<p>Let’s say that your family needs to acquire one more car than you usually have, but that the extra car will only be needed for a relatively short period of time – about four months in the instance that I’m thinking about.</p>
<p>How would you do it? Buy (and then sell four months later)? Lease (can you lease for that length of time)? Rent?</p>
<p>We were going to be faced with this problem, as son is home for the summer doing a summer internship locally and needed a car. He does not presently have a car at school. We were going to buy a used car, husband’s mechanic was going to help us find one and then turn around and sell it. I am not too familiar with the laws regarding leasing and renting, except that I believe on renting you may need to be 21? If this auto is for student to drive, you might want to check on the age requirements as well as insurance.</p>
<p>P.S. We ended up giving son our 10 year old car and buying a new one. At the end of the summer, we will then sell the old car. It worked out for this summer–I guess we will see about future summers!</p>
<p>The situation is this:</p>
<p>I am considering taking a job that would require an extensive commute. My husband already has a job with an extensive commute in the opposite direction.</p>
<p>In all past summers (and this one), I have been doing a mostly telecommuting job from home and have easily shared my car with whichever of my kids were home. We take turns using the car or drop each other places and pick each other up, with only very occasional reliance on taxis or rental cars when the conflicts are unsolvable. (Husband’s difficult commute prevents him from participating at all in car sharing.) But if I get that new job, I will not be able to car-share next summer, and there’s a strong possibility that both of our kids might be home (son expects to be in limbo between college and grad school, and daughter expects to have a local summer job).</p>
<p>Thus, the need for an additional car. The ages of the drivers do not matter because I would be the one to use any rented or leased vehicle, and the young person or persons would use my existing four-year-old Toyota. This is what we have done in the past when I have needed a car for out-of-town trips (I make the trip in a rental and leave my car with the kid or kids.)</p>
<p>The one time this sort of thing came up in the family I grew up in, my dad did exactly what Notre Dame AL did. He had an older car that he was ready to sell. He bought a new car, but postponed selling his old car for a few months so that another family member could use it during a temporary situation. But I don’t think that either of our family’s current cars is likely to have enough mileage on it to justify selling it by next spring.</p>
<p>We have a similar problem this summer. Our eldest son had to take the 3rd car to college for the summer, so younger son has no wheels. We looked at several used cars and it was just a fiasco. </p>
<p>We solved it by having my son’s girlfriend drive him everywhere. LOL.</p>
<p>I would suggest visiting a local ALF (assisted living facility). Many elderly people have older cars with very little mileage, often Toyotas and Hondas. Speak to the admissions coordinator or social service director. The families are eager for quick sales.</p>
<p>Sometimes you can purchase a used car and then just sell it when you’re done. If you do it right (buy low, sell high) you might end up with no cost.</p>
<p>You can also contact the rental car companies and enquire about a “long-term” rental. They have monthly rental rates. I did a quick check and Budget has them for about $2700 for a 4 month period. Hertz and Enterprise are about $750 per month (depending on the type of car).</p>
<p>Thank you all for the ideas.</p>
<p>This is not an urgent matter. It’s something I’m thinking about for a future period of time, but you’ve given me some very good ideas.</p>
<p>Rent. Never heard of a 4 month lease and with any typical lease the early termination penalties would most likely be a killer. In buying, the sales tax you’d pay would most certainly be contrary to any cost effectiveness and unless you were buying some classic/collectible type car, most cars just go down in price, even after 4 mos.</p>
<p>Some of the rental car places have long-term (month or more) rental arrangements. Also, depending on the time of year and where you live, a friend or neighbor may have an extra that they are willing to rent to you. Ya nevah know, as they say. There used to be a place around here called “rent a wreck” that had really cheap cars. Dont know if I would go that route, but it may be worth looking into.
If you buy a used car, even for a few mos, you have to be sure it is in good shape. Even a car that seems well maintained may beed extra service/repairs/tires or may not have a clean title history. Having been through that recently to replace ds’s car that got totalled, I don’t recommend it for a short time need. It was a hassle and a lot of work. Then, in our state, there are ad cvelorum taxes to pay on the car. All pile on the cost. Dont overlook that. </p>
<p>My vote. Rent.</p>
<p>Marian: If the 4 months are not during the summer, try and find a kid who has gone off to college and not taken their car. They might be thrilled to have a responsible adult pay the insurance and pay them a user fee for the 4 months. Our D is schooling in Boston and her car just sits. I drive it from time to time, wash it, move it when the street sweepers come. I would relish having someone with a good driving record (you do have a good driving record don’t you?? 
take the car for 4 months and pay D. We will make you a great deal! Any chance you are in So Cal??? Have we got an economical Camry to “rent”.</p>
<p>Great idea blucroo–this is the reason we did not buy a car when son turned 16. We were pretty sure that he would not have a car at college and since he is an only child, we did not have anyone to pass it on to. We know of several “only child” families whose kids have gone to college carless and car just sits in the driveway. We just could not justify the cost–but yours is a great idea!!</p>