Anyone recommend a good used car service in the USA

JamesTranter

New member
Hey there everyone

I'm from New Zealand, and the laws here about car seats is good, but could be far better! Anyways I'm keen as to get stuck into these forums!

I know this is a little irrelevant, but I was wondering if any of you car fanatics knew anything places to buy a used car in the US?

I'm going over in a few months for my granddaughters christening, and someone recommended that its actually cheaper to buy a used car, then to rent one!

I found this link on a forum but don't know how good it is: http://www.hertzcarsales.com/

Any recommendations would be much appreciated

Regards

James
 
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wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I'd think more about the logistics behind it. You want to buy a car, have a mechanic check it (since anything you're buying for under $500 USD will NOT be anywhere new), get it on your insurance internationally, all while not having a car to drive and being jetlagged, then use it for a week and then go through the hassle of selling it long distance?

I'd just rent a car. Last time I did I got a small car, got a weekly rate, and paid $133 because I pre-paid the cost. It was a brand new car and fully serviced, and my insurance easily covers hire cars. Even if I'd splurged on a bigger car $500 would be about right for a week. If you go longer than that ask about a monthly rate. That may be cheaper. Look for deals on rental car websites, and check out places like Orbitz, Expedia, and Priceline.

Top Gear UK did this a few years ago. Bought cars for $1000 instead of renting. They had trouble selling (mostly because they ended in New Orleans a year after Hurricane Katrina), trouble finding a car, and all of the cars were old and broke down. Even in the end they could only give away two of the three cars for free. One they couldn't even give away before they had to go back to Britain.

I'd just rent.

Wendy
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
I agree with Wendy that it will be difficult to get a car purchased, registered, and insured, and then sold easily at the end of your visit.

If you're determined to do so, however, www.carmax.com has lots of vehicles to buy and they will purchase used vehicles on the spot when you want to get rid of it (of course, you'd be buying at the retail price and selling at the wholesale price).
 

jess71903

Ambassador
Welcome to CSO! We welcome another Kiwi (I'm not, but we have a few).

I agree with the others. I just can't imagine buying a car for a week visit, going through all the issues with buying a car, then turning around and selling it.
 

DawgDad

New member
I agree with all the advice given in this thread. Also, I wouldn't consider buying a used car that was a formal rental car in the US. People tend to drive rental cars VERY poorly. Those 50k miles that get put on them are like 200K of normal driving... Many rental agencies also don't keep on their scheduled maintenance as tightly as they should so that they can maximize profit margins on the rentals before they shelf them.

That all being said, I would rent a car while here in the US no matter the length of time for a number of reasons Wendy already mentioned on top of the fact that I still think that you will come out better financially doing so with the right rental agency. Lastly, often times you will get better rental rates & options from agencies at the airport vs. those outside the airport for weekly rentals. If you wanted longer rentals, you might get a better rate at a local agency outside the airport for a month or two (depending on how long your visa is valid). In the end, in America, EVERYTHING is negotiable and tipping is encouraged.
 

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