The best place to buy used cars in Toronto depends on various factors. These include the type of car you want, how much you want to spend and what level of effort you’re willing to put into shopping around. Use this post to compare different types of used car sellers in Toronto and explore your financing options to find the best car and payment plan for your needs.
At a glance: Where to find used cars in Toronto
Compare the pros and cons of different types of used car sellers in Toronto:
Compare different types of used car providers in Toronto
Compare various sellers in the following categories to find the best place to buy used cars in Toronto for your unique set of needs:
Online dealers
Clutch is a reputable online dealer that offers newer used cars for online purchase and at-home delivery. It offers a free 90 days/6,000 km warranty coverage and is up-front about any damage to the vehicle. Just be aware that you may have to pay more fees than with other sellers.
How the car-buying process works: Shop for a used car entirely online and get it delivered to your door. You’ll typically pay with cash or financing.
Who it’s best for: Best for people who want a transparent car-buying experience with the option for financing and home delivery.
What to watch out for: You may have to pay more fees than you will with other dealers (depending on where you live).
CarDoor is a car delivery service that operates primarily in the Greater Toronto area. This site comes with perks such as a money-back guarantee, exchange program and free warranty. The main downside is that it has a smaller inventory and mostly newer cars.
How the car-buying process works: Shop for a used car entirely online and arrange at-home delivery. You’ll typically pay with cash or financing.
Who it’s best for: Best for people who want a newer vehicle and would like to get financing to cover payments.
What to watch out for: Inventory is small and most of the cars are fairly new so it can be quite expensive compared to other sellers.
There are dozens of well-rated dealerships in Toronto if you’d prefer to shop for a used car in person. These dealers let you visually compare and test drive multiple vehicles in one visit. The main downside is that some agents may try to pressure you into buying a car.
How the car-buying process works: Shop in person at the dealership of your choice. You’ll typically pay with cash or get in-house financing.
Who it’s best for: Best for customers who would like to compare and test drive multiple vehicles with the support of a knowledgeable salesperson.
What to watch out for. Watch out for poor customer service, faulty vehicles and dodgy sales practices.
Google ratings were last verified on April 11, 2024.
Private marketplaces
You can shop for private sale used cars for free with Craigslist. The site is user-friendly and easy to access anonymously (though you’ll need to input your email to exchange messages). The main downside is that there are too many paid ads and dealership listings.
How the car-buying process works: Input your email to send a message to the seller. You’ll typically pay by cash or e-transfer.
Who it’s best for: Best for people who want to buy a private sale vehicle using a simple and user-friendly website.
What to watch out for: Many scammers operate on Craigslist and the site is full of ads. Avoid clicking on sponsored ads and walk away if a deal seems too good to be true.
Kijiji is an online marketplace that offers a wide selection of used cars. You can shop anonymously and thumbnails show information up-front so you don’t need to click on each ad to find out relevant details. The main downside is that the site can be slow and difficult to navigate.
How the car-buying process works: Send a message to the seller via the Kijiji platform. You’ll typically pay by cash or e-transfer in most cases.
Who it’s best for: Best for people who don’t want to give out their email and would rather interact over a designated platform.
What to watch out for: The website can be slow and there are many sponsored ads and fraudulent sellers on Kijiji.
Facebook Marketplace lets you buy private sale vehicles using your Facebook account. Sellers are validated by their profiles and associated ratings, and there are fewer ads and dealership cars. The downside is that you need Facebook to use this online marketplace.
How the car-buying process works: Use your Facebook profile to send a message to the seller. You’ll typically pay by cash or e-transfer in most cases.
Who it’s best for: Best for people who want to see who they’re buying from and get a sense of their general trustworthiness.
What to watch out for: It’s still possible to run into fraudulent sellers. Just beware of profiles that have been recently created or have no pictures or friends.
AutoTrader is an online car broker that lets you shop for vehicles and assess their market value. You can determine how much a car should cost based on estimations by Auto Trader of what’s a good deal. The main downside is that there are too many ads.
How the car-buying process works: Click on the ad and input your personal information to send a message. You’ll typically pay by cash or in-house financing.
