Checked October 2026 (10 October) on each site's own pages and on Ontario's dealer regulator. This is general information, not legal advice, and sites change their pages often. The terms pages and the Kijiji help-centre pages we read show no date (two Kijiji pages show only "May 20", with no year), so we cannot say when they were written. The CarGurus help articles were last updated in September 2026.

Finding a car you like is exciting, and finding it usually means opening several listing sites and comparing page after page. CarGurus, a listing marketplace, reports that in a Q1 2022 GfK survey of 1,515 recent Canadian car buyers, 63% feel the need to check many sites when looking for a vehicle. This post explains how Autotrader.ca, Kijiji and CarGurus.ca each describe themselves, so you know what each page tells you and what it leaves to you.

The short answer

In their own terms or help pages, all three describe the cars as listed by other sellers or users, and step back from the dealings between you and them. Each publishes a price rating or label. CarGurus and Kijiji say theirs is not a guarantee, and Autotrader.ca calls Price iQ "price guidance" and lists what it does not consider. None of that replaces checking the seller, the car and the total price yourself. We rank none of the three and name no winner: they work differently, and which is handy depends on what you are shopping for.

We could not load kijijiautos.ca on 10 October 2026, so we say nothing here about Kijiji Autos as a separate site. Kijiji's cars pages on kijiji.ca were readable, so that is what we describe.

What is each site?

Autotrader.ca is run by Trader Corporation. Its terms say it publishes "for sale" listings without verification or endorsement, and that dealings with a seller are between you and that seller. Its terms also say individuals may post private sale listings for vehicles they own, while listings on behalf of a business need a commercial account.

CarGurus.ca says in its help pages that it does not directly sell cars or broker car sales. It calls itself the marketplace that connects shoppers to dealerships. The help pages we read talk about contacting dealerships and do not mention private sellers, so check how the listing in front of you is labelled.

Kijiji describes itself as a peer-to-peer classifieds marketplace. Its cars and trucks page describes vehicles from local sellers and dealers. Its terms say the services are provided "as is" and that you agree not to hold Kijiji responsible for what other users post or do.

How do you tell a dealer from a private seller?

This matters because the rules and protections differ. OMVIC, Ontario's dealer regulator, says that when purchasing a motor vehicle in Ontario you are only protected by Ontario's consumer protection laws when you buy from an OMVIC registered dealer. Ontario.ca likewise says a purchase from a registered dealer is protected by the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund and rights under the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act. Other provinces have their own regulators and rules, so check yours.

• Autotrader.ca: listing cards on the home page carry a "Dealer" label, and the search page has a Seller filter with Dealer and Private options.

• Kijiji: the cars and trucks page has a "For Sale By" filter. We did not read its options, and some listings we saw show labels such as "Certified Pre-Owned", "CARFAX Report" and "Contactless services". We did not find Kijiji's definitions of those, so ask the seller what each one means. It also has a "Verified" filter and badge, covered below.

• CarGurus.ca: its help pages refer to dealerships and to a dealership's contact form on each listing.

A label tells you how the seller described themselves to the site. To confirm a dealer, use the regulator's search, as we explain in how to check a car dealer is licensed.

How do the price ratings work?

Each site compares a listing's asking price with an estimate. The estimates differ, and every site calls its own rating guidance.

Autotrader.ca says Price iQ compares each listing with similar vehicles in the local market and rates the price with no influence from the sellers. It says it does not consider private sales, aftermarket options, usage history, or accidents and claims. It does not rate new cars, which it says are priced from the manufacturer's suggested retail price.

CarGurus.ca says its IMV is an estimated fair retail price based on current and previous listings in your market. It describes IMV as not an official appraisal or guarantee. Its Deal Rating compares the asking price with IMV and takes the dealer's reputation into account. CarGurus says it shows what it believes are the best deals first based on its algorithm, not on what a dealer pays.

Kijiji says it compares the asking price with an estimated average market price provided by CARFAX Canada, for cars in average condition. Great price means notably below that average, Good price close to it, Fair price slightly above, and Higher price notably above. Kijiji says Higher price does not necessarily mean overpriced, since a car may have recent upgrades or a different history. It says listings with missing information, such as the VIN, may carry no label, and that the label is informational and not an appraisal or a guarantee of condition or value.

Read these as each site's estimate. A rating cannot see rust, a repair done without an insurance claim, or the price you will actually pay. For a separate check, our Is this used car price fair? tool shows what share of similar used cars listed in Canada cost less than the asking price. Opening listing after listing is slow, and this is the kind of research and dealer legwork Uobo does by text.

What do the sites say about contacting sellers and buying online?

CarGurus.ca says to use the contact form on the listing page, which also shows the dealership's phone number. Its delivery page says delivery depends on your location and participating dealers, that timing varies by dealer, and that returns vary by dealer, with the return policy shown on the vehicle's page. Its "Start your purchase online" page says you can start financing and trade-in before heading to the dealer. Read the dealer's policy, not just the site's summary.

On the pages we read, neither site describes finishing a purchase on the site itself. For return rights after an online purchase, see can you return a car bought online in Canada.

What does a listing site not check?

Each site says so in its own terms.

• Autotrader.ca says it cannot guarantee that listings are accurate or that people submitting or responding to them are not acting under false pretences.

• CarGurus.ca says vehicle information is supplied by the seller or other third parties and it is not responsible for its accuracy. It also says it is not a party to any transaction between buyer and seller.

• Kijiji says its Verified badge reflects attributes matched at the time of verification through Interac Verified, is not an endorsement by Kijiji, and does not guarantee the outcome of a transaction.

CarGurus also says prices do not include government fees and taxes, title and registration fees, licensing and plate fees, finance charges, dealer document preparation fees and emission testing. In Ontario, OMVIC says an advertised dealer price must include all fees the dealer intends to collect except HST and licensing, and that this covers online marketplace ads, with exceptions such as vehicles advertised as sold as-is. On the Autotrader.ca search page we opened on 10 October 2026, some dealers' own listing descriptions said the displayed price was based on financing only. That is the dealer's wording, not Autotrader.ca's. Ask for the total in writing, and use the Out-the-door price calculator to see what taxes add.

What should you still check yourself?

OMVIC says online scams routinely target Ontario car buyers through fake ads on popular websites, naming Kijiji and AutoTRADER among them. The sites publish their own advice. Autotrader.ca lists red flags including a deal that seems too good to be true, pressure to act quickly, and a seller who refuses calls or will not meet, and says never to send money before seeing the vehicle. Kijiji says to meet locally in a public place, be cautious if a seller asks for payment before meeting, and that wire transfers can be difficult to recover.

1. The seller. Confirm a dealer with the regulator, using details on the dealer's own website.

2. The listing. Scan it with the Used car scam spotter, and read online car buying scams in Canada.

3. The price. Compare it with similar cars, then ask for the all-in total.

4. The history. Autotrader.ca advises an independent vehicle history report. Add an inspection by a mechanic you choose.

5. The questions. For a private seller, use Questions to ask a private car seller.

6. The payment. Do not pay before you have seen the car.

Doing this for every listing on three sites is a lot to carry. You can do it, and it is fine to take it one listing at a time. If you would rather hand some of the legwork over, Uobo checks availability, condition and price with dealerships by text.

Try these free tools

• Is this used car price fair?: see what share of similar used cars listed in Canada cost less than the asking price.

• Used car scam spotter: check a listing for scam warning signs.

• Questions to ask a private car seller: a list covering ownership, liens, accidents and payment.

Want someone on your side while you shop? Text Uobo, a personal car agent that does the research, checks and dealer legwork by text. It is free for shoppers, and you can start at Find That Car.