SAN ANTONIO — USAA has expanded the number of military personnel who are now are eligible to check out its online vehicle-buying services

Now, all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who served honorably can test drive the online buying portal to see how much they can save on vehicle purchases by joining USAA. Previously, only established USAA members could access the car-buying site.

According to the company, America's troops have saved almost $130 million on more than 77,000 cars and trucks by taking advantage of USAA's online buying services. 

USAA indicated that it now has 170,000 members using its online vehicle portal each month. By using the platform, members can save an average of $5,300 on a vehicle purchase, officials noted.

Military personnel and other registered users can visit https://www.usaa.com/carbuying to build a vehicle, find an authorized dealer in their area, lock in a guaranteed price and secure insurance and financing.

The company emphasized that USAA customers who purchase through the service get a guaranteed, no-haggle price.

The company rolled out several other enhancements to its services over the past year. These initiatives include:

—TrueCar Price Reports: Members can access new-vehicle pricing reports from TrueCar.com, giving shoppers direct access to prices others are paying for new units in their area.

—Discounted Carfax Reports: Members shopping for a used vehicle can obtain a 20-percent discount on Carfax vehicle history reports.

—General Motors and Mercedes-Benz Member Discounts: USAA eligible members can take advantage of special offers from these automakers.

"USAA's mission is to help build our members' financial security. Since buying a car can be one of the biggest purchases our members make, we created the car-buying service to give members an easier way to buy a car and save money," explained David Bohne, president of USAA Federal Savings Bank.

"By expanding access to the site, we hope more military veterans and their families will take advantage of the service," Bohne noted.

USAA offers its vehicle-buying service through Zag, a provider of online vehicle buying programs for a host of brands.