Hire or rent a car?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2
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
thanks Grant
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 176
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 ..
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 ..
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 786
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.
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,521
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.
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.
