CARMAX Would you buy a Porsche from them?

Above says it all....

When my wife�s SUV was stolen, I took her to Carmax to look at many different models and decide what she liked. Everyone of them seemed beat up for the mileage and like Carmax didn�t care. Everyone of them had one or more warning lights, etc. It�s honestly like Wal Mart for cars..... We ended up finding the car she wanted in better condition with lower miles and a lower price from Carvana... no joke. We wanted something immediately and they delivered. Her replacement for that SUV was bought at the end of year clearance at a dealer. My one Carmax experience did not impress.

Carmax...Porsche...NOPE!

You could become the victim of a "MaxATTACK"!

I would if it checked out a thorough inspection. They have good deals sometimes and most people speak highly of their warranty program you can add to your purchase A fellow rennlister got a beautiful 997.2 turbo s on carmax

Mandatory DEEP PPI.. I know of multiple trash cars they bought and did a quick detail on and sold, and if you didn't buy their warranty .,, sucks to be you.

I bought one from CarMax and got the Max warranty for a 997.1. I would do it again. The warranty was ok. I needed to negotiate with them to pay the labor rate at the Porsche dealership. They only were going to pay $120 an hour and Porsche�s shop rate was $190. All in all I would do it again.

Yes, assuming I could get it PPI'd. Like others have said, there are serious deals to be had sometimes, you just have to find the right ones. The warranty too if you can negotiate it correctly is a big plus too... You can thank DeMuro for ruining their old way of doing it permanently though!

When a 996/997 has an engine issue that has slight symptoms of a bigger impending issue, guess where that car ends up in a lot of cases? You got it. It happens enough that we have given the scenario it's own name... A true "MaxATTACK"

NO!!!! Do NOT buy a Porsche, or any decent car from them. No matter who I purchase a Porsche from, no PPI = no purchase.

One of my employees just this Saturday told me a story of when he discovered metal shavings in his pan ((older Camaro) put fresh oil in and drove it to the dealership and traded it in...A short time later he got a call from the dealership and they where not to happy. I bet it happens all the time!

Keep in mind, people "feel better" about "screwing" a dealership on a car with symptoms, than another individual. They feel the company can absorb the loss.. BUT it never happens that way. The company doesn't catch the problem, and the next owner does... Invasive PPI )by someone who doesn't have their head up their ***) is required!

^ Yup, that was his take on it. It really pissed me off, I now know what direction his moral compass faces!

I wouldn't buy anything from Carmax, Carvana, or any online car outlet. I know this car buying experience has become very popular in recent years, but I'd rather buy from a local dealership or individual. I'm too ol' school when it comes to car purchases. Plus, I think you can get better deals.

Would it be my first choice? Probably not but the reality is you could get screwed by anyone or at any dealership. I don't know how strict the warranty is but I recall Doug Demuro having $20,000+ covered by the Carmax warranty on his Rover.

Considering the heaps of garbage I've gotten them to buy for top dollar KBB values; I wouldn't buy sunglasses at CarMax.

What I'm looking at are 2 owner (2-3 year each) 2013 and 2014 Boxsters..

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I guess I would ask myself "Why would someone sell cars like these two for less than market value to a churn and burn operation rather than sell them out right or trade them in...?"

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Carmax pays more for the cars than a dealer offers...most people do not want to sell a car privately, I know this because I often sell cars for friends....(having just sold my 03 996 cab)

A couple of years ago, I spent an evening researching Carmax and it�s parent company. They had recently bought up a bunch of auto repair shops that repair, on site, cars purchased at the auction houses they own or collaborate with. These are the �C� classed or worse cars that dealers take as trade-ins and sell through the auctions. It�s a big business, auction to consumer, all owned by the same company. Buyer beware.

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Wait, what you're 996less now?

Yes. like most of my purchases, I have researched the model beforehand. Emotions removed and know what I'm looking for. like was said earlier, I hate dealing with tire kickers, lowballers and joy riders. There is definitely a price I'd pay to not deal with that bs. That's one reason for their successful business model I suspect.

