Need a car for 4-month stay - rent or buy?
Hello we are a family of 4 from Italy living in Berkeley for 4 months and are in need of a car. We would like an advice in deciding whether buy one and reselling it before leaving (if yes, from a dealer or a private? any recommendation on specific dealers in the east bay?). Long-term renting is very expensive an we were wondering if there is an alternative, such as renting from privates or a functioning car charing.
thank you for your help
claudia
[Moderator Note: There is some past advice about this here: Renting a Car for a Short-Term Stay]
Aug 22, 2018
Parent Replies
try turo.com, peer to peer car rental. Often very cheap. lots of choices.
I used Rent-a-Relic on Telegraph x 45th street in Oakland.
I needed a commuter car for a few months and got a new-ish Toyota Corolla for about $550/mo. The company is no frills and I've rented with them a few times.
Try Rent-A-Relic in Oakland ( Temescal) they are local business with great rentals!! then you can decided which way to go.
There's a new company called Drive Canvas that's trying to fill in this "longer than a rental, shorter than a lease" market - you might try checking them out. Not sure if they only operate in San Francisco or if they accept customers in East Bay too.
Hey Claudia,
I think the rideshare car service called GIG solves your problem nicely. Even to a technology hesitant user like me, their key-less system was very simple to use. I have used it to drop kids to school, travel to city, etc. You just download their app and complete your information there. (As a foreign national, they may have additional requirements like sending an email or something). Their app shows all available cars in the neighborhood that are plenty usually - you just unlock the car with the app, can park and continue usage or end the rental anywhere in their service area and you are done. You save a lot because you don’t pay if you end the rental. You can park it any of the legal parking meters too and you don’t have to pay. Then, I didn’t have to pay the toll to San Francisco. That kept my commute cost really low and that too in a very clean car. I have been a happy user because of flexibility and no long term commitment for a hassle free commute. However, the only hassle I felt was the unavailability of child seats in their service - I had to carry my own.
We love Gig Carshare, but believe they require a U.S. Drivers license. So if you only have your Italy license, might not work for you. Note, a few clarifications - at least in Berkeley, you can park free at any space (meter or permit parking) that permits at least 2 hours of parking - not EVERY meter. And you DO pay the toll on toll bridges - they automatically charge to your credit card on file (those charges can take a month to show up).
The "home zone" keep growing, and now includes a few spots in San Francisco. If you want to see all the details, check their web site: gigcarshare.com