Who it’s best for: Best for people who want to get a good idea of how much a car should cost while comparing multiple dealerships in their local area.
What to watch out for: There are too many sponsored ads on the site and you need to submit your phone number and email address to send a message.
Carpages.ca is an online broker that lets you shop in person or pay completely online with at-home delivery in some cases. The main downside is that not all Toronto dealers are represented on this site so you could miss out on a good deal.
How the car-buying process works: Send a message to the dealership that listed the vehicle. You’ll typically pay by cash or get in-house financing.
Who it’s best for: Best for people who want to shop with local dealerships or buy a local vehicle online with at-home delivery (with some sellers).
What to watch out for: You’ll need to submit your email and phone number just to send a message and it’s difficult to filter search results down to a small radius in Toronto.
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What to look for when you buy a used car in Toronto
Use this checklist to find the best used car for your personal needs in Toronto:
Low mileage. Look for a used car that has the lowest mileage possible (aim for under 120,000km to avoid mechanical problems).
Clean inspection. Get an inspection from a licensed mechanic, even if your car has already had a dealership inspection, to make sure it has a clean bill of health.
Has maintenance records. Ask about maintenance records and be wary of any seller who can’t produce receipts for services rendered.
Listed at market price or lower. Check how much your car should cost on sites like AutoTrader, Kelley Blue Book and Canadian Black Book to make sure you pay a good price.
Passes a VIN check. Order a CarFax report to see if the car you want has been involved in any collisions or thefts.
Performs well in a test drive. Take the car around the block to check that everything works properly (including lights, brakes and steering).
Eligible for financing. Confirm that the car you want to buy is eligible for financing if you plan to borrow money for buying a used car.
Get the UVIP. Car sellers in Ontario are legally required to provide the buyer with the car’s used vehicle information package (UVIP).
Fits your budget. Remember to factor in more than the sticker price when calculating whether or not you can afford to buy a used car in Toronto. If you’re buying a used car from a dealership, you’ll have to pay 13% HST sales tax. If you’re buying from a private seller, you’ll have to pay a 13% RST tax.
You can pay for a used car in Toronto using the following payment methods.
Use your own money. Save up to buy a car or ask your family and friends if you can borrow money. This is more realistic for cheaper vehicles.
Apply for a car loan. Ask to borrow funds from a bank or private auto financing lender if you need to buy a used car in Toronto (you can consider a cosigner if you have bad credit).
Apply for dealership financing. Apply for a loan directly from your dealer if you want convenient financing and don’t mind paying higher rates.
Use a credit card. Use a credit card to pay for cheap vehicles (usually $5,000 or under) and collect rewards. The downside is your interest rate will be around 19.99%.
Bottom line
The best place to buy used cars in Toronto for you will depend on factors such as how much you want to spend, whether or not you need financing and what type of car you want. Learn more about which seller might be best suited for your personal situation and explore financing options today.
Frequently asked questions
You'll want to look for a private sale vehicle if you're looking for a really cheap car. Many people on private marketplaces will list cars for below market prices because they want a fast sale. This means you can get a great deal in some cases.
It's not usually possible to buy a cheap used car with an online dealer because the majority of cars they sell are only a few years old and you'll pay extra fees for delivery and other incidentals. The cheapest car you can typically find with an online dealer will be around $10,000, though you may get lucky if you look regularly.
Your best bet to get financing for a used car with bad credit is to apply directly with a dealership. They'll often provide bad credit financing because they want to move cars off the lot as quickly as possible. Just be aware that you'll usually pay much higher interest rates on these types of loans.
The best place to buy a used car with at-home delivery is with an online dealer such as Clutch or CarDoor. These sellers are designed to get your vehicle to you with a completely online buying experience and delivery straight to your doorstep.
Claire Horwood is a writer at Finder, specializing in credit cards, loans and other financial products. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies from the University of Victoria, and an Associate’s Degree in Science from Camosun College. Much of Claire’s coursework has focused on writing and statistics, with a healthy dose of social and cultural analysis mixed in for good measure. In her spare time, Claire enjoys rock climbing, travelling and drinking inordinate amounts of coffee.
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