If you're selling a car in Manchester, you have more choices than ever. CarMax has a store on Keller Street. Carvana will quote you online and come get the car. Kelley Blue Book will give you an Instant Cash Offer to take to a participating dealer. You can sell it yourself. Or you can sell it to a local dealer, like us on Candia Road.
None of these is the right answer for everyone. They differ in how the offer is made, how long it's good for, how you get paid, and how a loan gets handled. Here's how each one works, the trade-offs, and a simple way to decide.
Your options at a glance
| Option | How it works | Timing | How you're paid | If you still owe on it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarMax | Online offer in about two minutes; finish at a store, or with at-home pickup where available | Offer valid for 7 days | Bank draft at the store | CarMax contacts your lender to arrange the payoff |
| Carvana | Online offer, then driveway pickup or a drop-off appointment | Pickup as soon as the same day; check your offer's expiration | Check, direct deposit, or credit toward a Carvana car | Check Carvana's current loan process |
| KBB Instant Cash Offer | Online offer you redeem at a participating dealer after an inspection | Valid for 7 days; 1 day to redeem after inspection | Check from the dealer, or credit toward another car | Dealer handles the payoff paperwork; any equity is yours |
| Private sale | You list it, show it, and handle the paperwork | As long as it takes to find a buyer | Whatever you and the buyer arrange | The lien has to be paid off and released first |
| FC Motors | In-person appraisal by our own service shop on Candia Rd | Most sellers are done and paid the same day | Cash, certified check, or bank funds | We pay your lender directly; you get any difference |
A quote isn't a commitment. CarMax calls its appraisals no-obligation, and KBB says there's no obligation to sell just because you got an offer. That means there's no reason to take the first number you see.
Selling to CarMax
CarMax has a Manchester store at 300 Keller St, so it's a national buyer you can actually drive to. You can start online: CarMax says you can get an offer in two minutes or less, and that offer is valid for seven days. CarMax describes its offers as firm, so there's no haggling. You also don't have to buy a car from CarMax to sell it yours.
To finish the sale, you bring the car to a store, where CarMax checks that its condition, use, and history match what you entered online. If they don't, the offer can be adjusted. Once you accept and bring your paperwork, IDs, and keys, CarMax says it issues a bank draft on the spot. CarMax has also rolled out at-home pickup for most of its customers, though availability varies by location and a fee could apply.
Still owe money on the car? CarMax says it contacts your lender directly to arrange the payoff.
A good fit if you want a firm written number, a week to shop it around, and a store you can visit.
Selling to Carvana
Carvana is built around doing the whole thing online. You enter your license plate, answer a few questions, and get an offer in minutes. Carvana says it can pick the car up from your driveway, as soon as the same day, and it also offers drop-off appointments. You choose how to be paid: a check, direct deposit, or credit toward a Carvana car. So you don't have to buy from Carvana to sell to them.
Before you schedule anything, read your offer's details to see how long it's good for. If there's a loan on the car, check Carvana's help center for how it handles the payoff. And keep in mind that any online offer is only as good as the description behind it. Be straight about dents, warning lights, and worn tires, or expect the number to change.
A good fit if you'd rather not go anywhere and you're comfortable handling the whole sale through a website.
Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer
This one confuses a lot of people: Kelley Blue Book doesn't buy your car. The Instant Cash Offer is a real offer that you redeem at a participating dealer. KBB gives you a list of participating dealers in your area, and you choose which one to visit.
According to KBB, the offer is free, comes with no obligation, and is valid for seven days. The dealer inspects the car, and if the condition doesn't match what you entered, the offer can go up or down. After the inspection, you have one day to redeem it, and putting more than 50 miles on the car can mean a recalculated offer. You can walk away with a check or put the amount toward another car.
If the car is financed, the dealer handles the payoff paperwork and any remaining equity is yours. KBB notes that a payoff can affect how quickly the dealer sends your check. Also, not every vehicle qualifies for an offer.
Is it worth it? As a free benchmark, yes. Just remember the final number comes from the dealer's inspection, not the website.
Selling it yourself
A private sale usually brings the most money, because you're selling to the person who will drive the car instead of to a business that has to recondition and resell it. The trade-off is time and risk: writing the ad, answering messages, riding along on test drives with strangers, and making sure the payment is real before you sign anything.
The paperwork matters too. In New Hampshire, vehicles from model year 2000 and newer need a title to change hands, while most 1999 and older vehicles are title-exempt (heavy trucks are the exception). Your plates stay with you. If there's still a loan, the lien has to be paid off and released before the buyer can get the title, and that's the step that stalls a lot of private sales. Our guide on how to sell a car in New Hampshire walks through the title, bill of sale, plates, and getting paid safely.
A good fit if you have time, the car is paid off, and the extra money is worth the hassle to you.
Selling to a local dealer like FC Motors
Local dealers buy cars outright because we need good used inventory. The difference from a national buyer is that you deal with people down the road, the car is looked over in person, and someone explains how the number was reached. Here's how it works at FC Motors on Candia Road:
- We match or beat CarMax and Carvana. Get those quotes first, then show us the offer, and we'll match it or beat it.
