Buying a car in MA (Boston, Cambridge: rental car, rentals, insurance)

[Memma]

Hi there,

I will be relocating to the US from Europe in about a year. Since I don't have established credit in the US I expect that I will have to buy a car in cash. My plan is to live in Brookline and bike to work in Cambridge as much as the weather permits, so I'll need a car for those rainy days and weekend outings. I expect to have an au pair who will probably also use the car.

I don't care about luxury cars, I simply need something compact, cheap and reliable (and low maintenance). I have always only ever had a company company car, so I am completely inexperienced in car purchasing and ownership. On the other hand I am a very experienced driver, very good with stick shift, parallel parking, small streets and motorways, so I can probably handle just about any car.

I would really appreciate if you could share your experiences and perspectives on buying and owning a used car in Massachusetts, what to look out for, price range, insurance, good makes for second ownership, etc.

Thanks!

[Cape Cod Todd]

"In about a year" is a long way out and when the time comes there are plenty of used cars to be found.
I'm more concerned with you parking your car in Brookline unless you have off street parking.

Most cars in America are automatics unless you are looking for a sports car. In America you will find that even the compact cars are bigger than your small cars in Europe.

Buying a car here is easy and can be done in a few hours but not having credit can be a problem. A good used car can be from $10,000 and up. Foreign cars are really popular like Toyotas, and Hondas but American cars are just as good.

When you get closer to your move ask again.

[Memma]

Thank you for responding ) I m a bit of a planner, so like to have as many facts as possible well in advance. Some friends of mine lived in the US for some years and bought a used car in cash, which turned out to be completely ruined under a fresh coat of paint, luckily for them found out within half a day of having taken it home and managed to block the cheque before it was cashed, but it was a close call.

They were not in MA though, and part of what I a wondering about are if there in MA are any legal obligations on sellers, or if there are particular things you have to look out for as a buyer.

What I'd like to do is identify a couple of models and then keep an eye on used car websites to get an idea of what they are selling for on average so that I will have information to negotiate on once I get there.

As for the make I don't have a particular preference, but had in my mind that an American car may be easier to get repaired, but maybe that's kind of an old-fashioned mindset. I actually like automatic gears, but if stick shift can get me a better deal it's not a problem for me to drive it.

I'm already aware of the parking challenge in Brookline, parking will be one of my criteria when finding a place there.

[G-fused]

Price range will of course depend on the car and the add ons you choose but a new, reliable type compact car will be around 18k ish.

Some reliable and compact brands to consider are Toyota corolla, Honda civic, Subaru Imprezza, Mazda 3.

Insurance varies depending on your age, marital status, driving record, type of car, and other things but a rough estimate for an adult with a good driving record is $1,500/yr. You can call and get free quotes over the phone from insurance companies – Geico, Allstate, Progressive, and many others.

In terms of second ownership (I assume you mean used cars), if you are buying from a reputable dealership, make sure to look closely at the numbers. It may make more sense to buy new. If buying from a private seller, make sure to get the car checked by a mechanic before buying. If i were you, I’d avoid buying from private parties and go with a reputable dealer. Who needs the headache to save a few hundred? It’s just not worth it, especially for someone in your situation who is less familiar with the whole process.

Last thing is that you can consider subscribing to a car share program – check out Zip Car, Enterprise has a car share program too. You can join and do that until you find your own car, or if it suits you, continue along with the car share program. No gas expense, no insurance expense, no parking expense, etc. Just an option to consider.

I live in Brookline, Coolidge Corner. We’re lucky in that we own 2 spots. We’ve owned 2 cars but I hardly ever drove (take my bike or run or take the T to work) so we sold one of our cars and I joined a car share program for emergencies (my wife drives to work and wanted to make sure I had a car if there were an emergency for anything – we have a kid so just wanted to be sure our bases were covered). It worked out perfectly fine, great as a matter of fact. I like the care share program, tons of cars all around Brookline and around my place of work in Boston. We just bought a new car so are back to 2 cars. I’ll probably sell our second car sometime soon.

Many parts of Brookline are nicely walkable and a huge pain to drive in. I despise driving in Coolidge Corner so I pretty much walk everywhere.

Anyway, welcome to Brookline and best of luck.

Edit: there will also be an excise tax that Brookline charges for cars. The tax varies depending on the age and type of car. For a new compact car, you can expect to pay around 150/yr. The tax amount drops every year though - as the car ages. A parking spot in Brookline goes for around 200/month. Covered parking will be more but nice to have, especially with a kid.

[GeoffD]

By European standards, cars are inexpensive in the United States. The US has very few small cars compared to what you see in any European city.

Massachusetts has very high automobile insurance rates, particularly somewhere like Brookline parking on the street.

Massachusetts has an excise tax (property tax) on cars. It is 2.5% the first year and declines quickly. A 3 or 4 year old car does not have much of an excise tax.

If it were me moving to Brookline, I'd start with ZipCar rentals, public transportation, and Uber/taxi. For the cost of operating a car, you can pay for an awful lot of taxi rides and car rentals and you don't need to worry about parking.

[G-fused]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

By European standards, cars are inexpensive in the United States. The US has very few small cars compared to what you see in any European city.

Massachusetts has very high automobile insurance rates, particularly somewhere like Brookline parking on the street.

Massachusetts has an excise tax (property tax) on cars. It is 2.5% the first year and declines quickly. A 3 or 4 year old car does not have much of an excise tax.

If it were me moving to Brookline, I'd start with ZipCar rentals, public transportation, and Uber/taxi. For the cost of operating a car, you can pay for an awful lot of taxi rides and car rentals and you don't need to worry about parking.

OP mentioned an au pair so safe to assume she has a kid. Car share programs are great (I love mine) but can be a pain with a kid because she'd need to tote around a car seat and maybe some other things for the kid depending on the length of the trip, and be concerned with making sure Jr. doesn't mess the car up with his/her vomit or snacks or juice. Just something for the OP to keep in mind while she considers this option.

[Memma]

Didn't know about the ZipCar, it may actually be the easiest way to go in the beginning. A friend also mentioned that compared to Europe car rental when you live in the US is very cheap, so that could be an option if we want to drive somewhere for the weekend.

I've been driving for years in Europe, but was told that you start from scratch with the insurance when you move to the US.

[Memma]

BTW, I have two kids who will be 9 and 7 when we move.

[G-fused]

I think ZipCar offers longer term car rentals too so it is streamlined. May be a bit more expensive than going with a standard car rental place but is more convenient as well.

You can also consider private car rentals. There are long and short term things available.

Rent my car - Private and long term car rental | DriveMyCar
https://turo.com/rent
JustShareIt | Car Sharing Marketplace

[G-fused]

Originally Posted by Memma

BTW, I have two kids who will be 9 and 7 when we move.

Car share programs and rental cars are an ok temporary option but I think you'll be happier with your own car.