Costco is becoming one of America's favorite places to buy a car thanks to one huge perk

(Reuters)
People filling their tanks at a Costco Gas Station in Carlsbad, California.

Costco’s power in the auto industry is growing.

The warehouse retailer sold 465,000 vehicles through partnerships with auto dealers in 2015, a 16.8% increase from the previous year.

That’s not far behind the No. 1 auto retailer in the US, AutoNation, which sold 533,000 vehicles in 2014.

Costco has one major perk that traditional car dealerships lack: fixed prices. That means customers can skip the bargaining and upselling that is expected at traditional auto dealers.

The company sells cars through 3,000 dealerships to Costco members across the US.