A car dealer says a used Toyota Camry he spotted at CarMax was priced at more than twice what he paid for a similar one.
Charles (@charles_.l), an auto dealer, used the comparison to question just how much shoppers may be paying for the convenience of buying from CarMax.
“CARMAX asking $18k… I bought the same car for $7k,” Charles wrote in the text overlay of his clip.
“This is how crazy CarMax pricing is,” Charles says.
Charles said he bought a 2016 Toyota Camry LE a few months earlier for $7,000. He said the car has roughly 100,000 miles on it.
Then, he found another 2016 Camry LE at CarMax. That one had fewer miles—about 78,000—but was listed for nearly $18,000. But Charles said the mileage difference was not enough to make the price make sense.
“This is an 11-year-old Toyota Camry, guys,” Charles says, clearly confused.
His comparison does not establish that the two cars were identical in condition, ownership history, or other factors that can affect a used car’s value. But on sticker price alone, the gap was striking. As of this writing, Charles’ video has more than 9,500 views.
Why Might The Two Camrys Be Priced So Differently?
Charles’ comparison is eye-catching, but mileage and model year alone do not determine a used car’s value, according to Auction Direct.
Kelley Blue Book (KBB) says pricing also depends on a vehicle’s condition, equipment, location, and other market factors. Accident history is a factor, too. So, without knowing more about Charles’ $7,000 Camry compared with the one he found at CarMax, there is no way to say they should sell for roughly the same amount.
There is another difference: Charles seems to have bought the car from a private seller, based on his mention of Facebook Marketplace in his caption, while the nearly $18,000 figure he cites is a retail asking price.
CarMax is not simply reselling vehicles in the same condition it receives them. The company says every vehicle it sells goes through a 125-plus-point inspection before being designated “CarMax Certified.”
Buyers are also paying for some protections that may not come with a cheaper private-party or wholesale purchase.
CarMax currently gives customers 10 days to return a vehicle, provided it comes back in the same condition. Every vehicle also includes a 30-day limited warranty in most states, with longer coverage required in some places.
None of that means an $18,000 Camry is automatically a good deal.
According to Vantage Auto Group, CarMax uses fixed, no-haggle pricing, meaning the listed price is generally the price a customer pays.
That makes comparison shopping especially important. KBB recommends looking at vehicles with the same year, trim, mileage, and condition in the local market before deciding whether a used-car price makes sense.
Charles may well have gotten his Camry for a dramatically lower price, but the $11,000 gap by itself does not necessarily mean CarMax marked up an identical car by that amount.
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Most commenters were not impressed by the nearly $18,000 asking price.
“18k is crazy, and that’s not even the out-the-door price,” one viewer wrote.
Another argued that the Camry was getting uncomfortably close to new-car money.
“For a little extra you can buy a brand new LE Corolla. This is a horrible deal. Are people stupid enough to buy this?” they wrote.
Charles agreed with the broader point.
“Exactly, it’s a great car but not worth the insane asking,” he replied.
Not everyone thought his $7,000 Camry made for a perfect comparison, though.
“100k and 78k makes a big difference in any car; $18k is tripping, but Fs worth’s more [than] 12,” one commenter wrote.
Another pointed out that Charles may have been able to buy at a lower price because he had enough cash to shop outside a traditional dealership.
“$7k cash on FB marketplace… if you don’t have that kind of cash laying around, then you have to finance and fall into a trap like this,” they wrote.
Others were much harsher toward CarMax.
“This company is a scam,” one person wrote. "I walked in asking about cars within $8000 and the lady treated me like if I am offering $8 dollars ... Although all of the cars they had were [trash]."
Motor1 contacted Charles via TikTok direct message and CarMax through email. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.
