Planning on Buying a Used Car in 2025? CARS24 vs Spinny vs True Value, Who to Choose and Why?

Traditionally, the used car market was primarily flooded by local dealerships or relied heavily on newspaper classifieds for discovery and procurement. However, recent years have seen the development of specialised online platforms that not only simplify the process but also promise experiences that rival those of new car ownership. From a limited number of available options and essentially no assistance throughout the buying journey, we have expanded to offer vast inventories, used car warranties, easy financing options, and more.

Consequently, this has led to numerous options, leading to some confusion for end customers. Let’s delve into a few of the top players in the market, decipher their offerings, and determine which one is best suited for what kind of buyer. A few of the renowned names in the used car space today are CARS24, Spinny, and Maruti Suzuki True Value. While a few other companies are operating within the space, this article focuses only on these three players.

CARS24

CARS24 is one of the market leaders in the used car space, primarily due to their innovative approach in ensuring seamless, attracting a massive number of first-time car buyers, with their promise of affordable and accessible used car ownership. Customer-centric policies in tandem with tech based solutions has enabled CARS24 to revolutionize used car experiences, with features like comprehensive physical 300+ point inspections for inventory cars, 7-day returns, home test drives, extended warranties at par with new cars (up to 3 years or 45,000 km) applicable for all cars, unlike Spinny’s limited warranty coverage provided only for their Assured+ segment, and easy financing options with up to 6 year tenures, making used car ownership hassle-free. CARS24 also empowers dealerships and individual sellers with equal opportunity to utilise the platform’s vast reach to sell their cars, after stringent verification checks, enabling only legitimate transactions. This differentiates CARS24 from other D2C model platforms, combining the prowess of a marketplace and D2C models, bringing forth a unified platform for every kind of buyer.

Spinny

Similar to CARS24, Spinny also has multiple offerings, such as extended warranties, 5-day returns, and quality assurance with a physical 200-point inspection (less comprehensive than CARS24), with segmentation of cars within the platform, such as Buget, and Spinny assured. However, Spinny operates a D2C-only model, contrary to CARS24’s flexible model, which also allows verified dealers and sellers to sell their cars on the platform, along with their quality-inspected inventory. This leads to limited inventory for customers seeking a direct deal. Spinny also offers up to 3-year extended warranty programs; however, the kilometres covered are limited to a mere 36,000 km, an enormous difference of 9,000 km when compared to CARS24’s 45,000 km, and extended warranty options are limited to only Assured+ segment cars, unlike CARS24, which covers all cars on the platform.

Maruti Suzuki True Value

Maruti Suzuki, a renowned car manufacturer and India’s leading seller for new cars, also operates its used car division, called True Value. It also impresses with its inventory of used cars; however, they are limited to models from their own brand, unlike CARS24 and Spinny’s all-encompassing inventory. They also operate on a similar D2C model like Spinny, missing out on dealer and seller listed vehicles, further limiting the inventory. True Value cars undergo a 376-point inspection; however, the process is entirely digital, unlike CARS24’s physical inspection. True Value’s online experience may not be on par with CARS24 or Spinny, due to the heavy reliance on showrooms and offline experiences. True Value Certified cars also come with a vehicle history report and are accompanied by a 1-year warranty, 3 free services, along RC transfer assistance facilitated through dedicated relationship officers.

CARS24 vs Spinny vs True Value: A Detailed Comparison

To eliminate any ambiguity and confusion surrounding these platforms, since the offerings across these platforms may seem quite similar, let’s take a deeper dive into the different offerings. CARS24 prioritises customer experience, whether it is during the used car buying journey or post-purchase ownership experience, along with transparency across all processes, while Spinny emphasises fixed pricing and a limited D2C model. True Value is a great option if you’re looking for OEM-certified vehicles; however, it lacks flexibility, such as a limited 1-year warranty and no return options.

Conclusion

For absolute peace of mind and hassle-free ownership, especially if you opt for the CARE+ package, CARS24 ensures your used car ownership is smooth and seamless. &-day returns along with extended warranties, ensure your car stays in great shape for longer, especially backed by RSA and annual service, eliminating stranded breakdowns. Similar to CARS24, Spinny also provides a good car ownership experience with 5-day money-back and extended warranty plans, but lacks the long-term benefits provided by CARS24’s CARE+ package. For those looking for a specific Maruti used car, True Value’s certified cars may be a great option, backed by certification; however, the lack of additional services such as RSA, Annual service, and buyback may not ensure great value if you want to sell your used car in the future.

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