I Tried Leo, Montreal's New Car-Sharing Service – Here's My Honest Review

Leo vs. Communauto: My Hands-On Review of Montreal's Latest Carsharing App

I’ve been a pretty loyal Communauto user for a while now. But when I heard about Leo, the new car-sharing service from French company Vulog, I had to give it a spin—literally. Vulog, a big name in mobility tech, chose Montreal as its first North American city, which says a lot about our city’s eco-conscious, tech-embracing vibe.

With 600 cars already hitting the roads (though it feels closer to 200 in my day-to-day app checks), Leo clearly isn’t just dipping a toe in.

Sign-Up Was Shockingly Smooth

I’m used to a bit of back-and-forth when signing up for car-sharing services, especially Communauto, where you have to get verified through the SAAQ. But Leo skips all that. All it took was a few photos (driver’s license, ID, a selfie), a credit card, and I was in. Within minutes.

Honestly, it was so fast that I felt like I’d skipped a step. But nope—everything worked perfectly. Shoutout to their devs.

Let's Talk About Cost

Leo’s pricing model is super straightforward, and that’s something I can appreciate. Here’s the breakdown:

• $0.43/minute
• $9.50/30 minutes
• $14.50/hour
• $59/day
• Plus: $1.49 fixed fee + $1.99 insurance per trip

It’s simple, clean, and doesn’t make you do mental gymnastics. If you remember Car2Go, it’s got a similar vibe.

Oh, and if you’re a Premium user of the Transit app, you get 10% off. That’s a nice touch. Even better, you get 75 km included for each rental day, unlike Communauto, which gives you mileage only once per trip no matter how long it is. Leo wins this round.

My First Drive

I booked a Mitsubishi RVR, and I had 15 minutes to get to it. There are Honda Civics too, all at the same price. When I arrived, I was shocked: this car had only 9 km on it. It smelled like a dealership.

I unlocked it using the app—no OPUS card option (boo)—and had to check for existing damage. The key was inside the car, attached by a cable to the steering wheel. That’s when things got... weird.

The Key Dilemma

The key stays in the car. You’re not supposed to take it with you. That means you have to use the app to lock and unlock at every stop, even mid-trip. At first, I thought, “What if I’m camping somewhere with no signal?”

Apparently, Leo’s team confirmed to me that unlocking uses Bluetooth, not cellular. So technically, you should be fine off-grid. I didn’t test this, but it’s good to know. Still, not having a backup like an OPUS card (which Communauto allows) makes me uneasy. What if your phone dies? What if the app crashes? These are real concerns.

Fuel and Final Photos

My ride came with a full tank, which was great. But if you need to refuel, there’s no card in the car. You have to use your own money, then send in a receipt to get a $5 credit. Meh. I’d prefer a prepaid card like other services use.

Ending the trip requires at least two photos of the car, but the app doesn’t clearly tell you what exactly to photograph. I just snapped the front and back and hoped for the best.

App Experience: Surprisingly Good

Compared to Communauto’s clunky, often laggy app, Leo’s is a breath of fresh air. It’s clean, responsive, and intuitive. Booking a car felt quick and painless, and the vehicle’s GPS location was super accurate.

It’s hosted on Google Firebase, so unless Google explodes, server outages should be rare. That gives me some peace of mind.

Parking Rules You Should Know

Leo’s parking policy feels familiar if you’ve used Communauto:

• Park before 9 PM? The car has to be legal until 7 AM the next morning.
• After 9 PM? It needs to be legal until 7 AM the day after next.

It’s a bit of mental math, but once you’re used to it, it’s manageable.

Land of Geek Rating: 8.2/10

Leo is sleek, fast, and refreshingly modern—but not without quirks. The app experience and pricing are top-notch, but the no-key system and lack of a backup unlock method keep it from cruising into a perfect score.

✅ Pros & ❌ Cons

✅ Pros:

• Super fast and simple sign-up process
• Modern, clean, intuitive app
• Competitive pricing with no mileage headaches
• New vehicles with great variety (RVRs and Civics)
• Bonus 75 km included with every day of rental
• 10% discount for Transit Premium users

❌ Cons:

• No way to unlock the car without your phone
• No backup method like OPUS card (Communauto offers this)
• Refueling requires using your own money upfront
• No physical key—cable-tethered key is odd and limiting
• Unclear instructions when ending a trip (photo requirements)

Leo vs. Communauto: Who Wins?

Verdict:Leo wins on UX, simplicity, and short-trip affordability. But for reliability on longer trips or in sketchy signal zones, Communauto still reigns supreme. If Leo adds more flexibility and backup unlock methods, it could seriously shake up Montreal's car-sharing hierarchy.

Worth It?

If you’re doing short city trips around Montreal, Leo is awesome. Clean cars, better pricing, and a smooth app make it super appealing.

But if you're planning a trip into the countryside, the lack of a physical key or backup unlock method gives me pause. Not being able to unlock the car without your phone (and assuming it’s charged) is a design choice that feels more tech-idealistic than user-friendly.

That said, competition is good. Communauto finally has a rival, and that’s a win for all of us.

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