I need a car about 4 months a year. Too long to rent reasonably from the usual rental agencies (Avis, etc.). Too short to purchase, and store somewhere for 8 months. I’ve never found any reasonable swap a lease vehicles in my neck of the woods. Any other options I have not considered?
Call the rental agencies. My sister needs one for a lengthy car repair and they gave her one for a month at a reduced rate. Sometimes lease agencies have a need for someone to take over a lease for a shorter period of time when someone turns in early. Also check Turo, which is sort of the airbnb of car rentals. Availability will depend on whether you need a car for popular or busy times.
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buy a beater then sell or donate after 4 months.
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check other woods. For example, car rentals in Philly 'burbs are much cheaper than NYC Metro. Not practical for short term, but if keeping a car for months might make it worth it.
Is this every year you need a car for four months? Like you live in NYC where you don’t need or want a car, but you own a summer home at the Jersey Shore and need a car?
I think I’d like a clearer explanation why you need the car for four months…and if this is going to be every year.
I’m looking at the same. Turo and All of the car rental places didn’t work out. Price to rent still too high even for the cheapest car. Running over $700/month.
I rented for a Couple of months about 7-8 years ago and it cost half that. Things have changed.
It does make a difference where you rent, by the way. A good $100 difference. Per month
You may wish to check with your mechanic and buy a cheap, well-running car that holds its value and sell it at the end of the period.
@kjofkw , it depends on what you need a car for, but I really like HImom’s idea.
In your situation, I’d much rather spend $1000 to buy a used beater, drive it for 4 months, then sell it for $800; than to rent from a chain-agency for about $1500+. The market for such cars in my area is constant, so selling it at the end would be no problem. It might be a little tricky to find one in decent condition, but as HImom said, if you know a mechanic you trust, he should know of one.
However, if you need the car for something like driving clients around, maybe you need something newer.
I sold my old, well-loved van in good running condition to niece of my mechanic. I gave them the price the dealer was offering for the vehicle—$400. She was overjoyed and the mechanic knew it had been well maintained.
It was far better than the beaters she had been considering. We only got rid of it because we only needed 2 cars and just bought a new one.
if you were in the SF Bay Area, there is rentamile.com. Slightly similar concept to AirBnb. Definitely cheaper than going to a car rental agency. Perhaps there are other similar setups elsewhere.
Would Zipcar be an option?
A good friend of mine rented a Jeep Liberty for a few months for $375 a month through a rental company.
Do you need a car or just need transportation? My niece’s DH was staying for longish periods in another city and found he could get by with uber/lyft and public transport and occasional short-term car rental.
Sounds like storage during off-months is a concern against purchasing a car. You can check out renting someone’s garage - I remember looking into those for D when she wanted a car at school but wouldn’t have been able to get on-campus parking. There were tons of options on craigslist. Other option would be a storage unit with outside access that would let you park a car inside.
I would love to rent a car for $375 per month. Can you find out what rental compsny
If you buy a car for even 4 months you still have to pay registration and insurance. Registration where I am now would be at least $100 plus emissions testing. Registration in Florida would be about $450! Yes, I was shocked when I moved there to register my 10+ year old honda. Insurance can also be expensive.
Have you looked on Craigslist or Nextdoor (website for your neighborhood). Perhaps you could post what you are looking for. I know we have an extra car 9 months a year sitting in our garage while are son is at school. And my parents have a car sitting in their garage 6 months a year while they are in Florida. Perhaps there is an arrangement to be made with someone similar in the area? Of course, insurance would need to be worked out, ect, but worth considering.
Thumper: I’m currently semi-retired, and split my time between two residences for a combination of work & family purposes. It might not be 4 consecutive months. It is often 2 + 2, or 3 + 2. Have a car at one, but not the other. Buying & selling each time would be a royal pain for me, especially since I’m guessing this may be for several years.
Both residences are in mid sized cities, and they don’t have the same options as the major metro areas. So far I’ve made it work by renting a car for several weeks at a time & using Uber for the rest, although Uber & Lyft can be spotty. No Zip car or Turo available. Spotty mass transit as well, and only during the week to the town centers. I’ve called leasing agencies & checked Swap-A-Lease, but never found any for that short term in my area. I was also surprised at how expensive the Swap-A-Lease options were.
Wow, I’d love to find a 30 day rental for $375! My auto insurance and credit card will not cover insurance for the major rental companies (such as Avis), longer than 30 consecutive days , but I can rent for a month, turn it in, and rent another. Posting on the local sites as a car-share might work. Not sure how insurance would follow, but I did read a few insurance companies offer a non-owner type coverage, intended for roommates who share a car.
Thanks for the ideas so far!
@kjofkw , smart to focus on insurance even with a rental. I recently had a house guest who ended up with a small crack in the windshield of her rented car from a piece of gravel that hit her on the highway. She had declined the insurance and was billed almost $500 for it. If someone opens a door into you in a parking lot, it could cost a mint. Speaking from experience!
And of course, you need liability coverage which you may not have if you are not insuring your own car. Would be interested in hearing how you address this affordably with whichever route you go.
I’m in the same situation as @kjofkw
The ideal situation for me is to be able to do a long term rental. 3 months at $400/month is what I’d like to find. Not happening. It runs closer to double
Look on websites that share rental car discount codes, and then use mrrebates or Rakuten (PM me for a link) for additional money back.