limited number of engine types they allow sellers to use? It seems like every BMW on there is equipped with a V-6.

stuart in mn wrote: Does Autotrader have a limited number of engine types they allow sellers to use? It seems like every BMW on there is equipped with a V-6.

I wonder if that's more a problem with the people placing the ads. Do most owners even know? And I do know that Autotrader now lets you search by chassis type. (My brother works there, so I get the latest news.)

They annoy be because it seems to be full of dealer ads. Where are the individuals?

carguy123 wrote: They annoy be because it seems to be full of dealer ads. Where are the individuals?

Just filter by Private Seller. Problem solved.

stuart in mn wrote: Does Autotrader have a limited number of engine types they allow sellers to use? It seems like every BMW on there is equipped with a V-6.

That's the owners fault. Autotrader has cylinder count, not configuration--thats entered by the lister.

That's like complaining that Best Buy doesn't sell PCs without software or let you sort by cooling system type or FSB speed.

I like the keyword function on the advanced search options - it allows you to search easily and quickly for special editions, etc. (e.g. SS, SVT, SRT...)

The chasis feature on Autotrader is a nice idea, but the same problem arises with people not knowing what they have. For instance: Mazda3 hatchback gets listed under "wagon", and Mazda6 hatchback gets listed under "sedan".

I don't understand why Cars.com can't add a manual transmission filter. They get a lot of listings, but it's almost not worth sifting through the 90% automatic ads.

Stargazer wrote: The chasis feature on Autotrader is a nice idea, but the same problem arises with people not knowing what they have. For instance: Mazda3 hatchback gets listed under "wagon", and Mazda6 hatchback gets listed under "sedan". I don't understand why Cars.com can't add a manual transmission filter. They get a lot of listings, but it's almost not worth sifting through the 90% automatic ads.

the Mazda3 5-door gets listed as a hatch, while the nearly dimensionally identical WRX 5-door is listed as a wagon

fastEddie wrote: I like the keyword function on the advanced search options - it allows you to search easily and quickly for special editions, etc. (e.g. SS, SVT, SRT...)

True, but it sucks when the model you're looking for is either a "V" or an "R". I was looking for CTS-Vs or S60Rs, and decided it was easiest just to pull them all and sort by vehicle type.

Mostly, I just stick to Craigslist for toy cars. People don't usually seem to like to pay the howevermuchitcosts fee to sell a $600 piece of crap. Personally, I spend much of my day seeking out those pieces of crap.

They have gotten better. You used to be able to look only for a series, like a Mazda 3. Now you can specify the Mazdaspeed3.

...but not Mazdaspeed Protege.

David S. Wallens wrote: I wonder if that's more a problem with the people placing the ads. Do most owners even know? And I do know that Autotrader now lets you search by chassis type. (My brother works there, so I get the latest news.)

Agreed. I think a lot of people don't know... or simply don't care... like a friend of mine who was almost shocked when I told him his Subaru Outback wagon 2.5L had a H-4... he thought it had a V-6... since it certainly drinks like a V6... and he's even something of a car-guy: owns a 2003 MCS and a classic Mini.

Another good one is the Accord/Camry/Mazda6 ad that mentions the fuel efficient V4 engine. Sonnett swap?

autotrader has private cars?
every time I look all I see are dealer cars :gotme:

internetautomart wrote: autotrader has private cars? every time I look all I see are dealer cars :gotme:

Chicago is probably 90% dealers But there is an option for private cars only.

mtn wrote:

internetautomart wrote: autotrader has private cars? every time I look all I see are dealer cars :gotme:

Chicago is probably 90% dealers But there is an option for private cars only.

maybe the cars I look for are too cheap :p