I'll chime in because I made my last car purchase prior to my 996 (a Grand Cherokee Overland) from Carmax, and I got the extended warranty. Here's what I learned from my experience. Their certification means nothing. It's not a CPO-like certification, so don't put any value on it, or what it says. Don't even bother reading it. Once you purchase a vehicle, you can return it within 5 days, no questions asked. They do not allow you to do a PPI; you must purchase the car and then take it back if there are issues. The good news is that they'll do repairs under a bumper-to-bumper within that 5 day period. My Jeep had a bunch of work done on the air ride suspension after I had my mechanic do a full inspection. This is certainly not optimal for a p-car purchase Each car is offered a different extended warranty duration, at a different price. My Jeep's was not overly expensive, but Doug Demuro and his Range Rover have certainly resulted in certain models becoming more expensive to cover. I purchased the extended warranty. This ended up being a prudent decision. I ended up saving lots of $$$ on warranty repairs in the time the Jeep was settled. I was able to sort some extremely expensive repairs for only a deductible. For my Jeep, the warranty was great value for the money. Your mileage may vary, depending on the car you buy. You're rolling the dice, as with any extended warranty. The warranty work must be done at a dealer, or at a Carmax. FCA dealt with the Carmax warranty just fine, but I've heard that this isn't always the case. Do your homework. The new tires they put on their cars are bottom of the barrel. The ride was so bad I put new Michelins on at my own expense within 6 months of buying the car. They refused to remove that god-awful sticker they slap on each car. I had to take it off myself. Not a huge deal, but I felt it was a distillation of the experience TL;DR: Would I do it again? No, I don't think so. If I had to do it again, I would have gone CPO and purchased the extended warranty through the dealer. Carmax's "certifcation" and prep for sale is disingenuous at best, and fraud at worst. My supposedly certified and sorted car had a ton of work I had to do in the 12 months following purchase. Go CPO through the dealer, or buy private if it's an older model you're after. The inconvenience of sorting a car that was supposedly "certified" as something is really an experience I don't want to go through again.

With MaxCare, maybe . Otherwise, heck no.

Wow, reading all of these posts I must�ve gotten lucky. Back in 2016 I bought a one owner, low mileage 997.2S along with the CarMax warranty. The car was in excellent condition and the price was very reasonable. I drove it trouble free (never needed the warranty) for two and half years before selling it privately last spring.

I bought a '16 Boxster GTS from CarMax recently...my avatar...the car that was listed on Rennlist, then BAT during early-to-mid 2019. I had no choice - CarMax had the car I "needed." The transaction was easy and the experience left me with a good feeling. I paid a premium for the car, for a PPI (post-), and MaxCare warranty. I researched and tried to protect myself from a stinker of a car. I know I paid a premium, but between the 1 yr of manufacturer warranty that remained, the PPI, the 5 yr of MaxCare warranty, I sleep well. AND I LOVE THE CAR. I prefer to buy new, especially after reading the comments above , so buying used through anyone isn't a preference. But it needed to be done. Unless my car explodes unexpectedly, my biggest complaint with CarMax is them using 4 screws to mount the front plate bracket.

I asked a Carmax sales rep about PPI on a car I was thinking about, and he said they would not allow that. His counter was that I could buy the car, get my PPI done, and then return it within their 7-day-return-no-questions-asked deal. I declined that: would have to put my money down, and get the car insured, and potentially go through various other hassles in case it needed to be returned. So I have relegated Carmax (and also Vroom and Carvana I guess) to the "do not bother" list when searching for my Porsche. I'm not saying that others were wrong or did not have positive results with these companies, but it is not for me. The essential element of "Pre" in "PPI" seems to be missing.

So in other words, Carmax is the perfect place to dump your bore scored 996/997... We don’t call it a “Max Attack” for nothing! There’s a special place in hell for the people that do this to fellow Porsche enthusiasts.