- No purchase required. You don't have to buy a car from us to sell us one. We explain more in Can You Sell Your Car to a Dealership Without Buying One?
- Running or not. We buy cars, trucks, and SUVs, including high-mileage vehicles and ones that don't run. If yours won't start, see cash for junk cars.
- On-site appraisal. Our own service shop looks the car over, so the offer is based on the real vehicle.
- Paid your way. Cash, certified check, or bank funds.
- Loan handled. If there's a loan, we pay your lender directly and handle the lien release and title paperwork, and you get any difference. If you owe more than the car is worth, read Upside Down on Your Car Loan? Here Are Your Real Options first.
- Usually one day. Once we agree on a price and confirm the title or the payoff, most sellers are done and paid the same day.
Already have a CarMax or Carvana offer?
Bring it to 1086 Candia Rd and we'll match it or beat it. See how our We Buy Cars process works, or call Matt at 603-965-2870.
What about trading in?
If you're buying your next car anyway, a trade-in is the simplest route: one stop, one set of paperwork, and the value goes toward the next car. Just know that New Hampshire has no sales tax on vehicles, so the trade-in tax savings you hear about in other states don't apply here. In NH, a trade-in and a straight sale come down to the same thing: dollars. If that's your plan, you can start a trade-in online.
CarMax vs. Carvana: which is better for selling?
Neither one wins across the board. They're built for different sellers:
- CarMax gives you a firm offer that's valid for seven days, a physical store in Manchester, and a bank draft when you finish the sale at the store.
- Carvana is fully online, with driveway pickup or drop-off and payment by check or direct deposit.
Which one offers more for your car is impossible to predict ahead of time. The only way to know is to get both offers on the same day, with the same honest description, and compare. Look past the headline number, too. A pickup fee or a slower payoff changes what you actually walk away with.
Should you sell to CarMax or a dealership?
It doesn't have to be one or the other. A seven-day CarMax offer gives you time to take that number somewhere else. Get the CarMax offer, add a Carvana offer if you like, and bring them to a local dealer. At FC Motors, we'll match or beat a CarMax or Carvana offer, and you still get an in-person appraisal, payment by cash, certified check, or bank funds, and a loan payoff handled for you.
A simple plan: get 2–3 quotes, then decide
- Get your numbers and paperwork together. If there's a loan, ask your lender for a payoff quote. Find your title, your registration, and every key and fob.
- Get one or two online offers. CarMax and Carvana each take a few minutes online. A KBB Instant Cash Offer is another free benchmark.
- Describe the car honestly. An inflated description just means the number drops at inspection.
- Get an in-person offer from a local dealer. Bring your CarMax or Carvana offer to FC Motors and we'll match it or beat it.
- Compare what you'd actually walk away with. Count any fees, how fast you're paid, and how the loan payoff is handled.
- Decide before your offers expire. CarMax and KBB offers are good for seven days, so plan your week.
Want to get the car ready first? Our list of ten things to do before an appraisal applies to every option on this page.
If you want a straight, local number, bring the car (and any CarMax or Carvana offer) to 1086 Candia Rd in Manchester. We're open Monday through Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 10 to 4. Ask for Matt at 603-965-2870.
Offer terms and policies reflect each company's published information as of October 2026 and can change. Check the current terms on each company's site before you sell.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I sell my car in Manchester, NH?
You have five main options: CarMax's store on Keller Street, Carvana online with driveway pickup, a Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer redeemed at a participating dealer, a private sale, or a local dealer such as FC Motors on Candia Road. Getting two or three quotes is the easiest way to see which one makes the most sense for your car.
Is it better to sell my car to CarMax or Carvana?
It depends on your car and how you want to sell. CarMax gives you a firm offer that's valid for seven days and has a store in Manchester. Carvana is fully online, with driveway pickup and payment by check or direct deposit. Get both offers using the same honest description and compare what you'd actually walk away with.
How long is a CarMax or KBB Instant Cash Offer good for?
CarMax and Kelley Blue Book both say their offers are valid for seven days. With a KBB Instant Cash Offer, you also have one day to redeem it after the dealer's inspection. For Carvana, check the expiration shown with your offer.
Is the Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer worth it?
As a benchmark, yes. KBB says the offer is free, comes with no obligation, and is valid for seven days at participating dealers. The final amount depends on the dealer's inspection, so describe the car accurately and treat it as one of your two or three quotes.
Should I sell my car to CarMax or a local dealership?
You don't have to choose up front. Get the CarMax offer first, then let a local dealer compete for your car. At FC Motors, show us your CarMax or Carvana offer and we'll match it or beat it. You don't have to buy a car from us, and if there's a loan, we pay your lender directly.
Can I sell my car if I still owe money on it?
Yes. CarMax says it contacts your lender to arrange the payoff, and KBB says participating dealers handle the payoff paperwork. At FC Motors we pay your lender directly, handle the lien release and title paperwork, and pay you any difference. A private sale is harder, because the lien has to be released before the buyer can get the title.
Got a CarMax or Carvana offer? Bring it here.
Show us the offer and we'll match it or beat it. No obligation to buy, loan payoff handled, and most sellers are paid the same day at 1086 Candia Rd in Manchester.