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Clutch review: Car purchase and financing platform
Shop for a used car and apply for a loan completely online. Get your car delivered right to your door.
Once your car is delivered, you have a full money-back guarantee period of 10 days. “Test own” your car for 10 days, and if you change your mind about it, Clutch will pick up the car for free. You can buy a car from Clutch if you live in Ontario, Alberta, BC, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland.
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From 3.90%
Interest Rate
No Maximum
Max. Loan Amount
580
Min. Credit Score
Clutch.ca at a glance
- Hassle-free
- Completely online
- Competitive prices
- Sell or trade-in available
- Car-prep fee if you’re in Halifax
- Not available in Quebec, Manitoba or the territories
What is Clutch.ca?
Clutch is garnering national headlines because of its innovative take on used car shopping. Founded in 2016, it claims to be Canada’s first online car retailer that delivers cars to your doorstep so you can test drive them on your own time. Browse Clutch’s inventory of 2,000+ cars, reserve the car you want for 72 hours, then finalize the sale and delivery with a Clutch advisor. Once your car is delivered, you have up to 10 days/750 km to return it if you’re unhappy with it.
Overall, Clutch aims to provide customers with a better experience than traditional in-person dealerships through an easy, transparent car-buying process that you can do completely online.
Is Clutch.ca legit?
Yes, Clutch.ca is a legitimate car-buying platform. It is BBB-accredited with an A+ rating.
Clutch has also been featured in the news such as the The Globe and Mail and CBC, and it currently has a multi-year partnership with the National Hockey League as the Official Online Pre-Owned Car Retailer of the NHL.
Summary of Clutch cars and financing
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Inventory | 2,000+ used cars available in Ontario, Alberta, BC, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland |
| Trial period | 10 days/750 km |
| Exchange policy | Exchanges can be made within the 10-day “Test Own” policy |
| Warranty | 90 days/6,000 km |
| Negotiable prices | No |
| Loan amount |
|
| Loan term | 12-96 months |
| Interest rate | From 3.90% |
| Fees | In Halifax, there is an $899 car-prep fee. |
| Eligibility requirements | 3+ months employed, Max.1 bankruptcy, Min. 580 credit score |
What we like about Clutch.ca
- Easy and convenient. Clutch.ca is a one-stop shop, and it’s all done online. You can apply for financing, shop for a vehicle and have it delivered for a test drive without ever leaving your home. Clutch provides contactless delivery so you can test out your purchase on your own time.
- Competitive prices. Clutch sources its inventory from auctions, trade-ins and partnerships with manufacturers. This removes the overhead cost of showrooms and salespeople, so Clutch is able to provide lower price points to its customers.
- Money-back guarantee. You have 10 days/750 km to give your purchase a whirl. If you’re unhappy, you can request a full refund or an exchange.
- Large inventory. You can choose from more than 2,000 pre-owned cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans on offer from Clutch‘s inventory.
- High-quality vehicles. All Clutch cars go through a 210-point inspection and come with a free CARFAX report.
- Cross-province purchases (but limited). This perk is available between Alberta and BC. If you live in BC, you can buy a car from Alberta and have it shipped to you, and vice versa. If you live in Nova Scotia, you can buy a car from Ontario and have it shipped to you.
- Open-ended terms. If you opt for financing your car, the loan is open-ended and can be paid off at any time without prepayment penalties. You are also free to put as much money down on the loan as you’d like. You can even contact Clutch to increase your payments to any amount to pay off your loan faster.
- No down payment. It’s possible to get a loan without paying any money out of pocket to secure your vehicle.
- Trade-ins accepted. Clutch offers the option of trading in your current vehicle to apply as credit towards your next purchase.
- Sell your car. You can sell your car to Clutch even if you don’t intend to buy a car from them. Clutch accepts cars 2012 or newer with less than 150,000km.
- Special promotions. Keep an eye out for offers on the Clutch website, which include perks like a “No pay for 90 days” promotion in certain provinces.
What to watch out for
- Non-negotiable prices. Clutch already prices its cars competitively, so you cannot negotiate for a lower price. This is a perk if you don’t want the stress of dealing with a salesperson, but if you want to be able to negotiate, then Clutch may not be for you.
- Not available in all of Canada. At the moment, Clutch is only available in Ontario, Alberta, BC, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland.