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People do this all the time every day and have done it for years. They get trade-in price for their cars at dealers. I never used to consider this because it was like giving up 20% of the potential selling price. But then as I got older I see the benefits. For many people, they don't want to meet with strangers at their house or in random places (let alone doing this possibly over and over again). For others, it's a matter of convenience. In short, time = money.

I believe businesses like CarMax have their place, but I wouldn�t put trust in the thought you�re getting a car that�s been thoroughly checked out. I purchased a Lexus ES350 from CarMax a few years back. They�ll claim some 30 point check, but my car had so many items that needed replacing after purchase, such as wiper blades, oil changes and the air filter looked like birds had been nesting there, ugh. Granted these are small items and fixable, but if they�re not going to catch the small stuff, don�t expect them to catch, and take care of the bigger stuff, especially on our 911�s where the failure of oversight is much more costly and severe. I would keep CarMax vehicle selections to Toyotas and Hondas, at best.

Happened to hear a CarMax TV commercial last night. Tag line was �we buy ANY car�. Exactly why people of questionable morals can dump their problems on others

ABSOLUTELY DO buy a Porsche from Carmax. You can get a PPI after purchasing the car and you can return it within 7 days for any reason with a full refund. The Maxcare warranty is excellent very reasonably priced.

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Ditto!

Why do you have that opinion? Direct experience or just an emotional reaction? Please explain. I had a great buying experience. If you do your homework when you buy CarMax is great IMO.

My list of where I would buy a 996 in order: 1. Local member of PCA that I know, and have known the car. 2. PCA classifieds 3. Rennlist 4. Craigslist 5. Auto Trader Classics Never from Carmax, Carvana, etc. and fleabay.

P.S. I used Carmax once to sell a Honda Civic, it was in perfect condition and they gave me silly good money for it, no hassles. But I would never buy a car from them...

I was in your camp and I would not have considered CarMax until I by chance found the car I was looking for listed by them. Let me explain my reasons for buying from them and I would like to hear your GOOD REASONS for not buying from them. 1: 7 day return policy for any reason and a full refund. This gives you plenty of time to drive the car and get a PPI. 2: CarMax Maxcare warranty. It is very affordable and one of the best warranties you can buy. Lasts longer than the Porsche CPO plan and you can have your car repaired anywhere. 3: No dealer fees or additional markups. 4: If you reserve a car they will hold it until you come see it within a reasonable time with no deposit. 5: CarMax has in-house very low interest financing available. 6: They will ship the car to your local dealership for a very reasonable fee. Usually $99. 7: Porsche cars are very well priced by them and you can get a great deal. 8: They gave me a much better trade in on my 911 than any other dealers offered.

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I have sold cars to carmax and i can vouch for convenience. The other option is to get a quote for my car. It is good for 7 days. Offer my car for sale with a pic of the carmax offer. Tell interested people my price which i price high enough above the quote to make it worth the hassle. If i get no interest it goes to carmax. Too easy.

Too many stories around here of people buying a Porsche from CarMax with fatal flaws or unscrupulous people dumping their Porsche on CarMax with known fatal flaws for me. After all some fatal flaws can be hidden well. To me to look at a car, fall in love with the car, buy the car($), then get a PPI then find the fatal flaw if you are lucky and return it just doesn't work for me. I realize this can happen in personal sales as well. The cut rate car gimmick selling folks is just too risky for my preference. To each their own, but No Thanks.

