Hire or rent a car?
Hi,my family of 3 are taking a 3 and a half month trip to NZ from Oct-Jan. Due to the length of stay I am tossing up whether to buy a reliable older second hand car as rental for that length is pretty pricey. Any thoughts? Places to buy?
thanks Grant |
I reckon you would be better off buying a cheapie as well.
There are regular car auctions in the main cities that are well worth checking out for a good deal. Do a google search for 'turners car auctions' Lots and lots of car yards sell cars under $5000 ( New Zealand dollars) and as you only need it for a few months, you should get away without it needing any major engine work. Re-sale? I'm not sure but maybe if you start putting ads in backpackers hostels you might get lucky ...of course, that is also a good place to look for a car to buy as well. Good luck .. |
Depending on where you are starting your journey, there are very big private car fairs on a saturday and sunday. These would be a better option than looking at any backpackers. There are car inspection services at the fairs for a small charge so you can have it checked out on the spot. For re-selling probably back to the car fair.
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Thanks for the info guys, we are currently flying into Auckland but want to change this to Christchurch as we may be able to borrow a caravan to tour around in. Keep the ideas coming.
Thanks Grant |
I would second the comment on the car fairs. This is a great way to buy a vehicle, and I wish such things existed in the U.S. Basically, sellers bring their car to a fair and pay for the right to exhibit it (plus a % of the selling cost). As mentioned, mechanics are on duty that will check out any car for a reasonable fee. There are several good fairs around Auckland (China Basin, Manakau, Ellerslie), but don't know much about Christchurch.
Its always a risk to then have to sell your car. We purchased a campervan and sold it 6 months later, but we took a beating (bad time of year, a little too expensive) when we sold it. For us, hiring the same campervan would have been a similar cost. |
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