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The carefully curated best suggestions and tips for this “how to search for Porsche cars to buy online” article are laid out for you below. 

Just follow my easy, concise guidelines and you can’t go wrong in finding that Porsche of your dreams. 

There are many websites to check out on the Internet.  But I am listing only the major ones below.  Please feel free, though, to share some of your own favorites with all of us in the Comments at the end of this article.

Just Follow These Easy Steps

In a nutshell, simply follow these easy steps on how to search for Porsche cars to buy online: 

 

  1. Decide on the model of Porsche you want to buy

  2. Choose the latest model you can afford to give you the widest selection possible

  3. Narrow down your choices, such as color, mileage, price range, farthest acceptable distance away from you, etc.

  4. Decide whether to buy your Porsche outright, or whether to bid on it through one of the auction sites listed here (or any other auction site)

  5. Open your Internet browser and select any one of the sales or auction websites listed here

  6. Go to the sites of your choice and enter all of the parameters and filters listed below to narrow down your selection

  7. Make contact with the seller and arrange for method of payment, as well as means of transferring the vehicle

  8. Now enjoy miles and miles of smiles while driving that new-to-you beautiful Porsche!

Here are our StuttgartDNA favorite websites to visit in order to embark upon your search for Porsche cars to buy online: 

Autotrader

How to search for Porsche cars to buy online: This is the Autotrader logo. Credit: Autotrader

Autotrader Summary 

  • First of two of the largest automobile sites in the country
  • Affords the potential of a substantial selection of vehicles for sale
  • The Search sidebar on the left side of the pages offers a plethora of search parameters from which to choose
  • In the upper-right corner of the pages, there is a “Show Payments” button, as well as a “Relevance” dropdown box to customize your viewing to your liking
  • Here’s the preliminary link to get you started: 

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale

Autotrader Search Methods

  • The website’s Simple Autotrader Search offers the following parameters:
    • “Any Make” dropdown list
    • “Any Model” dropdown list
    • Enter a desired zip code, then click on the Search button
    • OR, click on “Browse by Make” or “Browse by Style”
  • Advanced Autotrader Search gives you the following example parameters (though there are many more from which to choose to drill down in order to refine your search): 
    • “Location” – allows you to search a radius from 25 miles to “Any Distance” from the zip code that you must enter
    • “Price” range dropdown lists from your desired minimum to your desired maximum
    • “Year” range from your desired earliest year to your desired latest year, etc. etc.

Autotrader Classics

How to search for Porsche cars to buy online: This is the Autotrader Classics logo. Credit: Autotrader Classics

Autotrader Classics Summary

  • Supplemental website to the original Autotrader site
  • Narrows its niche to older and classic vehicles, especially pre-1981 vehicles
  • Allows you to start your search either by make, by state or by major city
  • Allows you to narrow down your search by particular model
  • Here’s the preliminary link to get you started: 

https://classics.autotrader.com/find-classic-cars-for-sale

Autotrader Classics Search Methods

  • Simple Search with following parameters:
    • “Make” dropdown list
    • “Model” dropdown list
    • Enter a desired zip code, then click on the Search button
    • OR, click on “Browse by Make”
    • OR,Browse Cars by State” or “Browse Cars by Major Cities”
    • Here’s the link for simple searches: 

https://classics.autotrader.com/find-classic-cars-for-sale

  • Advanced Search with the following parameters as examples only (though there are many more from which to choose in order to drill down to refine your search): 
    • “Relevance” which allows you to sort your search results by distance, price, list date, year and mileage
    • “Year” range from your desired earliest year to your desired latest year
    • “Make” dropdown list
    • “Model” dropdown list
    • “Price” range dropdown lists from your desired minimum to your desired maximum
    • “Mileage” dropdown list, etc. etc.
    • “Search” button to click or tap on to begin your search
    • Here’s the link for advanced searches: 

