Buy or rent a seven seater car/van?
Answers:
It just so happens that I drive a seven passenger van for a living. I am a taxicab driver in Key West, Florida. Interestingly enough, I am not a car owner. Key West is a three by two mile island, and my scooter is all I need. If I need to drive out of town, I rent a car.
So, from my unique perspective, my advice is to first take into account the amount of money you have to spend. I have well over a million miles in various and sundry passenger vans, and the best bang for the buck has been the Chevy Astro/GMC Safari model. Unfortunately, it is now out of production. Therefore, if you are looking to purchase new, your best bet would probably be Honda. I would avoid any Chrysler product. I've had several of those, and the transmission is weak. If you can find an Astro/Safari in good condition with low milage, it might be a good choice. In the taxi trade, we buy used Astro/Safari vans with fifty to eighty thousand miles, and retire them at a quarter million miles.
You should also take repair costs and insurance costs into account when making your calculations. A rental vehicle will be highly reliable, because they always use new vehicles. You will not have to worry about repair costs or down time, because if it breaks down, they will deliver a new one to you on the spot. Insurance through rental companies is expensive, but if you compare the cost for insurance for your rental period versus the cost you would incur with a vehicle you own for an entire year, you will get a clearer picture. If you already own a car, the chances are very good that your current policy will cover you in your rental vehicle.
I prefer to rent. I get a new, reliable vehicle for just as long as I need it, and no more. New vehicles are expensive to own and insure, and using a thirty thousand dollar car to drive two miles to work and one mile to the grocery store seems excessive. Unless you are wealthy enough that prices are not an object, I would rent. The difference in gas milage between a seven passenger van and a smaller car is enough to tip the scales in favor of renting. Factor in the insurance, and it becomes clear.
research the internet for specials and deals. every car i rented i got a good deal on the internet someplace.
I had a caraven in my back garden for guests and they loved staying in there especially the kids, its a good idea. I bought mine you can get good reasonable priced ones, shop around, hiring might be quite expensive in the long run but look into that too before you make up your mind.
Rent, and get them to kick in for some of the cost.
You may be able to buy a used van (new would be pointless because you lose all the value right away), but you may run into hidden problems or other things you may not expect. Then you may also have trouble selling it afterwards and get stuck with something you dont want or need.
I realize it is expensive to rent, but many rental companies offer extended rates etc. Best is if you know someone you can borrow it from though :)
Rent,its cheaper and you will get a top of the range one.
Probably best to buy, as the rental for such a vehicle will be in the region of £500 per week.
Therefore if you are renting for say 4/5 weeks in total the cost will be around £2,500. You will buy a reasonable 7seater for this amount and can always sell again to regain some of your outlay.
Ford Galaxy is a nice 7 seater, comfortable and has seat belts fitted to all seats.
Hope this helps.
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