gazzer82

Hi helpful people!

So, i am moving to LA in August on an L1-A and am starting to look at lease cars.

I have contacted International Auto-source, and whilst they have been very helpful the cars they have available are very very limited (partially i think due to model changes) but it basically means they can get me a Petrol Ford Focus (Sedan) anything else seems to be a manufacturer order with a long long lead time (end of September at least). They also take about 45 days from arrival in the US to actually deliver the car, which will mean renting for that period.

I have also been in touch with a few dealers and it appears that Ford, VW, Audi and Chevrolet have international Expat programs for just this sort of situation. So i am tempted to not order from IA and wait till i am in the US and go to one of th above companies, and hopefully get something in a couple of weeks (once i have my SSN through).

I just don't want to end up in a situation where i get to the US and find that i cannot secure a lease for any reason, and at that point won't be able to use IA.

Anyone else got any experience of this? Advice/comments/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Gareth

off_again

Good question - a recent mover to CA myself and I looked at options around Autosource and local purchase. Autosource do look OK and the costs are reasonable, but they aren't negotiable and in reality the rates aren't great and you won't get any reasonable discounts involved. The costs I was getting quoted for some pretty basic cars weren't great and well above what a local would pay.

So I guess its the convenience, flexibility and ease rather than anything else. That said, if you are coming here on an L1, you will find that a lot of places will accept that and put you on a decent plan. I know that Ford, VW and a couple of others do this, so you get automatic acceptance, a better rate and in the case of Ford, I was looking at $2,000 off before we started negotiating! (on a Ford Escape that is!).

BUT, you can get something ordered and agreed, but you still need that SSN though, while Autosource you don't. Like I said, convenience I suppose. For me, we decided to NOT use Autosource and went with a pre-approved car loan from our bank. Being an L1, the bank gave us good rates and a flexible loan. So we ended up getting a 2009 Ford Edge on finance rather than a lease. All was pretty simple and easy and I bought through a dealer (Hendrick group) and they did everything for us. So it was OK and actually pretty easy.

I now have a flexible loan I can overpay, can own something in a couple of years and I am not tied into a long lease. That way we can build up some credit history and get something cheaper locally on a better rate. I see those offers and costs that locals get and I can't wait!!! And just as a warning - if you go for something locally, try and aim for a holiday period or sale. The deals can be amazing if you are happy for a previous year model or something a little lower spec.

How about $359 a month and $3000 down for a brand new Infiniti Q50!!! Or a Chevy Cruze for $149 a month and $1500 down! Depends on what you want I suppose. Autosource can't / won't get close to these rates or deals.

Pulaski

With IA it is something you can take care of ahead of time, which may have some real value if you also need to find somewhere to live, connect utilities, get your DL, etc. I have always been a strong advocate for IA, but if you're going to have wait weeks after you get here for your car to be delivered, then the other alternatives to IA may look more attractive.

choops

I used IA a few years ago when moving to San Diego. Had to use them as no credit = no car unless buying outright.

Overall the process was smooth but I feel I way overpaid for a VW Tiguan (base model) When I arrived and started seeing all the lease offers I couldn't believe how much I was paying (over 500 bucks a month!)

Like you, the models offered and colour selection was limited as I was getting the 'end of the year' dribs and drabs