I need a car for like 3 months...

[powderjunkie]

A bit of a long story so I'll just skip the details...I'll need a car for my wife to commute from mid-June to mid-September, but then won't really need a car for the next calendar year. Transit/etc isn't an option as she is a shift worker with unpredictable hours.

Some rental places claim to have 'long-term' rates, but booking systems are showing $6k or more. I've rented cars in France (30 days) and New Zealand (60 days) in the past and don't think either cost me more than a grand.

We're outside the Communauto zone.


We'll probably just buy something fairly cheap and reduce the coverage on it for the year it's not needed, but curious if there are any other ideas? If it was wintertime I could probably arrange something with snowbird relatives, but I doubt I know anyone planning an extended summer trip this year.

[TorqueDog]

Have you looked into something like LeaseBusters? I don't know how many people are trying to ditch leases with <6 months remaining, but that might be a viable option.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Have you looked into something like LeaseBusters? I don't know how many people are trying to ditch leases with <6 months remaining, but that might be a viable option.

Ya lease takeover had occurred to me - but I kinda forgot and wasn't sure where to look into it - thanks for the link!

[you&me]

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpo...postcount=2986

TBH, Leasebusters is not where I'd be looking. With the state of the market, any lease holder in vaguely good standing has a ton of options to get out of their lease, so the only cars listed will have terrible terms, no equity, etc... Essentially, you'll be left holding the bag for someone else.

Now again, back to the state of the market - it's a great time to buy something on the cheaper side and with no short term relief in sight, there's little risk of depreciation over six months, aka you can drive for free. Check out that Focus /\/\/\

[photon]

If you get something like a Civic could you just buy one and sell it for the same price in 3 months?

[blankall]

What's the guarantee from leasebusters that when you takeover the lease there aren't any pre-existing damage/issues that you'll have to pay out when the lease is returned? That would be my major concern.

[Ducay]

I'd just buy a beater a re-sell at the end of the term

[Locke]

Have you considered 'checking doorhandles?'

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by blankall

What's the guarantee from leasebusters that when you takeover the lease there aren't any pre-existing damage/issues that you'll have to pay out when the lease is returned? That would be my major concern.

On LeaseBusters, no idea, never used them, but they were the first thing that popped into my head given the nature of the request. Something like Turo would be way too expensive for a three-month rental (the rental companies would be a bargain by comparison). I believe you still have to go through the leaseholder (ie: GM Financial, Ford Credit, etc.) to complete the deal. Leasebusters is just the matchmaker IIRC.

As you&me said, the market is such that it might be more advantageous to just buy something cheap for the few months. You'll likely get away without losing money on it.

[activeStick]

All vehicles on Leasebusters go through an accredited inspection before being offered to customers, so pre-existing damages/issues will be fixed before.

Edit - I'm going to edit this post and add what led me to write the above from their website. Sorry for the confusion!! Best to definitely talk to someone from Leasebusters to have your questions answered.


Step 5 – Vehicle inspection/prepare to finish deal

When Buyer receives credit approval from the leasing company, Buyer and Seller address all pre-delivery items on the Offer to Lease. Ensure vehicle passes inspection at an accredited service facility then set a date for vehicle exchange and completion of documentation.

[WinnipegFan]

Just got a car off lease busters. If you go that route PM me, there are some specifics you’ll need to register. Was a run around for me so I can save you some pain hahahaha

[Snuffleupagus]

Twice I needed a car for a stint on an extended visit abroad, my advice, buy a decent older vehicle that needs a good cleaning and a small amount of TLC, both times I made enough money to cover the insurance on resale.

It might be tougher these days with the cost of used cars though.

[Sylvanfan]

You could try a line of credit, get a $2500 type car, and pay the interest than sell. Even if the rate is like 9% you really only pay like $20 a month in interest.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by activeStick

All vehicles on Leasebusters go through an accredited inspection before being offered to customers, so pre-existing damages/issues will be fixed before.

I'm pretty sure this is not accurate, like...at all.

Leasebusters is effectively Kijiji for lease takeovers. They're not inspecting anything themselves and they're for sure not ensuring all damage is repaired beforehand.

They do a "No-Charge evaluation" of your lease beforehand, but that is just looking at the financial details to help calculate a price.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Ducay

I'm pretty sure this is not accurate, like...at all.

Leasebusters is effectively Kijiji for lease takeovers. They're not inspecting anything themselves and they're for sure not ensuring all damage is repaired beforehand.

They do a "No-Charge evaluation" of your lease beforehand, but that is just looking at the financial details to help calculate a price.

I happened to browsing the site and found this, which is why I posted the earlier message.

Step 5 – Vehicle inspection/prepare to finish deal

When Buyer receives credit approval from the leasing company, Buyer and Seller address all pre-delivery items on the Offer to Lease. Ensure vehicle passes inspection at an accredited service facility then set a date for vehicle exchange and completion of documentation.

[bizaro86]

Do you know any teachers? We have two cars largely because my wife uses one to commute from September to late June. This summer we won't have two because of timing on a new vehicle order, but in general selling our older car for the summer with a pre-arranged buyback to someone we knew would be pretty attractive to us.

[Erick Estrada]

I'm in the same boat. I have a guy coming to look at my car this weekend but the issue is that my next vehicle is on order months away. In the past I would just get a rental for a month but this is going to be longer so I may get a beater.