Six alternatives to We Buy Any Car are compared here, including Motorway, Carwow, cinch, dealer part-exchange and private sale. Dealer-auction platforms such as Motorway have reported sellers receiving on average around £1,600 more than a part-exchange offer, a typical gap of several hundred pounds to over a thousand versus an instant-offer service like We Buy Any Car.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 21 July 2026
- We Buy Any Car offers a fast, guaranteed instant valuation but has an established pattern of reducing the initial quote at inspection.
- Motorway and Carwow use a dealer-auction model where multiple dealers bid on a car, which tends to produce a higher price than a single instant offer.
- Motorway charges a service fee once a car sells, tiered by sale price, while Carwow currently advertises its selling service as fee-free.
- Part-exchange at a dealership is the most convenient route when buying a replacement car but usually produces the lowest valuation of any option.
- Private sale through Auto Trader or Facebook Marketplace typically achieves the highest price but takes longer and carries more seller risk.
- Payment timing varies: We Buy Any Car pays around 4 working days as standard, while Motorway and Carwow both aim for same-day or next-day payment after collection.
How We Buy Any Car compares with dealer-auction, part-exchange and private sale routes
| We Buy Any Car | Instant guaranteed offer | ~£49.75 admin fee | ~4 working days |
| Motorway | Dealer auction (8,000+ dealers) | Tiered fee on sale, £0 if unsold | 1 to 3 working days |
| Carwow | Dealer auction (6,000+ dealers) | Currently advertised as free | Within 24 hours |
| cinch | Instant online offer | No separate seller fee advertised | Varies by listing |
| Dealer part-exchange | Single dealer valuation | No separate fee, built into deal | At point of purchase |
| Private sale | Set your own asking price | No platform fee, listing costs may apply | Varies, no guaranteed timeline |
KEY FACTS
- We Buy Any Car charges an admin fee of around £49.75, deducted from the final payment
- Motorway reports an average uplift of around £1,600 versus a part-exchange offer, based on its own customer survey data
- Motorway's service fee is tiered: around £29.99 for cars selling between £1,000 and £4,999, rising to £99.99 for cars over £20,000
- Carwow currently advertises no seller fee for its Sell My Car dealer-auction service
- Motorway's dealer network is reported at over 8,000 dealers; Carwow's at over 6,000
How does We Buy Any Car's instant offer compare with dealer-auction platforms
We Buy Any Car offers speed and certainty through an instant online valuation, but dealer-auction platforms such as Motorway and Carwow, which let multiple dealers bid on a car, have reported average sale prices several hundred pounds to over £1,000 higher for comparable vehicles.
We Buy Any Car's model is built around convenience: a seller enters basic vehicle details online, receives an instant guaranteed valuation, and can typically complete the sale at a physical branch within a day. The trade-off for that speed and certainty is price, since the valuation comes from a single buyer rather than competing dealer bids, and consumer complaints about the initial online quote being reduced once the car is physically inspected at the branch are a recurring theme in independent reviews. Motorway and Carwow instead run an auction-style process where the seller's vehicle details go out to a network of verified dealers, who compete by submitting bids, with the highest offer going to the seller. Motorway states that sellers received on average around £1,600 more than a typical part-exchange offer, based on a customer survey it conducted in April 2026, while Carwow reports a smaller but still positive average uplift in its own more limited survey data. Both figures are self-reported by the platforms rather than independently audited, so actual results for any individual vehicle will depend on its condition, mileage and dealer demand on the day.
What fees apply on each platform
We Buy Any Car deducts an admin fee of around £49.75 from the final payment, Motorway charges a tiered service fee only if the car sells, and Carwow currently advertises no seller fee at all for its dealer-auction service.
Fee structures differ meaningfully between these platforms and should be factored into any like-for-like price comparison. We Buy Any Car's admin fee of around £49.75 is deducted automatically from the agreed sale price rather than charged separately. Motorway does not charge anything upfront and only takes its service fee once a sale completes, with the fee tiered by the final sale price: broadly, cars selling for between £1,000 and £4,999 currently attract a fee of around £29.99, rising in steps to around £99.99 for cars selling at £20,000 or more. Carwow's Sell My Car service is currently advertised as free for sellers, with the dealer that buys the car covering the platform's costs instead, though pricing structures across all of these platforms are reviewed periodically and should be checked directly before assuming any fee figure is current.