https://classics.autotrader.com/find-classic-cars-for-sale

Bring a Trailer

Bring a Trailer Summary

  • This auction website is getting more and more popular by the day
  • Rapidly becoming a connoisseur website for car aficionados
  • Porsche cars and SUVs are well represented here
  • Functions like most auction websites on the Internet
  • If you are new to the Bring a Trailer (BaT) website, there is a “Learn How It Works” page that explains the BaT auction process in depth; access it by clicking or tapping here
  • Website also shows graphs of particular model vehicles sold over the past 6 years just hover over any dot on the graph to reveal:  
    • the model year and date and price that the particular car was sold for, or
    • how high it got before reserve was not met
  • There’s also a library under each model of particular specimens sold as well as articles relevant to that model
  • If you want to be notified about a particular make or model, simply click or tap on the bell icon for email notifications of new listings for that model
  • A relatively new offering is an in-house delivery service; access it here: 

https://bringatrailer.com/shipping/

  • To get started, here’s the homepage link: 

https://bringatrailer.com/

Bring a Trailer Search and Auction Methods

  • Click or tap on the “Makes and Models” link in the main menu
  • Either enter a make or model in the Search bar near the top of the page, or
  • Scroll down in the alphabetical directory to the make and model of your choice, then click or tap on the desired model
  • Choose a particular vehicle up for auction
  • Study the vehicle’s information, photos and any other offered seller features
  • Ask the seller any questions you may have about the vehicle in the Comments section
  • Click or tap on the “Contact Seller” button if you want to privately ask questions or meet to view or test-drive the vehicle
  • If you are interested in the vehicle and haven’t done so already, register to prepare for bidding, view BaT’s YouTube video below to learn its registration process
  • View BaT’s YouTube video below to learn its bidding process:   
  • Make sure you are logged in to the website
  • Now you are ready to bid on the vehicle — enter your bid amount in the “Place Bid” box and just follow the prompts
  • If you are the winning bidder, BaT will send contact info to both you and the seller so that you can get in touch with one another about transferring the vehicle
  • Beware — there is a 5 percent buyer’s fee on the final sale price:
    • a minimum of $250
    • a ceiling of $5,000

Cars.com

How to search for Porsche cars to buy online: This is the Cars dot Comlogo. Credit: Bring a Trailer

Cars.com Summary

  • Second of two largest auto sites in the country as of this writing
  • Has the potential to offer a substantial selection of vehicles for sale
  • One major pro is that this and other mega-sites give a pretty good broad overview of the national market
  • One major con is that sometimes used-car dealers not only tend to flood this website, but also list erroneous information on the vehicles as well as inflated prices
  • There are also various topics of interest in the header menu, as well as “Buying & Selling” research and resource articles and tools in the website’s footer
  • Get started here at the website’s Homepage here: 

https://www.cars.com/

Cars.com Search Methods

  • Starting out on the Homepage, you can begin your search(es) from the get-go
  • Two (2) basic search categories: 
    • “Search by Make”
    • “Search by Body Style”
  • Basic “Search by Make” with following parameters:
    • “New & Used Cars” dropdown list — New Cars, Used Cars or Certified Cars
    • “Makes” dropdown list
    • “Models” dropdown list
    • “Max Price” dropdown list
    • “xx Miles from” dropdown list which allow you a search radius from 10 miles to “All Miles from” the zip code that you must enter
    • “Search” button to click or tap on to begin your search
  • Basic “Search by Body Style” with following parameters:
    • “Body Styles” dropdown list
    •  “New & Used Cars” dropdown list — New Cars, Used Cars or Certified Cars
    • “Max Price” dropdown list
    • “xx Miles from” dropdown list which allow you a search radius from 10 miles to “All Miles from” the zip code that you must enter
    • “Search” button to click or tap on to begin your search
  • Advanced Search with the following parameters as examples only (though there are many more from which to choose in order to drill down to refine your search): 
    • “xx Miles of” dropdown list which allow you a search radius from 10 miles to “All Miles from” the zip code that you must enter
    • “Home Delivery” checkbox
    • “New,” “Used,” “Certified” or “All” buttons
    • “Search By” radio buttons labeled “Make/Model” or “Body Style”
    • “Price Range” dropdown lists range from your desired minimum to your desired maximum
    •  “Year Range” dropdown lists from your desired earliest year to your desired latest year
    • “Mileage” dropdown list, etc. etc.
    • “Search” button to click or tap on to begin your search

Craigslist

How to search for Porsche cars to buy online: This is the Craigslist logo. Credit: Craigslist

