How best to get a car for five months?

How best to get a car for five months?

I'm looking at all the possible options for having a vehicle to use in the next 5 months. I need an estate or equivalent sized car, and will probably will drive it between 5-8,000km. The options that appear open at the moment are (in no particular order, yet): a) buy a used car and sell it again in the summer, b) lease a "pre-owned" vehicle from a local dealer, or c) hire a long-term rental car. I suppose I need help learning the most about these options so I can make the most informed decision possible. Many thanks in advance for your help!

Our answer:

Hi Nicholas,

If you only need a car for five months, it seems like buying one isn’t the right idea. You’ll need a lot of capital now and there’s no guarantee you’ll get a quick sale in five months’ time, just when you need it, without significantly reducing your price – and therefore losing a lot of money. By all means look into leasing from a dealer, but we’d reckon not many of them would be keen to do a deal that only lasts five months, so perhaps renting a car is your best bet.

Shane O'Donoghue

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