Car?

[Mremptyinside]

Hello everyone,

I'm completely new to the world of cars, but I find myself in a situation where I need to find a better mode of transportation to get to my workplace. Currently, it takes me 16-20 minutes to drive there, but over an hour using public transport. While I'm aware my workplace will likely provide me with a car after 9 months, until then, I'm in need of a solution. Unfortunately, I don't have enough funds for anything high-quality, and I'm quite paranoid about damaging others' property.

I've never owned a car before, nor have I felt such a strong need for one until now. Motorcycles are not an option for me, and though I have a regular driver's license for several years now and am driving quite well.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

 

[SamB]

If it’s only for 9 months, could you lease a car? It is an expensive option but it is also relatively less hassle. Maybe if your company is going to give you a car later they already have a scheme that you could join if you paid for the first 9 months yourself?

 

[Mremptyinside]

yeah that could be an idea as well. Thought i would like it if i had something personally...

 

[SamB]

The costs will be the initial cost of the car (cars devalue over time), then you will need to pay for road tax, insurance, fuel, annual safety test, servicing and consumables and for any repairs if it breaks. You may also want breakdown cover if not included with your insurance.
In general the smaller the car the cheaper it will be for all of those things. So think about where you are going to park it, what you want to use it for and decide what size you want. Then have a think about your budget and that will then guide you as to the age and mileage that you can afford to buy. When buying good things are a service history (with paperwork), not too many owners and not involved in any kind of accident. When you view the car, look around for dents, damage and rust, listen to the engine to see how it sounds and check the exhaust is not outputting anything nasty. When you drive it everything should feel tight and controlled without any strange noises. You might want to test drive a few cars to find one you like and meets your criteria. Then you should decide if it’s the right price and try and negotiate a better one.
If you have a friend that is knowledgeable about cars then you could ask them to help you.

 

[Ash600]

There are various types of car leasing options available such as PCH, PCP each one coming with varying lengths of contract so it might be something worth looking into should you wish to go down that avenue.
Some great advice has alreadt been given, but alo, if you're going to purchase a car, then it might be worth conducting an online vehicle check to ascertain the car's history. In the UK, it's also known as an HPI check - named after the company that provides this service. This can provide a wealth of information such as :

any outstanding finance
stolen car check
number of previous owners
mileage discrepancies (possible)
valuation
insurance write-off
scrapped car check
MOT history
logbook check
imported/exported
VIN.chassis check.

Certainly worth giving strong consideration to if buying from a private vendor or independant dealer as opposed to in both cases an approved dealer.

 

[Livelife]

yeah that could be an idea as well. Thought i would like it if i had something personally...

Most car lease contracts from dealerships on a car usually are for 3 three years, in the US anyway. I think shorter length leases are available but even more expensive but maybe not on a used car......just a thought.

 

[BarryW]

If one of your teammates lives nearby, perhaps you could pay them to pick you up on their way to work?

 

[Mremptyinside]

The costs will be the initial cost of the car (cars devalue over time), then you will need to pay for road tax, insurance, fuel, annual safety test, servicing and consumables and for any repairs if it breaks. You may also want breakdown cover if not included with your insurance.
In general the smaller the car the cheaper it will be for all of those things. So think about where you are going to park it, what you want to use it for and decide what size you want. Then have a think about your budget and that will then guide you as to the age and mileage that you can afford to buy. When buying good things are a service history (with paperwork), not too many owners and not involved in any kind of accident. When you view the car, look around for dents, damage and rust, listen to the engine to see how it sounds and check the exhaust is not outputting anything nasty. When you drive it everything should feel tight and controlled without any strange noises. You might want to test drive a few cars to find one you like and meets your criteria. Then you should decide if it’s the right price and try and negotiate a better one.
If you have a friend that is knowledgeable about cars then you could ask them to help you.

Yeaaaah i guess i need some friends for all that because i have n o clue and got anxiety just thinking of buying a car after reading all that hahahha ^^

There are various types of car leasing options available such as PCH, PCP each one coming with varying lengths of contract so it might be something worth looking into should you wish to go down that avenue.
Some great advice has alreadt been given, but alo, if you're going to purchase a car, then it might be worth conducting an online vehicle check to ascertain the car's history. In the UK, it's also known as an HPI check - named after the company that provides this service. This can provide a wealth of information such as :

any outstanding finance
stolen car check
number of previous owners
mileage discrepancies (possible)
valuation
insurance write-off
scrapped car check
MOT history
logbook check
imported/exported
VIN.chassis check.

Certainly worth giving strong consideration to if buying from a private vendor or independant dealer as opposed to in both cases an approved dealer.

uuuh thx!!! i heard of that but totally forgot it exsisted. i will write this down to not forget, thx for the reminder!

Most car lease contracts from dealerships on a car usually are for 3 three years, in the US anyway. I think shorter length leases are available but even more expensive but maybe not on a used car......just a thought.

yeah i guss thats a good last resort too

If one of your teammates lives nearby, perhaps you could pay them to pick you up on their way to work?

yeah, i will ask around at the start! Had that idea as well as i am not too far from the main road

 

[may71]

Currently, it takes me 16-20 minutes to drive there

It sounds like you at least sometimes have access to a vehicle that you can borrow. How often can you borrow a vehicle?

Buying a car might be an option, but there may be a way you can put together another plan for getting to work.

 

[Mremptyinside]

2 days a week i could take the car from my gf while she takes the bysicle to work, she would do that anyway so it wont bother her much, but still not optimal.
I will ask around at work if someone lives nearby or takes a route that is near mine, then i will look for some cars with friends and maby check out if riding with a bike is an option tho it would take an hour and thats in a cold morning XD so ...määääääääääääh ^^

 

[foundlostsoul]

Do other people in your area have a similar commute to you? You might be able to join a carpool and contribute part of the cost of gas. I've never done such a thing, but I know people who have done carpools like that.

 

[may71]

maby check out if riding with a bike is an option tho it would take an hour

Some public transportation systems have an option to integrate bicycle use, like a bike rack on the front of a bus.

There's also e-bikes and electric scooters.

In some cases, people can condense their work week (for example, 4 daysX10 hours instead of 5 daysx8 hours), or spend one day a week working from home.

Would living closer to work be an option?

 

[Mremptyinside]

no changing living places is not an option, and e bikes are almost as costly as cars... i like the scooters but i got a bike so that would just be not needed. and well if i take puplic transportations so bus i would not need a bike or so. But thx for all the ideas!