Craigslist Summary

  • Largest classified-ad website in the world
  • Not a go-to site for Porsche cars and SUVs
  • Regardless, this website is worth a look because of the sheer volume of listings, just to see what’s available at any given point in time
  • Searches are broken down city by city, so you initially have to search each city separately
  • But sites such as searchtempest.com and adhuntr.com and searchcraigslist.org enable you to search Craigslist in its entirety:
  • Get started here at the Craigslist website here: 

https://craigslist.org/

Craigslist Search Methods

  • To start on the Craigslist website, click or tap on the link for the city in which you wish to search
  • Next click or tap on “cars + trucks”
  • Simple Search with the following parameters:
    • all,” “owner” or “dealer” buttons are your first choices to make
    • Five checkboxes from which to choose — “search titles only,” “has mileage,” “posted today,” “bundle duplicates” and “include nearby areas
    • “Miles from Zip” fields — enter the maximum miles of your search radius, then enter your zip code
    • “Price” fields — enter your minimum price and your maximum price
    • “Make and Model” field — enter “Porsche” and then a list of later-year Porsche models, from which to choose, appears
    • “Model Year” fields — enter your minimum desired model year and your maximum desired model year
    • “Odometer” fields — enter your minimum desired mileage and your maximum desired mileage
  • Advanced Search with the following parameters from which to choose: 
    • “Condition”
    • “Cylinders”
    • “Drive”
    • “Fuel”
    • “Paint color”
    • “Size”
    • “Title status”
    • “Transmission”
    • “Type”
    • “Cryptocurrency ok” checkbox
    • “Delivery available” checkbox, and
    • “Language of posting”
    • Finally, “Reset” and “Search” buttons to click or tap on to reset or begin your search, respectively

 

eBay

eBay Summary

  • Lost some of its luster of late for car sales, but still a good resource to exploit
  • The possibility of unearthing some real gems is still rather good, though
  • But beware because, as with Bring a Trailer, this too is an auction site that can fuel overzealous and irrational bidding
  • As with Amazon’s independent sellers, it’s always wise to check to make sure that eBay’s sellers’ ratings are as high as possible before bidding
  • If you are unfamiliar with using eBay, click or tap here to get to eBay’s Help section, which has a nice explanatory selection of “How to Bid” articles for you to peruse, among other associated articles; here are the main links:

https://www.ebay.com/ (Homepage)

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying (main buying page)

https://www.ebay.com/b/Cars-Trucks/6001/bn_1865117 (Motors > Cars & Trucks)

eBay Search Methods

Simple eBay Search

  • From the eBay Homepage, hover over “Motors” in the horizontal Menu Bar at the top
  • Click or tap on  “Cars & Trucks” in the dropdown menu
  • Simple Search with following parameters:
    • “All Makes” dropdown list — select “Porsche”
    • “Model” dropdown list — select the listed Porsche model of your choice
    • “Zip Code” field — enter your desired zip code
    • “New & Used” dropdown list — select your condition of vehicle
    • Then click or tap on “Find Vehicle” button

Advanced eBay Search

  • After selecting the “Find Vehicle” from directly above, you’re taken to a page where you can drill down your search as finely as you desire: 
    • “Year From” field — enter your desired earliest year
    • “Year To” field — enter your desired latest year
    • “Any Distance” dropdown list — select from “25 miles,” to “1,000 miles,” to “Any Distance”
  • Then click on “Find Vehicles” button — you’re taken to a webpage that displays all of the available listings, as well as the number of results for that model.  Along with Sorting choices and Display choices, here are the choices at the top of the page to drill down further:
    • “All Listings”
    • “Accepts Offers”
    • “Auction” and
    • “Buy It Now”
  • eBay’s Left Sidebar — contains the following parameters as examples only (though there are many more from which to choose in order to drill down to refine your search):
    • “Model Year”
    • “Exterior Color”
    • “Engine Size”
    • “Vehicle Mileage”
    • “Interior Color”
    • “Vehicle Title” etc., etc.
  • [WAIT TO INCLUDE THIS TO ARTICLE AT A LATER DATE] You can also find more info about eBay and its link here in our StuttgartDNA Directory

