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    Franchise opportunities compared

    CAR-X vs CARSTAR

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    CAR-X2026 FDDCARSTAR2025 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    CAR-X

    $396,200 – $582,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    CARSTAR

    $23,500 – $804,300

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    CAR-X

    Not available

    CARSTAR

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    CAR-X

    2.5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    CARSTAR

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • CAR-X figures come from its 2026 FDD and CARSTAR figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
    • CAR-X and CARSTAR disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (CAR-X: 1, CARSTAR: 19). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    CAR-X

    $396,200 – $582,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    CARSTAR

    $23,500 – $804,300
    2025 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    CAR-X

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    CARSTAR

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    CAR-X

    2.5%
    Royalty — introductory rate first 180 days
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    CARSTAR

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    CAR-X

    $10,000
    Initial advertising fee — low
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    CARSTAR

    $500
    Insurance and Marketing Fund Fee minimum
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    CAR-X

    97
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52

    CARSTAR

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    CAR-X

    −27
    Calculated: 124 at end of 2023 → 97 at end of 2025

    CARSTAR

    Not available
    Only one year reported
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    CAR-X

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    CARSTAR

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    CAR-X

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    CARSTAR

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    CAR-X

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    CARSTAR

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    CAR-X
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record
    $758,563
    other Tercile 2 average gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50
    CARSTAR
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — CARSTAR franchised facilities, Bottom 50% by 2024 average Gross Sales
    198 units
    other Part A
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 78
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — CARSTAR franchised facilities, Top 50% by 2024 average Gross Sales
    199 units
    other Part A
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 78
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Part B franchisee-operated facilities converting existing repair businesses; FY…
    $1,340,572
    other Part B
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 80
    +16 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    CAR-X vs CARSTAR: common questions

    Which costs less to open, CAR-X or CARSTAR?
    CAR-X: $396,200 – $582,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7); CARSTAR: $23,500 – $804,300 (2025 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for CARSTAR. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Do CAR-X and CARSTAR disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    CAR-X has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; CARSTAR has reviewed Item 19 figures for 19 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full CAR-X report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full CARSTAR report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item