Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Hate car dealerships? Try Carvana’s 8-story tall car vending machine

Carvana launches fourth car vending machine, third in Texas

By

Carvana Austin
Image used with permission by copyright holder
They say everything is bigger in Texas, but did you know that applies to vending machines?

Online auto retailer Carvana has launched yet another Car Vending Machine in the United States, with the latest example touching down in San Antonio, Texas. Standing eight stories tall, the sleek glass structure holds 30 cars and features four attached delivery bays, making it nearly identical to the previous installment in Houston. In total, the company has four locations across the nation, with the first opening in Nashville, Tennessee in late 2015 and the second touching down in Austin, Texas about a year later. The point of the service is so customers won’t need to hassle with salespeople, but Carvana reps are available on-site to help with the process (as there’s a good chance many people will be first-time car-vending buyers).

Recommended Videos

“We’ve been offering our free delivery services in the San Antonio market for almost a year and a half now, and reception to the Carvana car buying experience has been great,” said Ernie Garcia, founder and CEO of Carvana. “We are always looking for the next city to offer our Car Vending Machine pickup experience to and with the high adoption rate of the new way to buy a car in San Antonio, it made sense to offer the unique pickup experience here next. We can’t wait to deepen our ties within the San Antonio community through this launch and make customers’ experiences even more memorable.”

Like the previous locations, the San Antonio Car Vending Machine works by linking to Carvana’s website. Customers can search for, purchase, finance, and even trade in a car online, then they choose between home delivery or a unique Car Vending Machine experience. If they select the latter (and why wouldn’t they?), buyers head to the site where they receive an oversized Carvana coin to drop in the custom slot. Then, just like a mid-day snack break, the car automatically moves from its perch down to the delivery bay for the customer to enjoy. We don’t recommend shaking the machine.

If you live in the area, Carvana’s latest Car Vending Machine is located at 5435 North Loop 1604 W, San Antonio, TX 78257. The service is free to use for all Carvana patrons, and if you happen to live outside the local delivery zone, the brand will subsidize $200 for airfare and arrange white glove transportation (of you) from the San Antonio airport.

Updated on 02-07-2017 by Miles Branman: Added info about Carvana’s new Austin, TX vehicle vending machine. 

Updated on 3-15-2017 by Andrew Hard: Added info about Carvana’s latest vending machine in San Antonio, TX.

Topics
Andrew Hard
Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
The 10 best car battery brands in 2024
How to test a car battery

You must know this, but your car needs a battery to run properly. A dead battery means a car won't start, but various electronics in the car won't work properly either, including overhead dome lights, the radio, and even some security features, like door locks or alerts. So, it's in your best interest to ensure your vehicle's battery is in tip-top shape at all times. It's especially important if your car or vehicle sits unused for long periods. A trickle charger can help keep the battery powered in those situations, or worst case, a portable jump starter can help you get it going. But eventually, you're going to need to replace your battery, and it will help to know the best car battery brands out there so you know precisely what to replace your old one with. Let's discuss.
AC Delco
In operation for more than a century, AC Delco has been recommended as "the only batteries" for GM vehicles. You'll find them at retailers like AutoZone, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Amazon, and even some Walmarts. They're reliable, reasonably priced, and come with a good warranty, 18 months or above, depending on where you buy. A great AC Delco battery to call out is the Advantage series.

Bosch
Bosch is a solid mid-grade battery provider both in quality and price. They do have some affordable options, but their premium lines are still reasonably priced, with several tiers available for a wide variety of vehicles. The downside is that Bosch batteries are not carried by all retailers like some of the other options on our list, but you can find them online. You can also visit a Bosch service center if there's one near you. Callouts are the S4 to S6 series and the T4 to T6 series. We will say the brand's four-year free replacement warranty is unmatched.

Read more
Tesla’s fix for faulty Cybertruck pedal is simpler than you might think
Tesla Cybertruck

Less than five months after handing over the first Cybertrucks to customers, Tesla has had to recall the electric pickup to fix an issue with the accelerator.

In a notice issued on Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the recall impacts Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024. This suggests that all -- or almost all -- of the 3,878 Cybertrucks being recalled are those that have been manufactured to date.

Read more
Ford Mustang Mach-E 2024 vs. Mach-E 2023: What’s new in Ford’s electric Mustang?
Blue Ford Mustang Mach-E on a rooftop

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is easily one of the best EVs for the price, offering a solid range, sleek design, and pretty good tech on the inside. In recent years, it has gotten even cheaper -- thanks in large part to a price war between it and the Tesla Model 3. And, the company just took the wraps off of the latest and greatest version of the Mach-E, labeled as the 2024 model.

The 2024 Mustang Mach-E is notably different from the 2023 iteration in some meaningful ways. So much so that we decided to take a look at the two head-to-head -- to see if it was better to pay for the 2024 model or save some cash on any remaining 2023 stock.
Design
The Mustang Mach-E looks relatively unique -- in a good way. And thankfully, Ford has largely kept the overall design the same for the 2024 model, at least when it comes to the more consumer-focused models. The car retains the slatted taillights and crossover size. It also offers a large selection of colors, including the very blue Grabber Blue Metallic, as well as Rapid Red Metallic. It's a good selection of colors, and there should be an option for most buyers.

Read more