I had a fella named Tom work for me years ago and he purchased a rather damaged Boxster and a new Toyota for his wife from a dealership. The Boxster was purchased to be used for body parts to repair his damaged Boxster. As for the Toyota, after several weeks, I noticed that there seemed to be yellow paint splattered on the roof of his new car and it was being towed away back to the dealership. Within several months, the entire roof was a mix of half black peeling paint, half yellow and the car had been in the dealer shop more than a dozen times for repair. After having no other recourse he contacted his family attorney to take his case to the local small claims court as he was now facing more repairs. Within a few weeks, the dealer called the owner and asked if they could repair their differences, but the court date was now cast solidly in stone. As the date approached, the police came by to verify the vehicle and collect the vin number, and shortly after the police came back and repossessed the vehicle. During the court proceedings, the judge called for a recess and asked the dealership's attorney and the owner's attorney back to his chambers. Upon returning, the judge handed down his verdict which consisted of having the dealership, not only refund all rental car receipts, gas purchases, and towing fees but also the dealership was to give a new Toyota, same color, model, and accessories... free to Tom and his wife as well as pay any appropriate taxes. It turns out that the car was stolen and repainted and how it was sold as new somehow remains to this day..... a real mystery. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall and listened to what transpired in the judges' chambers. With this and my own experiences, I rarely trust dealerships in general and used car dealerships even less regardless of their slick advertising.

In my opinion, CARMAX is no worse than buying from any other dealer, in many cases better. I have actually purchased several slightly used cars from CARMX over the years including a Boxster and an M3. They are not the cheapest but are very easy to work with. I think if you do your homework the risk is no more than buying any other used car. With all of that said, I moved to an area that does not have a CARMAX close by. I had not been to one in several years and when I recently stopped by one I noticed that the quality seems to have changed. The cars were not detailed like I remembered and seemed to be lacking in the quality of offerings. Again these are just my thoughts and experience but if you found the car you wanted it's worth looking into.

Caveat Emptor! ...Ever wonder why there's a phrase in latin (latin is a very old language...) that warns people who are buying merchandise? There's probably a phrase in Aramaic too...

Buying any used car from CARMAX is no different than buying from anywhere else. It�s up to YOU to figure out if it�s a good deal. CARMAX does always seem a bit overpriced. 🤷‍♂️

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Ditto! I'd sell any of my 6 vehicles to them for the "right" price but I'd never buy one from them eiither. Since I am still thinking about selling my 996, I may ask what they're willing to offer but I'll wait to after the holidays to do so.

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CARMAX will offer you 10% under wholesale value. Thats's pretty much standard for cars they can�t sell because age/mileage.

You'll probably end up buying someone else's "Max attacked" car that was traded off because it had bore scoring. Carmax is the dumping grounds for people with engine issues that "don't want to screw the next guy, and would rather screw a company". Then they screw somebody anyway, when the trade in/ sell their injured vehicle and 3 weeks later the new buyer has to call me. It happens every damn week. If you buy there, have your own PPI done, and ensure it is done objectively.

I�m a believer that you�re buying the seller as much as the car. I�ve always bought private party (except my current car as I knew it was going to FSI). If I roll up to a seller�s house and the lawn is all dried out and yard is a mess I keep driving. Tells me he/she doesn�t look after their property. Buying a used car from a dealer ensures you�ll never know the previous owner.

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If so, that's a "no go" for me. Thanks for the info.

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I agree with doing your homework but honestly I don't expect carmax to be any more sleezy than the rando you're buying from online. Its your responsibility to do the due diligence of the car. I've bought one car from carmax, rc350 and it was a great experience, took all of 30 minutes. My brother a few months later bought a Lexus for himself and after discovering some issues he returned the car back to carmax, that process took 20 minutes ezpz. I've always heard nothing but good things about their extended warranties.

The big advantage from buying from CarMax, Carvanna, or any of these larger dealership chains is there is more cars to select from. You are purchasing the car and anyone that says one dealership is different than another is short sighted. You could make an argument that the cars that are traded in at a Porsche dealer would be different than the cars traded in at a Toyota dealer that are put out on the auction block and picked up by CarMax. You could are argue that the cars sold from an individual are different than the cars traded in at CarMax. But, the only real difference is what type of car did the person want to buy after they traded in. If you are talking about a 996, my guess is the seller is someone who just doesn't want to bother with making a little more money by selling it themselves. They can afford to lose on the trade in. Many dealers don't want to deal with a 996 on their lot so they will dump them at auction.