People are always looking for more convenient ways to buy things, including vehicles. Buying a car is rarely an easy task. Traditionally, you have to go to a dealership, negotiate the price with the salesperson, get financing, secure insurance, and more. The good news is, there’s a solution to the hassle of purchasing a vehicle: car buying apps.
Key Points
- Car buying apps are available to Canadians looking to buy a new or used vehicle.
- Car apps make it more convenient for car buyers to find their next vehicle by providing everything needed on a mobile device.
- Some of the more popular car buying apps in Canada include AutoTrader, CarMax, and CarGurus.
What Are Car Buying Apps?
Car buying apps are mobile applications designed to simplify the car buying process. They offer several convenient features, like extensive car listings, price comparison tools, financing options, and more. Car apps make it easier to find, evaluate, and buy new or used cars from your mobile device, no matter where you are.
Best Car Buying Apps In Canada
In Canada, there are a variety of car buying apps to choose from. The following are among the best car buying apps available:
AutoTrader
AutoTrader is the largest online car company in Canada. It has an extensive inventory of both new and used vehicles that is constantly being updated.
The company is supported by pricing tools, buyers’ guides, reviews, and more. That means buyers are given the tools they need to make an informed decision about the vehicle they want.
AutoTrader has both a website and a mobile app, which makes purchasing vehicles from home easy and convenient. There are tens of thousands of used vehicles available, from cars to trucks to boats to snowmobiles. It’s likely that you can find what you’re looking for with AutoTrader.
Features
- Reviews: AutoTrader has reviews from the vehicles’ owner so you can make an informed decision before you buy anything.
- Detailed Search: Vehicle searches are location-based and can be very detailed or more general. This way you can look for a specific vehicle or a whole range of vehicles.
- Pricing Index: The app’s results also include AutoTrader’s pricing index, so you can check if the seller priced their vehicle appropriately.
- Real-Time Updates: The listings are updated in real-time, meaning that you can always see the newest ads.
- Vehicle History Information: You can view CARFAX reports to look into a vehicle’s history.
Learn more: Should You Buy Your Next Car Online Or At A Dealership?
Kijiji
Kijiji is one of Canada’s top online classified advertisement sites. There are millions of items listed across many categories, including a whole section dedicated to vehicles.
Both a vehicle’s owner and a dealership can post on Kijiji, meaning that there is a healthy mix of vehicles for sale on the site. You can apply a variety of filters to your search, including colour, fuel type, and whether a vehicle is for sale by a dealership or by the owner. These filters make it easy to track down the perfect vehicle for you.
Features
- Advanced Search Filters: Narrow down your search using detailed search filters.
- Chat Feature: Communicate directly with sellers using the chat feature.
- Price Comparison Tools: Find out what vehicles are selling for on Kijiji.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is Facebook’s community-driven classified advertisement site. Anyone on Facebook can post an ad. Car dealerships and private sellers can also post ads, so there is a good mix of vehicles being sold by their owners and by dealerships.
This app allows you to filter ads, meaning you can easily search for vehicles meeting your criteria. These filters include transmission type, exterior colour, and body type. No matter what kind of vehicle you’re looking for, Facebook Marketplace is likely to have something that catches your eye.
One of the most useful features of Facebook Marketplace is the ability to see a seller’s rating. The more buyers that are satisfied with a seller, the higher their rating will be. This rating system helps to weed out unscrupulous sellers.
Features
- Location Flexibility: Target specific locations to find vehicles for sale in various regions.
- Direct Communication: Use Facebook Messenger to directly communicate with sellers.
- Search Filters: Filter results by price, category, and location to find exactly what you’re looking for.
CarMax
CarMax has an inventory of over 50,000 used cars, SUVs, and trucks, so you are likely to find the vehicle you want.
This app allows you to search for vehicles using a variety of filters, including make, model, and gas mileage. You can also see the vehicles’ details, photos, and vehicle history.
Features
- 24-Hour Test Drives: Test drive a vehicle at any time before committing to a purchase (not available on all vehicles).
- Return Policy: If you’re not satisfied with your vehicle, you have 10 days to return it.
- Vehicle History Reports: Get detailed reports on the vehicle’s history, including accident records.
- Home Delivery: Have your vehicle delivered to your home after you’ve purchased it.
- Financing Options: Finance your purchase directly through CarMax.
- Interior View: Get a 360°view of the interior of the vehicle you’re interested in purchasing to see what the car looks like before you buy it so there are no surprises.
Used.ca
Used.ca is an online classified advertisement site based in Canada. Not only do people sell vehicles on this site, but they also sell many more things including furniture, electronics, and toys. It is split by city, so if you wanted to look for cars in Toronto, for example, you would go to usedtoronto.com.
Features
- Local Listings: Used.ca connects local buyers and sellers within the same community.
- Free: There is no charge to browse listings.
- Community Emphasis: Used.ca places great emphasis on creating a safe online environment for buying and selling.
CarGurus
CarGurus is an app that searches thousands of sites to find and price new and used vehicles. Its algorithm tracks things like dealer reviews and dealer location and lets you know if a car is a good deal, taking the hassle out of sorting through thousands of sites to find your perfect vehicle.
This app makes it easy to get access to essential information about a vehicle, including vehicle history, price changes, and checking if a vehicle has been scrapped. This information makes it much easier for anyone buying a vehicle with CarGurus to make an informed decision about what they’re purchasing.
Features
- Price Analysis: Tools are available to help you determine the market value of a vehicle you’re interested in.
- Vehicle History Reports: May vehicle listings come with history reports.
- Dealer Reviews: Assess the trustworthiness of a dealer before you buy.
- Alerts: Get notified as soon as a vehicle drops in price or a new listing is added.
Trovit Cars
Trovit Cars is an app that scans thousands of different websites for used vehicles and displays them in one place. That way, instead of spending hours on different sites to find the vehicle you want, you only have to look in one place.
A great feature of this app is how many filters you can apply to find your dream vehicle. You can filter, for example, by location, by make and model, and by mileage. You can also set alerts so you can receive a notification on your phone when the app has a vehicle that matches the vehicle you’re looking for.
Features
- Large Database: View a wide range of listings from both private sellers and dealerships.
- Advanced Search Filters: Use filters to focus on vehicles that specifically match your needs.
- User-Friendly Interface: The easy-to-navigate platform helps make it easier to find the car you’re looking for.
Bottom Line
There are many car apps in Canada that you can use to find a new or used vehicle. Each of these apps has special features that make it easier to make an informed decision about a vehicle, whether it’s checking a vehicle’s history, seeing photos of the inside of the vehicle, or reading reviews. No matter which app you choose, car buying apps are a great way to purchase a vehicle without having to deal with the hassle of a salesperson or dealership.
