Car subscription without a down payment: what “from CHF 246” really costs.

“From CHF 246 a month” sounds like a bargain. Then, in small print next to it: plus down payment. We worked out what the low prices really cost, using the kilometres people actually drive.

The result: at 1,500 and at 2,000 km a month, aabo is the cheapest in every line of our comparison. No down payment, no kilometre limit, for a few months or for years. And the longer you rent, the cheaper it gets.

The price with the asterisk

Carvolution advertises an Opel Corsa Hybrid “from CHF 246 per month”. Here’s the small print:

• CHF 7,680 down payment
• 48-month term
• 350 kilometres per month, that’s barely 12 kilometres a day

Spread the down payment over the 48 months and you add CHF 160 a month. So you actually pay around CHF 406 a month. Without a down payment, the same Corsa costs CHF 409. On top of that comes a one-off start fee of CHF 390 and a CHF 1,000 security deposit.

So “from 246” turns into more than CHF 400 a month. And that with a kilometre limit hardly anyone can live with.

How the others advertise

• Carvolution: CHF 246 with a CHF 7,680 down payment, or CHF 409 without, both 48 months, 350 km a month, plus a CHF 390 start fee and a CHF 1,000 security deposit
• FlatDrive: CHF 435, currently on offer at CHF 399, 48 months, 500 km a month, CHF 500 deposit
• Clyde (electric cars only): CHF 459, 24 months, 250 km a month, every extra kilometre CHF 0.50 to 0.60
• Carify: “from CHF 199 per month”. The page doesn’t say which term or how many kilometres this price applies to. Extra kilometres CHF 0.55. The Citroën C3 “from 326” comes with a CHF 5,000 down payment; without one it costs CHF 435.

The pattern repeats: a low number up front, and behind it a down payment or very few kilometres.

And with the kilometres people actually drive?

Hardly anyone gets by on 350 kilometres a month. Commuters easily do 1,500 to 2,000. So we priced every provider with more kilometres, each time with the smallest package that’s enough. Per month, no down payment, for a 12- and a 24-month term:

About 1,500 km a month

• aabo, Renault Clio 5, unlimited kilometres: CHF 556 and CHF 513
• Carify, Citroën C3, 1,750 km package: CHF 579 and CHF 519
• FlatDrive, Citroën ë-C3, 1,600 km package: CHF 635 and CHF 575
• Carvolution, Opel Corsa Hybrid, 1,850 km package: CHF 662 (only from 18 months) and CHF 625

About 2,000 km a month

• aabo, Renault Clio 5, unlimited kilometres: CHF 556 and CHF 513
• Carify, Citroën C3, 2,500 km package: CHF 695 and CHF 623
• FlatDrive, Citroën ë-C3, 2,100 km package: CHF 695 and CHF 635
• Carvolution, Opel Corsa Hybrid, 2,500 km package: CHF 706 (only from 18 months) and CHF 666

At 2,000 km you pay CHF 110 to 153 less a month with us. Over 24 months that’s up to CHF 3,672. And the more you drive, the bigger the gap, because we have no kilometre limit.

At 1,500 km, too, aabo leads in every line. With a Renault Zoe or Twingo you pay even less with us: CHF 449 for 12 and CHF 414 for 24 months, also with unlimited kilometres.

And what does aabo cost?

Our cheapest car costs from CHF 21.85 a day, that’s CHF 655.50 a month (Renault Twingo or Renault Zoe). No down payment. When you book, you pay the first 30 days and a CHF 500 deposit; after that we charge every 30 days. You get the deposit back after the return.

Included in the price: insurance, servicing, tyres, vignette and vehicle tax. The excess is at most CHF 3,000, and with the fully comprehensive cover you can add, just CHF 500 per claim. Drive as many kilometres as you like. You book from 2 months and extend online whenever you need to, subject to availability. The longer you rent, the lower the rate. From 2 years you save 40%:

The return: when the bill only comes at the end

With many subscriptions, the last bill only arrives when you return the car. And it can be a hefty one.

At Carvolution, a specialist inspects the car against the company’s own return standards. Anything not classed as normal wear is charged. In online reviews, several customers report that small scratches, dents and rim marks were billed one by one at the return. One customer writes of almost CHF 2,000 for tiny scratches, another of three times CHF 180 for scratches on the rims.

You only find out what’s on the final bill after the return. That turns it into a lottery.

How it works at aabo:

• No kilometre bill: There’s no limit, so there are no extra kilometres to pay at the end.
• Just a CHF 500 deposit: back within 7 days if we find no new damage.
• No damage catalogue: We look at every car ourselves and decide with common sense, case by case.
• Photos at pickup: Take photos of all four sides. Then it’s clear what was already there.

How to compare subscription prices properly

1. Divide the down payment by the term and add it to the monthly rate.
2. Calculate with the kilometres you really drive and check the price per extra kilometre.
3. Compare the rate for the term you actually want, not the advertised price.
4. Add one-off costs, for example a start fee or a security deposit.
5. Ask how the return works and who assesses damage.
6. Ask when you’ll get the car.

Who is aabo right for?

For anyone who drives a lot, doesn’t want to tie up money in a down payment and wants to decide for themselves how long to rent: a few months or several years. For example:

• Anyone who wants a car for years: 40% off from 2 years
• Commuters driving 1,500 km or more a month
• Companies that need cars for months or years
• New to Switzerland, before your own car is here
• A new job, a probation period or a temporary project

In a nutshell

• Down payment? None. Just a CHF 500 deposit that you get back.
• Term? From 2 months up to 24 months online, longer on request. The longer, the cheaper: up to 40% off.
• Kilometres? Unlimited.
• In the rate? Insurance, servicing, tyres, vignette, vehicle tax.
• Pickup? In Netstal, around the clock. Or we deliver the car anywhere in German-speaking Switzerland for CHF 190.

Other providers’ details: their websites, read on 4 November 2026 (FlatDrive with current offer prices, Carvolution with the canton of Vaud as place of residence), and buyauto.ch (as of 9 October 2026). Returns at Carvolution: Carvolution’s return standards and customer reviews on Trustpilot, read on 5 November 2026. aabo: cars from our rental fleet, base prices, 1 month = 30 days. Prices may change; the provider’s own page is what counts.

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