not2old

no you cant

On the road with auto, electric windows, A/C, tax etc its close to $20k - I know cos I went into the dealership

When I say lowest cost/price - its always always with tax, service fees, insurance , maintenance in... one price, not the $xx dollars & BTW ++++

magnumpi

That's me told lol

MarkG

Having driven a Nissan Micra--admittedly not the current model--for a few months, I can imagine few fates worse than being stuck with the completely cut-down, no frills at all, version for years, just to save a few thousand bucks.

However, that is another thing to consider when looking at new cars. Often they'll advertise the base model at a really low price, but as soon as you add the options you want, it's far more expensive than you want to pay. When I was thinking vaguely of buying a Porsche, I think the price was around $70,000 base, but over $100,000 once you'd built one you'd actually want to drive.

not2old

nah, its like everyone that lives in Canada (me included) we get caught up in a price without the service charges, tax & whatever else.

Back tot he cheap car thing

I called 'Rent a wreck', for a 30 day rental + insurance for a high mileage car I was quoted $900 tax in. They don't let let you use the CDW insurance

Budget & Hertz small car (with senior rate & if you have any loyalty card) came in at just over $800 tax in CDW insurance for a 30 day rental

Atlantic Xpat

True but they can be added to the monthly payment to make as near worry or unforseen cost free motoring as possible. As an example on a 2 year lease on my F150 I pay $588 a month which includes the maintenance package. Assuming I don't go over the mileage allowance which I am nowwhere near doing, the additional costs I have are insurance and fuel. OK wear and tear might be a problem at lease return but anything major in the way of damage would be an insurance issue. If one really wants to mitigate the risk then you buy lease protection insurance. I had that before on a leased Jeep.

I treat vehicle use as consumption rather than ownership. Yes I can pay a bit more and own my truck. But then I own my truck and all the liabilities that go with it in terms of repair and maintenance. Leasing within the warranty period means that if it goes wrong it hopefully gets fixed for free. Plus if fuel prices get stupidly high I'm not stuck with a gas guzzler I can't sell.

I think the long term rental thing is interesting in theory but in practice would be difficult to do. You'd have to check the small print on your credit card for the CDW coverage to see whether there is any limitation in number of days coverage/hire you can have in a year for one thing.

iaink

If you want a new(ish) vehicle for a relatively short time with minimal commitments there is also the option to assume someone elses lease, if you have been here long enough to establish a credit rating. There are bargains to be had there. You would still be on the hook for insurance, but on a new vehicle, especially financed, I dont really see a way around that other than renting, which is going to cost you anyway in other ways.

My wife did this for 6 months back in the day and it was a great deal for us.

Taking over a lease doesnt really work for a newcommer though as you need an established credit rating.

iaink

Thats one way to think about it, and if you always want a relatively new vehicle with minimal risk it works OK.
Personally I got sick of the prospect of always having $300-400 a month lease payment, plus $150-200 insurance every month for ever and ever. That $3600+ a year in leasing costs covers a lot of repair expenses on the vehicle we have that is paid for, we havent got anywhere near spending that on it. (touch wood).

not2old

indeed a good alternate, leasebusters, then again you have the lease transfer fee + fully comp insurance, maintenance, extras at the end to put the car back to the original condition. But yes, it'd be cheaper you'd think than the rental at the all in cost?

At an all in cost for a small 'take over lease' if that was doable at say $500/mth on a rolling 6 mth lease, that's the way to do it - it'd be chaeper than a rental car

iaink

I drove a Mazda Protege with wind down windows and long since non functioning AC for several years. To be honest it was alright, It was totally reliable and there was something very zen in the summer about soaking up the heat and winding the windows down to get a cross breeze. I wouldnt want to do a major road trip in it, but for the daily commute it was perfectly fine.


Plus it was paid for and cheap as chips to run, which were two major plus points.

On the down side it didnt have heated seats, and there is no way in hell I am going to put up with that nowadays.

Atlantic Xpat

My problem is that I spent a few years as a Manager at Ford Motor Co & got a new leased vehicle every 9 months. Even 12 years later I still get bored with a vehicle if I have it more than a few years!

not2old

What about any money up front, deposits, security payment, end of lease cost, tax + insurance?

How much is the insurance on your F150?

so not like a guy off the street - you get a better deal?

Atlantic Xpat

It's eminently possible to lease a cheap car for 3 years and have a lease cost+insurance for $500 or thereabouts.

iaink

There is no way to escape the insurance costs on a new financed vehicle.

Maintenance could be absolutely minimal for the last few months of a lease cycle, depending on what has been done already. It shouldnt come as a surprise anyway if you do your homework on whats required. Often the original leasee has paid a large lump sum up front to minimise the monthly payment, which you benefit from.

If its relatively low millage, or has has snow tires on for winter driving, chances are you can escape from needing to replace tires at lease end, and any other damage you are likely to have to pay for, like tears or burns in the upholstery or damaged windscreen should be pretty obvious before you agree to take it on.

iaink

There is not really any hope for you then

And to think I got all excited because I got to drive the wifes (8 year old) car today instead of mine. Its not new, but its a change and thats good enough once in a while.

Having paid some large bills last month to fix a couple of issues it wasnt in my good books anymore, but I had forgotten how nice it is, especially now Im not greeted by a bunch of warning lights and central locks that were not working...

Atlantic Xpat

First payment was $1500 or so from memory. I generally put as low amount in upfront as possible. No security deposit required & assuming it's returned in good condition there are no end of lease costs. The $588 is inclusive of GST.

Insurance for the F150 is no more or less expensive than insurance on a car. We pay around $2.4k for 2 vehicles and would be paying that whether we owned or leased.



Oh yes, Managers @ FMC (this is in the UK not Canada) could lease a vehicle for a stupidly small amount. You were supposed to reorder at 7000 miles and get a new vehicle by 9000 miles. The ex-management cars find there way to dealerships as used vehicles. If the company wanted to boost sales then you'd be offered the opportunity to reorder early. Essentially it became a case of "this car is dirty it must be time to order a new one." Happy days.