Car sharing in Toronto has a leg up on traditional car rentals in a few ways. First, you can usually find a car anytime of the day – even if it's just for an hour or two – and second, you pay for the time used as opposed to a flat rate. 

Of course in some cases, buying a car or renting can be the cheapest option in the long run. But for those who don't need a car on the daily and want to avoid surprise delays on the TTC, car sharing might be the best option for you.

Here's a roundup of car sharing services in Toronto. 

Zipcar

One of the first companies to bring car sharing to the city, Zipcar is one of the largest services in the world. Use the app to book a car and use the card key provided to unlock it. The yearly membership is $70 plus a $30 application fee; hourly rates are around $9.25.

Maven

You'll only drive General Motors cars with this company, since it's a GM subsidiary. They're a more recent addition to the city than some others, and there's no membership fees. Hourly rates start low at around $8-9 per hour depending on the vehicle. They've also got a tiny fleet, with just under 100 cars available.

Enterprise CarShare

This traditional rental service was smart to hop on the car share wagon, with tons of vehicle locations around the city. Formerly AutoShare, they have three different memberships that range from $45 a year to $200 month; the simplest plan offers an hourly rate starting at $6. 

Communauto 

Opened alongside the city's free-floating pilot project, Communauto users can park their ride at a different location than they picked it up, in a variety of parking spots outside of company lots. Prices start at 41 cents per minute, and level up to $15 per hour, $50 per day. Fuel cost and 150 kilometres are both included. 

Turo

A cross between car sharing and rental service, this San Francisco-based company is kind of like the Airbnb of cars. Boasting the most cars available in Canada, Turo is a peer-to-peer service, meaning you can make some extra dough by renting out your car, and users can find vehicles (Porsche, anyone?) at varying prices.