Short-term car leasing? (states, retirees, vacation, friends)

[brightdoglover]

Are there any options out there to lease/rent a car for a longer term, like, say, three months, without paying a weekly rate?
I am hoping to spend summers some 2,000 miles away from my main home. A weirdo, I want to get out of eastern Mass. for the summers, away from the grey humidity. Surely all retirees that snowbird or something don't always drive their own car all over the place?

[flyonpa]

Just about all the car rental companies will do long term Rentals.
Things to think about / not do:
1. Don't Rent the car from the airport get out of town some, The airport fees/taxes can be more then the rental.
2. You Credit Card Rental insurance will NOT cover the long term rental. There are 3rd party Ins company they will white a non/owner policy, Also check you your current Auto Policy (if you have one) to see if they can do any thing for you.
3. Look for a non/brand name 'Local' company there rates may be lower, also A "used" rental from one of non 1st teir companies
4. Consider getting AAA in case of brakedown, for non/covered items.
5. Take VERY good pictures and have agent go with you as you pickup and drop off the car with a fine tooth comb, to avoid damanage claims for item there were there when you picked up the car.

[akck]

Check with car dealerships to see if they rent cars. We were able to rent a car for about 6 weeks as our car was being repaired from an accident. I'd guess they'd would have rented it for a longer period as it was guaranteed income. We didn't get special insurance as the other guy's insurance was paying for the rental and we did have our car insurance.

Another option is to buy a used vehicle and then sell it when you're done. I know there are RV dealerships who sell them and then guarantee buying them back once your vacation is completed. There might be dealerships who'll do that for a car.

[Wilson513]

Call your insurance agent. Insurance companies use car lessors that charge deep discounted rates for terms longer than a few days or a week and you may get a name from him for a particular locality.

[brightdoglover]

Thanks to all for the great suggestions!

[TuborgP]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

Are there any options out there to lease/rent a car for a longer term, like, say, three months, without paying a weekly rate?
I am hoping to spend summers some 2,000 miles away from my main home. A weirdo, I want to get out of eastern Mass. for the summers, away from the grey humidity. Surely all retirees that snowbird or something don't always drive their own car all over the place?

Food for thought, your destination is 2,000 miles away, so your trip there and back is 4,000 miles. Not counting driving milage there a 3 month rental is the equivalent of 16,000 miles per year. Multiply 4 times the amount of miles you will drive while there and add that to the 16,000 and you might be looking at a high mileage use equivalent lease and I don't know much about leases but that could be expensive.

[TuborgP]

3 Month Car Lease - Find The Best New Car Lease Deals

Three month car leasing deals, however, are more attractive for those with short term plans. This is especially true for people that drive strictly for business, since the mileage and extra fees is kept at a minimum – both of which are important factors for car leasing.

[M3 Mitch]

Something to think about, depending on where you want to go, would be ZipCar or similar "car share" programs, where you only pay for a car when you are actually using it.

Not sure where you want to go, but you probably know about Amtrak's car-train on the east coast, they will haul your car and you to Florida. Or in that direction, anyway. Although if you want to escape humidity, this is probably not what you want to do.

Another point might be to just drive the car you have, assuming you have one, to your vacation. If you want to bring much "stuff", the car will let you do it, if there are 2 of you, it may compare well cost-wise against 2 air tickets (and you can avoid the joys of flying nowadays).

[StealthRabbit]

I have been known to buy a cheap car off CL, and leave it at the airport when I go home... (Warning: this is not 'legal' advice... ... someone with get all feathered up over this...)

Only buy a temporary car, IF it has current plates that go with the car, some states don't allow that, and plates stay with the owner (There are also ways to do this legal, tho pretty painful in some states). Do make sure you are insured (this brings up even MORE troubles, BUT, most policies allow you a 30 day 'grace period' when buying a new car. (they expect you are REPLACING an existing one).

Do take the other advice FIRST.

Car dealers have been a source for longer term rentals, I have also bought-used-and-sold-when-leaving. You want to choose something that will sell fast!! (Like a $35 Stealthrabbit that gets 50mpg ). I find it is not hard to resell a $35 car (just be careful not sell it with a full tank ) (Unless it is full of free fryer grease)

Maybe you need to find a decent 'house-swap'.. My friends that do it, seem to get pretty nice cars included (usually Volovos / MB's / BMW...) In A recent swap the family from US left their swappers with a BEATER LTD wagon, and the European guests that came, put over 10,000 miles on it!

I personally could not stomach 'lending' one of my $35 cars to a stranger. I HATE fixing the errors of others... (plus liability !!!)

[brightdoglover]

I would be thinking of spending summers in SW Colorado, living in my house in eastern Mass. the rest of the time. I wouldn't be driving back and forth, that is the point. I'd be flying and needing a car in Colorado for my stay there.