Joining the ranks of Edmunds, Kelly Blue Book, and CarFinder.com, Amazon is launching a new portion of their website dedicated to helping people find the car they're looking for. The new section, called Amazon Vehicles launched the morning of August 25th. While Amazon has sold millions of car parts and accessories over the years (like E3 spark plugs), this is the company's first real push into the auto sales industry.
“Amazon Vehicles is a great resource for customers who are interested in car information or looking for a broad selection of parts and accessories — all enhanced by the ability to tap into the knowledge, opinions and experiences of other car owners within the Amazon customer community,” said Adam Goetsch, director of automotive at Amazon.com.
The basic data points of thousands of makes and models has been collected by Amazon, giving customers an easy way to compare vehicles. The hope is that those who already see Amazon as a one-stop-shop will embrace the ease of searching and trust in the integrity they've built over the past two decades.
The real key will come from reviews left by drivers on the various vehicles, which will take time to collect. As of yet, Amazon Vehicles lacks the ability to connect buyers with dealerships, an option found on many popular auto research sites. One neat feature, however, is that buyers can save vehicles in an online "garage" where they'll be able to find compatible parts and accessories.
Earlier in August Amazon also launched a four day pilot program which allows customers in Orange County, CA to schedule a 2017 Hyundai Elantra test drive via Amazon.com. This move is part of Amazon's continued push to become the world's official "search engine for shopping." Amazon Vehicles has all the signs of eventually competing with car-selling sites like TrueCar, AutoTrader, and Cars.com.
