When we first arrived in Minneapolis from the UK the initial idea was to hire a car for a short period whilst we found our feet in the city and then subsequently look for a longer-term option. The options available to us were to either to purchase a new or used car or in fact lease a car on 24 month contract.
Surely hiring a car is expensive and not cost-effective? Well, my experience has been slightly different than most.
Options
In the past I have been used to driving used cars, however more recently I have not had good experiences. My primary option would be to either lease or purchase a new car. With both of these choices we would need to be fully approved with a finance company, however as we are new to the US, we have no credit score therefore unless we purchase car with cash we have no other option than to rent.
We have been in the US 6 months now but we are still renting a car, however we have experienced zero issues. The guys at Payless Rental Cars have done a fantastic job, not only in terms of costs but also in service.
Prices
The rate I am currently getting from using their online website has truly questioned whether I will even bother to purchase a new car.
I have made calculations and realised that if all the costs of a new or lease car are compared to a hire car then the differences for us is not significant enough to change. This might surprise most people but we are driving a brand new car with all the mod cons and necessities needed for driving in a midwest winter.
Minneapolis Winter
For the readers that have never experienced a winter in these parts, the weather gets so bad that unless you have a quality car you will end up skidding around the road with zero traction.
We are currently driving an Hyundai which has Satellite Radio and is fully automatic. I never knew that listening to BBC World News would bring me such joy. You literally have to drag me out of the car to stop me listening to the station.
We are currently looking for different options available to us, watch this space.
