Gone are the days of old school car shopping at the dealership. Online shopping has taken hold of the vehicle-buying industry too. Canada Drives allows you to peruse a wide inventory of cars completely online and delivers your purchase to your front door for a trial period of 7 days/500 km. But here’s a look at several other companies that follow a similar model.
1. Clutch
Consider Clutch if you are shopping for a used car but don’t want the hassle of leaving your home to visit various dealerships. Instead, Clutch allows shoppers to look through an online inventory of used cars to make a selection and apply for financing completely online.
How is it similar to Canada Drives?
Large inventory of used cars you can browse through online.
Delivers your vehicle to your front door for a “Test to Own” period of 10 days/750 km. (Canada Drives’ timeframe is 7 days/500 km).
Accepts trade-ins, requires no down payment and provides financing if you need it.
How is it different?
Provides a limited warranty of 90 days/6,000 km, instead of Canada Drives‘ 30 days/1,500 km.
Permits cross-province purchases between Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Returns and/or exchanges
After your car is delivered, you have a full money back guarantee period of 10 days/750 km. If you change your mind during this timeframe, you must contact Clutch by the tenth calendar day. The car must not have been modified, in an accident or damaged.
You can look through CarDoor‘s inventory of hundreds of used cars, do a 360-degree walk around, read through the vehicle’s key features and look at various payment options. You can also save and compare vehicles on your account’s virtual “garage” to help you narrow your search. Learn more about CarDoor.
How is it similar to Canada Drives?
Wide inventory of used cars that you can browse through online.
Provides contactless delivery of your vehicle to your front door.
Accepts trade-ins, requires no down payment and provides financing if you need it.
No cross-province purchases.
How is it different?
Provides a warranty of 90 days/10,000 km, instead of Canada Drives‘ 30 days/1,500 km.
14 days/750 km test drive period, compared to Canada Drives‘ 7 days/500 km.
Only available in Ontario.
Up to 60 days/5,000 km to make an exchange, compared to Canada Drives‘ 7 days/500 km.
Number of cars in inventory
About 1,000 used cars are currently in its inventory.
Returns and/or exchanges
CarDoor offers a lengthy trial period 14 days/750 km. It is generous with its exchange policy, providing an exchange window of 60 days/5,000 km.
Serviced provinces
Ontario only, specifically the Greater Toronto Area.
3. Carpages
Carpages is a broker, partnering with local dealers to help you buy your next car. You can browse through the online inventory and purchase your next vehicle from the comfort of your home.
How is it similar to Canada Drives?
Wide inventory of cars that you can browse through online.
Provides contactless delivery or pick-up of your vehicle to your front door, depending on your preferences.
How is it different?
Carpages is a broker and not a dealer. It partners with local dealers that have joined its “Buy From Home” program, offering features like signing documents electronically, local delivery, test drive delivery and an exchange policy.
Carpages offers both used and new cars; not just used vehicles like Canada Drives.
Number of cars in inventory
Carpages doesn’t have in-house inventory. Instead, it’s partnered with local dealerships in provinces across Canada.
Returns and/or exchanges
Carpages doesn’t list policies for returns and exchanges. That’s because each dealer will have its own approach. Instead, it encourages car shoppers to contact the dealer they’re thinking of working with for further details.
Serviced provinces
BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
4. AutoTrader
Just like Carpages, AutoTrader is a broker, partnering with local dealers across Canada that provide the option to shop for and buy your new vehicle completely online. Dealers that offer the “Online Seller Plus” feature include a 48-hour test drive and can even deliver your purchase to your home up to three times a year. If they aren’t part of the Online Seller Plus program, dealers may offer a home test drive only.
How is it similar to Canada Drives?
Wide inventory of cars that you can browse through online.
Filter dealers so you can choose from those that provide contactless delivery of your vehicle to your front door.
Arrange an at-home test drive with local dealers that offer this feature.
Accepts trade-ins, requires no down payment and provides quick pre-approvals on financing if you need it.
How is it different?
AutoTrader is a broker and not a dealer. It partners with local dealers that have joined its “Online Seller Plus” program, offering features like signing documents electronically, local delivery to your front door and a 48-hour test drive.
AutoTrader is partnered with dealers that offer both used and new cars, not just used vehicles like Canada Drives.
Number of cars in inventory
AutoTrader says it currently has over 10,000 vehicles to browse through from its network of dealers.
Returns and/or exchanges
AutoTrader doesn’t list policies for returns and exchanges. That’s because each dealer will have its own approach. Instead, it includes the Online Seller Plus, which includes a 48-hour test drive and a 10-day money back guarantee, no questions asked.
Serviced provinces
AutoTrader is partnered with local dealers across the country. You may find dealer options vary, depending on where you live. Remote areas may have fewer choices, for example.
5. Car Nation Canada
Car Nation Canada is a dealership partner network in Ontario. You can shop for new and used cars on offer from dealerships across the province on its online website, apply for financing and reserve your purchase for pick-up or delivery.
How is it similar to Canada Drives?
Wide inventory of new and used cars that you can browse through online.
Accepts trade-ins, requires no down payment and provides quick pre-approvals on financing if you need it.
Choose from reserving your car for delivery to your home or for pick-up.
How is it different?
Car Nation Canada is an Ontario-based partner with just a handful of dealers in the province.
It provides options for both new and used vehicles, not just used vehicles.
Number of cars in inventory
Car Nation Canada has about 100 cars available in its online inventory.
Returns and/or exchanges
For online sales, you have three days or 250 kilometres to refund or exchange your car.
Serviced provinces
Ontario only. Car Nation Canada has partnered with dealers in Burlington, Georgetown, Grimsby and Brantford.
6. DriveAxis
DriveAxis is the direct-to-consumer portal for Axis Auto Finance, a fintech with a focus on making the car buying and financing process simpler. Consider DriveAxis if you’re shopping for a used car online with a less-than-perfect credit score. DriveAxis says it accepts all types of credit situations.
How is it similar to Canada Drives?
Wide inventory of used cars that you can browse through online.
Accepts trade-ins, requires no down payment and provides quick pre-approvals on financing if you need it.
Offers delivery to your home at a date and time that works best for you.
How is it different?
If you’re approved for financing from a third-party lender, it will match your offer and give you $500 off the vehicle price.
If you find an identical vehicle with a lower price, DriveAxis will also match the updated price tag and give you an additional $500 off.
It doesn’t provide a free warranty like Canada Drives does, but it does offer the option to purchase an extended warranty.
Number of cars in inventory
DriveAxis currently has about 650 cars in its inventory to choose from.
Returns and/or exchanges
If you don’t like the vehicle you selected online, you have seven days to arrange a refund or exchange. You’ll just need to cover the fees for shipping.
Serviced provinces
Ontario only.
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Bottom line
If you’re time-strapped or prefer to do your car shopping from the comfort of your home, there are reputable companies that can help you make your car purchase and secure financing without the hassle of heading into the dealership. The perks are numerous: you can shop online, get your new vehicle delivered to your front door and take a few days to take your new wheels for a spin. Do your homework and zero in on the features that are most important to you before you choose a company to work with.
Carmen Chai is a freelance writer at Finder, specializing in financial products. She is an award-winning Canadian journalist who has lived and reported from major cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, London and Paris. She has reported on personal finance, mortgages, and banking products for nearly a decade.
Compare the pros and cons of buying a car online vs at a dealership, and choose which option suits you best.
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