Checked October 2026. Everything below was read on the company, news or regulator pages named, on October 9, 2026. Policies change, so confirm on the current page before you buy.

Buying a car online should be exciting, but all the options can get overwhelming. In a 2022 Ipsos poll for Clutch, one of the services below, 84% of Canadians who had bought a vehicle in the past two years or planned to in the next two said they wish shopping for or buying a car were easier. First, one thing has changed about Canada Drives itself.

What is the short answer?

The short answer: Canada Drives today is a financing-first matching service, not an online car retailer. By its own pages, you apply for financing and it matches you with a partner dealership. If you want to buy online and have the car delivered, the options differ: an online-only retailer such as Clutch, a dealer group that delivers, or a marketplace where you deal with whoever listed the car.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice.

Is Canada Drives still an online car retailer?

Not by its own account. In March 2023 Canada Drives announced it was restructuring and ending its online car-buying service, which it had offered since 2020. It said it would keep its online selling service (since 2021) and online finance approval through dealers (since 2010), and it obtained creditor protection from the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Its stated reason was that the rising costs of holding inventory, among other headwinds, made that model no longer viable (Auto Remarketing Canada). The Globe and Mail reported on March 22, 2023 that it planned to return to matching consumers with dealerships for financing (The Globe and Mail).

Today its home page says to apply for financing online and that it will match you with a local dealership that shows vehicle options you are pre-approved for. Its inventory page says it works with hundreds of partner dealerships that carry the vehicles. Its How It Works page says "Typically we can have you in a new car in as little as 48 hours". The page does not mention home delivery. Its home page lists registered locations with the regulators in BC, Ontario and Alberta, and offers to buy your car.

One page deserves care. A Canada Drives city page for Kelowna was still online on October 9, 2026. It is undated and describes buying completely online, 7 days with the car, a return "no questions asked" and delivery to your door. That matches the retail service the company said in 2023 it was ending, not its current How It Works page. We would not rely on it. The pages we read otherwise state no return window, so if a return matters, ask the dealership that sells you the car for its policy in writing. More in is Canada Drives legit.

What kinds of option are there?

Who else sells you a car directly online?

Clutch is an online-only retailer. Its own blog says you can buy if you live in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island, with delivery to your home or pickup at a Clutch location. You see the car in person for the first time at delivery, and you can cancel the delivery on the spot with no charge and no obligation.

The return window is in Clutch's terms (effective November 7, 2025): ten days from the date of delivery, or 750 km on the odometer reading at delivery, whichever comes first, for any reason, if the listed conditions are met. Clutch's FAQ says the same. The refund does not include shipping charges. Clutch also says over 95% of its inventory comes from customers' sales and trade-ins, and that every listing includes a 210-point inspection report. More in Clutch's money-back guarantee explained, how Clutch works and Clutch vs Canada Drives.

What about the big listing sites?

Autotrader.ca, Kijiji and CarGurus.ca are marketplaces. You are not buying from the site. You are buying from whoever listed the car.

• Autotrader.ca offers both "Sell to a dealership" and "Sell privately" ("Free to list") on its home page, and the featured listings we saw were labelled "Dealer".

• Kijiji is a classifieds site, and its cars and vehicles page sits alongside parts, RVs, trailers and equipment. Some vehicle ads show price labels such as "Great price", "Good price" or "Fair price", a CARFAX Report tag, or a "Contactless services" tag, and there is a "By owner" search shortcut. Those labels are the site's or the seller's, so check the price yourself.

• CarGurus.ca lists deal ratings, vehicle details and dealer reviews. Its "Start your purchase online" page lets you start financing, share trade-in details and book a test drive. It says the details go to the dealer and a credit service, that the application is finalized at the dealership before going to a lender, and that its financing prediction is only an estimate.

The widest choice comes with a trade-off: return policies, fees and delivery depend entirely on the seller, and comparing means going from site to site and listing page to listing page. OMVIC in Ontario says you are only protected under the law when you buy from a registered dealer, so take extra care buying privately. Uobo does that kind of research and checking by text for you.

Do regular dealer groups sell fully online?

House of Cars, an Alberta used car dealer with 12 locations, says it will send you an email credit application, get you approved and deliver the vehicle to your door. Its delivery page names Calgary, Edmonton, Grand Prairie and Stavely, and says it also offers delivery anywhere in Canada. Its FAQ says it is an AMVIC licensed dealer, which is the company's statement, so confirm it on the AMVIC site. We found no return policy or trial period on its home, delivery or FAQ pages, so that is the first question to ask.

Which services do older lists still mention?

Two names that older lists still mention:

• CarDoor was an Ontario online retailer. Its own site now opens with selling your car to dealers who compete to buy it. BetaKit reported on August 6, 2026 that CarDoor will no longer offer vehicles for sale to consumers and has moved to wholesale, dealer-facing sales. We could not find a second outlet confirming the end of consumer sales, so we say only that BetaKit reported it, and we left CarDoor out of the buying options.

• Carvana's annual report for 2025 describes its logistics network in U.S. terms (316 metropolitan areas, over 80% of the U.S. population) and we found no mention of Canada in it. Our post on why Carvana is not an option in Canada goes further.

How do you choose?

1. I want a return window. Look at sellers that state one in writing, and read the exact days, any kilometre limit and any fees that are not refunded.

2. I want to start with financing. A financing-first service starts there, but compare the rate and total cost, not only the monthly payment.

3. I want the most choice. Use a listing site, and check each price yourself.

4. I want someone local to deal with. A dealer group near you that delivers may suit you.

5. I am not sure what type of car I need. Settle that first. The What type of car should I buy? quiz narrows sedan, SUV, minivan or truck.

To see what is realistic, put your budget into Used cars for your budget. It shows the used cars with the most listings at or under that price in Canada.

What should you check before you buy from any of them?

• Is the seller registered? In Ontario, OMVIC says buying from a registered dealer provides legal rights and protections, and recommends checking the dealer and salesperson with its find a dealer search. Other provinces have their own regulators.

• Is there a return policy, and is it in writing? In Ontario, OMVIC and the provincial government both say there is no cooling-off period once you sign, with limited exceptions. If you paid a deposit but signed no contract, OMVIC says the dealer must return it on request. OMVIC also says dealers do not have to offer a cancellation period. If one is offered, ask for it in writing with the days, the kilometres, how to give notice and how the car goes back. In BC, the Vehicle Sales Authority says that in most cases a recently purchased vehicle cannot be returned and no law requires a dealership to take it back, though you may be able to return one if the dealership has an advertised or stated return policy. See also can you return a car bought online.

• Is the price fair? Enter the make, model, year and asking price into Is this used car price fair? to see what share of similar used cars listed in Canada cost less.

• Sight unseen? OMVIC advises getting an accident history report, having the contract emailed for review before you sign, and inspecting the car carefully at delivery. It says it is illegal for a dealer to bring the contract to delivery for you to sign there. More in is it safe to buy a car online in Canada.

It is your money and your decision, so take these checks one at a time, ask for every term in writing, and slow down if anything feels rushed.

Try these free tools

• What type of car should I buy?: narrows the body style before you compare sites.

• Used cars for your budget: shows the used cars listed at or under your budget in Canada.

• Is this used car price fair?: checks an asking price against similar used cars listed in Canada.

If you would rather not compare all of this yourself, Text Uobo. It is a personal car agent that does the research, checks and dealer legwork by text, and it is free for shoppers. Start at Find That Car.