Inspiration
Buying a car or caravan is a major financial decision, yet most platforms focus on price instead of long-term affordability. We were inspired by dating apps’ swipe-based decision flow and wanted to pair that experience with financial intelligence to reduce buyer’s remorse.
What it does
Carvana is a dating-style marketplace for cars and caravans that helps users discover options they can realistically afford. It combines swiping, smart filters, affordability insights, and financial comparisons to guide better decisions.
How we built it
We built the app using React and TypeScript with centralized state management, Supabase authentication, and a real U.S. city and state location selector. AI-driven logic transforms financial data into affordability scores, comparisons, and explainable recommendations.
Challenges we ran into
Synchronizing swipe behavior with live filters and zero-match fallback logic required careful state handling to avoid broken decks or duplicate cards. We also had to balance Toyota’s red branding with clear financial signals that users could trust.
Accomplishments that we’re proud of
We successfully built a fully working account system, intelligent onboarding, and a swipe interface that never returns empty results. The side-by-side financial comparison feature clearly explains tradeoffs instead of overwhelming users with raw data.
What we learned
We learned that AI is most effective when it quietly powers clear, structured insights rather than acting as a chatbot. Small UX details like color discipline and explainable recommendations significantly improve user trust.
What’s next for Carvana
Next, we plan to integrate real dealerships so users can see actual caravans available near them in real time. This would allow Carvana to move from a decision-support tool into a fully connected automotive marketplace.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.