- Only used newer cars available. Clutch only has an inventory of pre-owned cars to choose from. Their cars are also on the newer side, so if you’re looking for older, cheaper cars, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
- Fees. There is a car-prep fee for Halifax residents (but none for Toronto). You may also face other fees related to your financing, such as late or missed payment charges or NSF fees.
- Money-back guarantee limits. Clutch will not accept a return if the car has been modified, in an accident or damaged. If you decide to exchange your car, you have up to 3 cars to test own. However, the third car will not have a money-back guarantee.
Do I qualify?
To be eligible for financing via Clutch, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:
- Be employed for 3+ months.
- Have a minimum credit score of 580.
- Be a Canadian resident with a valid Canadian address.
- Have a valid driver’s licence and be the age of majority in the province you live in.
- Have a valid Canadian bank account.
- Have a maximum of 1 bankruptcy.
When your vehicle is delivered to your home, you’ll also need to provide the following:
- A void cheque or direct deposit form for the bank account you want your payments to come from.
- A copy of your new insurance faxed or emailed to Clutch.
- A valid driver’s licence.
What types of vehicles can you buy through Clutch.ca?
Browse through over 2,000 used cars, including cars, SUVs, minivans and Jeeps. You will also have a selection of various makes and models from manufacturers such as GMC, Dodge, Audi, Honda, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Nissan and more.
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How does buying a car through Clutch.ca work?
With Clutch, the entire car-buying process is done online. To start, comb through Clutch‘s inventory of used cars.
Reserve the car you want for 72 hours
Once you find a car you like, click “Get Started” to reserve it for 72 hours and fill out the contact information form. A Clutch customer advisor will contact you to help you finalize your paperwork online and arrange for delivery to your home. You’re responsible for handling insurance for your new car and you must have proof of insurance at the time of your delivery.
Test own for up to 10 days/750 km
After your car is delivered, you have a full money-back guarantee for up to 10 days/750 km. If you change your mind during this timeframe, contact Clutch on the final calendar day to request a full refund or exchange. The car must not be modified, in an accident or damaged.
How does financing a car through Clutch work?
Financing with Clutch is similar to buying. After you’ve selected your car, you’ll need to submit a credit application, which takes about 10 minutes to complete. Clutch will submit the application to the bank to determine what interest rate you qualify for. Interest rates start at 3.9%, but they will vary depending on your situation.
Clutch‘s auto loans are open-ended loans that can be paid off at any time without penalty. You are also free to put as much money down on the loan as you’d like. You can even contact Clutch to increase your payments to any amount to pay off your loan faster. However, you can’t reduce your payments.8 steps to apply on Clutch.ca
If you’re ready to apply for Clutch Car Loans, follow these steps:
- Head to the Clutch homepage to start your application. Select the province you live in to proceed.
- Search through Clutch‘s inventory of vehicles to zero in on the car you’d like to buy or finance. Clutch lists its overview, pricing, features and specs. You can read through Clutch‘s inspection report for a detailed look at the car’s condition. Clutch also lists what financing would look like. Click either “Get Started” or “Apply for Financing.
- Start your application by plugging in details, such as your trade-in value if you have a car you’d like to trade in, your down payment and your ideal loan length. Click “Continue with these terms.”
- Answer if you’re applying on your own or with a co-applicant. Click “Continue.”
- Provide your full name, email, phone number and date of birth. Click “Continue.”
- Provide identity verification with your social insurance number (optional), your driver’s licence number, your driver’s licence expiry and the issuing province. Click “Continue.”
- Read through your application submission and then hit “Submit.”
- You should receive a phone call from a loan specialist who will help you with the next steps for your loan application.
I got a car through Clutch. Now what?
If you’re buying your car, you have 10 days to “test own” your vehicle. If you’re unhappy with your purchase, you can contact Clutch by 5pm EST on the final day of ownership to request a refund or an exchange.
If you’re financing your car, you’ll work with a loan specialist to arrange the details of your repayment plan. Clutch says its auto loans are open-ended so they can be paid off at any time without penalty. You can also ask to increase your payments to any amount to pay off your loan faster. However, you cannot reduce your payments.
Work with your loan specialist to decide on payment dates before the paperwork is signed. You can opt into weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments. Your first payment must be at least 14 days from your contract date. There’s flexibility in your repayments, so you can change your payment date after your first payment comes out.
