# US car insurance/car buying



## dessiato (Feb 14, 2012)

I might be in the US for about six weeks. I was wondering about buying a car rather than hiring one for the time I'm there. But how does US car insurance work?

Would I be able to get insurance without a permanent US address and without a US drivers licence? I believe it is easy to get a licence there and wondered if I would be better off getting a US licence.

Any help appreciated.


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## skyscraper101 (Feb 14, 2012)

Unless you have a social security number and a US drivers license, it'll be pretty difficult.

I'd go car hire. You can get better deals on more lengthy hire periods. I rented a car for a month recently from enterprise for about $700 for 4 weeks. I bet you can get better deals from less corporate rental companies if you shop around. For example there's a company in LA which gives deals to members of a Brits in LA expat group, less shiny new cars, but better deals overall. Also you can usually get better deals on insurance if you shop around before. I've got a years overseas rental from icarhireinsurance.com - who specialise in doing overseas car rental insurance (covering US/Canada too) at a much better price than through a rental company, about £119 for one year of cover. Including personal liability (legally required) and also accidental damage.


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## Miss Caphat (Feb 14, 2012)

^ what he said. going through the whole process of getting your licence, buying a car, and getting insurance as a foreigner sounds like a complete nightmare to me, having done all those things as a US citizen (but not trying to do them all at once  )


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## dessiato (Feb 14, 2012)

That sounds OK. I'll have a look around. The idea was to get a Sebring convertible, for sentimental reasons, drive it around then sell it. We might be there longer than the six weeks. 

We have a three month holiday coming up and thought that, once we'd been back to Portugal, we could go to US and drive from Chicago to the west coast, then across country down to Key West, then up to Miami where we would take the train back to NY and finally to London. Before getting into the fixed planning we though we should check out the realistic costs of doing it this way.


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## Miss Caphat (Feb 14, 2012)

reason you're leaving out the east coast?    been there before?


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## dessiato (Feb 14, 2012)

Miss Caphat said:


> reason you're leaving out the east coast?   been there before?


No, but we plan to use the train to go Miami to NY, for sentimental reasons. We wanted the Orange Blossom Special, but it doesn't run any more.


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## Miss Caphat (Feb 14, 2012)

I see. once you get past a certain point, driving up the east coast sucks anyway, too much traffic.


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## skyscraper101 (Feb 14, 2012)

Driving from the West Coast to Miami is a pretty lengthy journey in itself. Not sure I'd fancy undertaking that any time soon.


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## dessiato (Feb 14, 2012)

skyscraper101 said:


> Driving from the West Coast to Miami is a pretty lengthy journey in itself. Not sure I'd fancy undertaking that any time soon.


That's why we plan to do it over at least six weeks, if possible.

So you think that 5000$ would cover the trip? It seems plenty to me. Last time we were there we spent about $500 a week.


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## yardbird (Feb 14, 2012)

I hired the first time I went to the states.
I'd ordered a smallish saloon, but it wasn't ready, so it was wait a few hours or 
_You could have the Mustang there!_
This was a long time ago when a Mustang was a Mustang


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## dessiato (Feb 14, 2012)

yardbird said:


> I hired the first time I went to the states.
> I'd ordered a smallish saloon, but it wasn't ready, so it was wait a few hours or
> _You could have the Mustang there!_
> This was a long time ago when a Mustang was a Mustang


What we do is rent the cheapest car available, then wait till the aircraft has disembarked, make sure we are the last through immigration. When we get to the lot the small cars are usually gone so they bump us up until there is a car available. We once got bumped up four grades but only paid for the cheapest!!!


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## xes (Feb 14, 2012)

if you buy a car, you'll then have to sell it, which will loose you cash. Wouldn't it be easier to rent?


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## dessiato (Feb 14, 2012)

xes said:


> if you buy a car, you'll then have to sell it, which will loose you cash. Wouldn't it be easier to rent?


But will it lose as much as renting will cost?


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## xes (Feb 14, 2012)

good point, I dunno, I guess if you buy a cheep run around, you could be quids in. (could even make a profit if you buy right)


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## dessiato (Feb 14, 2012)

xes said:


> good point, I dunno, I guess if you buy a cheep run around, you could be quids in. (could even make a profit if you buy right)


Looking around I could get a decent enough car for about $1000 run it around the country, then sell it cheaply before taking the train to NY


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## Miss Caphat (Feb 17, 2012)

dessiato said:


> Looking around I could get a decent enough car for about $1000 run it around the country, then sell it cheaply before taking the train to NY


 
 no. I'm getting the sense you're not listening. there is a huge amount of red tape in both buying and selling cars in the US. not to mention getting your license, which by the way you need to schedule in advance (weeks, months?). I can only imagine how much more fraught with complication it could get for a foreign visitor.
And then, on top of that, you think you can buy a $1000 car and drive it back and forth across the country and not spend the majority of your time not to mention money at service stations getting it repaired? I actually laughed out loud. no, just... no.

If it was anywhere as easy as you make it sound, don't you think more people would be doing it?

sorry if this post sounds harsh, btw, I don't think you're a moron or anything but I just can't stress enough how disastrous I think the car-buying plan is.


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## not-bono-ever (Feb 18, 2012)

dessiato said:


> What we do is rent the cheapest car available, then wait till the aircraft has disembarked, make sure we are the last through immigration. When we get to the lot the small cars are usually gone so they bump us up until there is a car available. We once got bumped up four grades but only paid for the cheapest!!!


 
this can work -  ano9thet tip - I always book in advance for compact stickshift in the US & have been given soemthing a bit meatier a few times when they have fuck all manual in stock

In Europe I work the opposite and ask for a compact Auto - again, major comp;anies will upgrade if you have ordered it in advance.


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## not-bono-ever (Feb 18, 2012)

See if you can do an auto driveaway delivery that meets your requirements

I hung at the auto driveway in NYC for about 3 days until  the right car & destination came up - a camaro to Houston.


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## bi0boy (Feb 18, 2012)

dessiato said:


> But will it lose as much as renting will cost?


 
Yes. $1000 - repairs - quick sale price cos your leaving the country = <$0


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