Excellence-mag.com

How to search for Porsche cars to buy online: This is the Excellence 286 Magazine logo. Credit: Excellence Magazine

Excellence-mag.com Summary

  • Not unlike Rennlist’s entry below, this is a classifieds-only website
  • Most if not all cars listed on this website are those owned by dedicated Porschephiles
  • Such sellers take pride in Porsche ownership seriously and thus maintain their cars well and keep records of that maintenance 
  • You can get started here by navigating to the website’s Classified pages: 

https://www.excellence-mag.com/classifieds (classifieds)

Excellence-mag.com Search Methods

Search using the Classifieds’ “Search Tools” with following parameters:

  • “Search” field — in this field enter any keywords you may have in mind
  • “Model Year” “From” and “To” fields — enter your start and end model years
  • “Limit to model” dropdown list — select your desired model from this list
  • “Show Me”Four checkboxes from which to choose: 
    • Dealers/Brokers/Etc.,”
    • Private Sellers,”
    • Used,” and
    • New
  • “Reset” link — click or tap on this link to start over with your search
  • “Sort By” — use this section in the upper-left corner to sort your current search by the following parameters: 
    • “Price”
    • “Model Year” and
    • “Date Posted”
  • Your current search yields a grid of individual boxes with a photo of each listing and a caption of the vehicle’s model year, model and asking price 
  • Hover over or click or tap on each listing to obtain all data provided by the person or dealer listing the vehicle 

Hemmings

How to search for Porsche cars to buy online: This is the Hemmings square logo. Credit: Hemmings

Hemmings Summary

  • Most of you are probably familiar with Hemmings Motor News, which is renowned for its wealth of information on antique vehicles, sports cars and exoticars
  • Offers excellent search versatility as a function of its wide selection of classified offerings
  • Caters mainly to avid car buffs 
  • The website itself has a large selection of interesting articles for you to peruse about all things cars, cars, cars
  • You can get started here by navigating to the Hemmings website: 

https://www.hemmings.com/

Hemmings Search Methods — Simple Hemmings Search

  • From the Hemmings homepage, choose the following parameters to begin tailoring your current search:
    • “Make” dropdown list — scroll down list and select ”Porsche”
    • “Model” dropdown list — select your desired model
    • “Year to Year” dropdown lists — select your desired earliest year and your desired latest year
    •  “Find It” button — click or tap it to begin your current search, bringing up your results page
  • The results page at the top indicates the number of results and offers sorting options
    • A list of results runs down the page
    • Click or tap on any listing to see more detail on the vehicle

Hemmings Search Methods — Advanced Hemmings Search

  • Hemmings’ Left Sidebar  — contains the following select sampling of search-filter parameters (though there are many more from which to choose to drill down to further refine your search):
    • “Seller Type”
    • “Model”
    • “Year”
    • “Price Range”
    • “Transmission”
    • “Vehicle Condition”
    • “Distance from Entered Zip Code,” etc. etc.

Porsche Club of America (PCA)

How to search for Porsche cars to buy online: This is the PCA Headerlogo. Credit: PCA

Porsche Club of America Summary

  • This is another classified listings website — an excellent one, at that!
  •  “The Mart” is where the classifieds are found, both on the website and in PCA’s award-winning official monthly magazine, Panorama
  • Sellers listing their vehicles in “The Mart” take pride in Porsche ownership seriously and thus maintain their cars well and keep records of that maintenance 
  • In order to contact sellers, you must be a PCA member
  • Or, you can join PCA’s short-term “Test Drive Program”
    • 6-month membership and subscription to Panorama, which also features “The Mart” every month
    • The $40 membership fee (as of this writing) is more than worth it if you want to shop from a choice selection of vehicles offered for sale from sellers who are passionate about owning and maintaining their Porsche cars and SUVs; here is the main link to the “Test Drive Program”: 

https://www.pca.org/pca-test-drive

  • If you’re a full-fledged PCA member or a PCA Test Drive member, you can get started here by navigating to The Mart’s website classified pages at this link:

https://mart.pca.org/

  • If you are not a full-fledged PCA member or a PCA Test Drive member, you can still peruse the offerings listed in The Mart — but you cannot contact the sellers 