How does part-exchange compare with selling separately
Part-exchanging an old car against a new purchase at a dealership is the most convenient single transaction, but consistently produces the lowest valuation of the options compared here, since the dealer is pricing in its own resale margin on the trade-in.
Part-exchange folds the sale of an old car and the purchase of a replacement into a single transaction at the same dealership, which many buyers value for its simplicity: one visit, one paperwork process, and the trade-in value applied directly against the new car's price. The consistent finding across independent comparisons is that part-exchange valuations sit below both dealer-auction platforms and instant-offer services, because the dealer is building in room to resell the trade-in at a profit rather than competing against other buyers for it. Motorway's own customer survey data, comparing outcomes across its dealer network, found an average gap of around £1,600 between what sellers received through its auction process and what they had been offered in part-exchange for the same car, though this figure comes from Motorway's own commissioned research rather than independent audit.
Is private sale worth the extra effort and risk
Private sale through a marketplace like Auto Trader or Facebook Marketplace typically achieves the highest headline price of any route, since there is no dealer margin to build in, but it takes longer, has no guaranteed sale timeline, and carries more risk around payment and buyer verification.
Selling privately removes the dealer margin from the transaction entirely, which is why it tends to produce the highest achievable price for a well-presented, accurately described vehicle. The costs are non-financial rather than financial: arranging viewings, handling test drives, negotiating directly with potential buyers, and managing payment safely, typically by bank transfer confirmed as cleared before handing over keys, rather than accepting cash or a cheque. There is also no guaranteed sale date, which matters for anyone who needs funds by a specific point to complete a replacement purchase. A vehicle history check remains worthwhile regardless of which route is chosen, since issues such as outstanding finance, a mileage discrepancy or a previous insurance write-off can affect any of these sale routes, not just a private sale.
What should sellers check before accepting any offer
Sellers should compare the net amount received after fees, check the payment timeline against their own needs, and be aware that instant online quotes from any provider can be revised downward once the vehicle is physically inspected.
The single most useful comparison across all of these routes is the net figure a seller actually receives, after any admin or service fee, rather than the headline valuation. A higher initial quote from one provider can end up lower than a smaller quote elsewhere once fees are deducted, particularly for lower-value vehicles where a flat admin fee represents a larger proportion of the sale price. Payment timing also varies: We Buy Any Car's standard payment window runs to around 4 working days, while Motorway and Carwow both aim to release funds within 1 to 3 working days or, in Carwow's case, within 24 hours of collection. Anyone comparing an instant online offer should also expect that offer to be reassessed once the car is physically inspected, since discrepancies between the details entered online and the vehicle's actual condition are the most common reason a final offer differs from the initial quote.
RELATED GUIDES
DISCLAIMER
This article is editorial information, not financial advice. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Figures were correct at the last review date shown above; verify current rates and rules with the primary sources listed below before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Does We Buy Any Car always honour its online quote
The online quote from We Buy Any Car is described as guaranteed, but it is based on the details a seller enters rather than a physical inspection, and the branch appraisal on the day can result in a revised offer if the car's actual condition, mileage or history differs from what was submitted online.
Is Motorway or Carwow better for selling a car
Both use a similar dealer-auction model. Motorway has a larger reported dealer network and has been operating longer in this market, while Carwow currently advertises a fee-free selling service; the better outcome for any individual vehicle depends on which dealers are actively bidding on that make and model at the time.
How quickly do you get paid after selling through a dealer-auction platform
Motorway and Carwow both aim to pay sellers close to the point of vehicle collection, with Carwow advertising payment within 24 hours and Motorway typically within 1 to 3 working days, both faster than We Buy Any Car's standard payment window of around 4 working days.
Does part-exchange ever beat a dealer-auction offer
It can, particularly if a specific dealer needs that exact make and model as stock, or if a manufacturer incentive applies to trade-ins against a new car order, but on average, independent and platform-reported comparisons have found dealer-auction offers coming out higher than part-exchange valuations.
What should you do if a car has outstanding finance
Any outstanding finance needs to be settled or accounted for as part of the sale, and reputable platforms including Motorway build a process for clearing outstanding finance directly from the sale proceeds; sellers should disclose any finance agreement upfront regardless of which route they choose.
SOURCES
- We Buy Any Car official site – accessed 21 July 2026
- Motorway official site and fee information – accessed 21 July 2026
- Carwow official site and fee information – accessed 21 July 2026