Porsche Club of America Search Methods

  • Log in to the PCA website as either a PCA member or a temporary Test Drive member
  • From the PCA homepage, click or tap on “Classifieds” in the menu at top of page
  • “The Mart” page opens, with the latest ads appearing in descending order
  • In the left sidebar, the following parameters appear to begin tailoring your current search: 
    • Keyword Search optional field — enter any keyword, or leave blank
    • “Ads with Photos Only” checkbox — check or leave blank
    • “Model Year” slider — slide left and right buttons to narrow down your range of model years
    • “ Budget” slider — slide left and right buttons to narrow down the range of your minimum price and your maximum price
  • Set the following filters to drill down to your desired Porsche: 
    • “Model” — scroll to your choice, next to which is a number in parentheses indicating amount of available vehicles
    • “Generations” — scroll to your choice, then choose the checkbox of your chosen generation
    • “Ad Type” — choose the first checkbox, “Cars For Sale”
    • “Body Style” — select one or more checkboxes of your chosen style
    • “Color” — select one or more checkboxes of your chosen color(s)
  • Click or tap any of the following self-explanatory buttons, depending on the direction(s) you wish to take: 
    • “Save This Search”
    • “Search”
    • “Reset All” — use this to start all over again with a new search
  • When “Search” is selected, all available ads appear — click or tap on any given ad, giving you:
    • all pertinent info about the vehicle
    • ways to contact the seller

Porsche Finder

How to search for Porsche cars to buy online: This is the Porsche logo. Credit: Porsche AG

Porsche Finder Summary

  • Porsche’s relatively new search engine for dealerships’ pre-owned or previously leased cars and SUVs —now including new-stock inventory
  • Enables you to search the CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) and non-CPO inventory of all Porsche dealers across the country — all 193 USA dealerships 
  • The key takeaway here is that only later-model Porsche cars and SUVs are featured — i.e., ones that have been traded in or have been returned near or at the end of their leases
  • Learn more here in our article on the Porsche Finder website: 
  • I originally posted detailed instructions as to how to navigate PCNA’s awesome Porsche Finder website, but Porsche keeps changing the search methods 
  • So go to the site and on your own try its search engine, because of its constant reformatting 
  • You can get started here by navigating to the Porsche Finder website: 

https://finder.porsche.com/us/en-US/search

Rennlist

Rennlist Summary

  • Not unlike Excellence magazine’s listing above, Rennlist is a classified-only website
  • Also, many of the cars listed on this website/forum are those owned by dedicated Porschephiles who take Porsche ownership seriously and thus maintain their cars well and keep records of that maintenance 
  • Listings emphasize quality, if not quantity, compared to most other non-Porsche-specific sites
  • You can get started here by navigating to the Rennlist Homepage website: 

https://rennlist.com/

Rennlist Search Methods

  • From the Homepage, go to the “Marketplace” dropdown menu and select “Vehicle Marketplace”
  • “The Rennlist Marketplace” webpage opens:
    • On the left is the “Search Marketplace” sidebar
    • Make sure the “Vehicles” tab is selected
  • Search Marketplace Left Sidebar  — contains the following search-filter parameters:
    • “Make”
    • “Year From/To”
    • “Listing Type”
    • “Listing Status”
    • “Item Condition”
    • “Price” — Minimum and Maximum
    • “Mileage” — Minimum and Maximum
    •  “Location”
    • “Exterior Color”
    • “Vehicle Type”
    • “Engine” and
    • “Transmission”
  • Make your search-filter selections, then a grid appears matching those criteria, displaying examples of each listed vehicle
  • Click or tap on any vehicle that strikes your fancy to see all listed pertinent information about it
  • You can then select the “Reply” button to contact the seller, or call the phone number, if one is provided, to obtain more information

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In Closing

 

These are some of the more important online websites you can use to search for the Porsche that you desire.  Please leave a comment below specifying any other Porsche online search websites that you would like to recommend. 

In closing, above all, make sure you perform a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) before plunking down your hard-earned cash for the Porsche of your choice.  Be sure to check out our PPI listings in our Porsche Resources Directory to find a PPI technician to engage.  Finally, happy hunting for that awesome Porsche from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen or Leipzig! 

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