Comments on: What are my cheapest rental transportation options?

Question: What are my cheapest rental transportation options?

metamush — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:07:53 -0800

Is there such a thing as a cheap rental car? I'm headed down to Florida for Obama, until the election is over.

I am headed to Tampa, FL to work for the Obama campaign until the election. I am getting free housing, however I don't own a car which could make things really annoying. Of course I can bum rides from others, but I want to know my options especially if I'm a 15 minute drive away from the office.

From my own internet research, it seems like finding a car for the month for less than $600 bucks is just not out there. Rent a Wreck says $700, and I'm 23 anyway.

Perhaps an Obama supporter in the area can lend me a car, but I know if I owned a car I'd be weary of loaning one to Jesus himself.

Thoughts?

By: Acer_saccharum

Acer_saccharum — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:16:36 -0800

buying a jalopy isn't an option?

By: zazerr

zazerr — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:19:51 -0800

Post something to craigslist asking if anyone has a really cheap car that you can buy.

I'm in Montana for BO as well, and I picked up a 1988 Chrysler New Yorker for $400 doing this. I figure I can sell it for at least half of that after the election. Of course, the emergency break, fuel gauge, and power steering don't work, but you get what you pay for.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:22:34 -0800

It looks like renting from Enterprise in Orlando is cheaper than Tampa. Their under-25 fee looks to be about $8/day though ($240+ per month). But you can get a completely legal car for $888 per month.

They also have a "month-or-more" plan that you have to call and ask about, but it may have better rates.

By: metamush

metamush — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:23:00 -0800

i didn't know what jalopy meant, and unfortunately the first definition that popped in google was urban dictionary's "sloppy jalopy".

I then discovered the definition of old shitty car, and understood your question. I have no real use for a car beyond this campaign. I live in a city with great public transportation.

By: inigo2

inigo2 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:23:30 -0800

Search for coupons online (eg. retailmenot.com) for the various rental companies. I've gotten some pretty ridiculous deals through enterprise doing this. Your age my be a factor against you, though.

By: jfwlucy

jfwlucy — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:23:57 -0800

And do consider if gas is available along your route. Viz. one of today's posts, gas is very scarce round Atlanta way at the moment.

Thank you for working for Obama!

By: PhoBWanKenobi

PhoBWanKenobi — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:32:40 -0800

I'd actually go for buying a cheap car off craigslist, then reselling it once you're done here. Since there's no inspection in Florida, you can find a lot of beaters. Just keep in mind that registration here is going to run you around $200.

By: Grither

Grither — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:35:30 -0800

Does zipcar exist around there? Though that would only make sense if you needed to rent a car for just and hour or two a day, and not every day...

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:44:31 -0800

I then discovered the definition of old shitty car, and understood your question. I have no real use for a car beyond this campaign. I live in a city with great public transportation.

The idea is that you resell the car once you're done with it, recouping a significant fraction of your cost.

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:48:57 -0800

In fact, if you had a few thousand to outlay on a ~15 year old Honda or Toyota, you could probably recover the entire sales price when the time comes to leave Florida.

By: genial

genial — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:53:09 -0800

I live in a city with great public transportation.

I don't live anywhere near Tampa, nor have I ever been there, but it sounds like you're assuming this won't be the case there. Have you talked to anyone at the campaign HQs? I think the best advice would be to find out exactly how much driving you expect to need to do and how far away you expect to be. A bicycle might be a better (and subsequently cheaper) option for you.

By: willmize

willmize — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:55:56 -0800

Welcome to my town!
Okay, I'm over in St Petersburg, but you're close.
Definitely recommend getting a car, as this place is full of suburban sprawl, and public transportation is scandalous to say the least.
Also second the recommendations for Craigs List. You should definitely be able to pick up a beater to tool around in.
My assumption here is that you have contact information for co-workers already down here; might want to hit them up for any tips and tricks they may have.

By: camworld

camworld — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:10:48 -0800

Here is a 1995 Saab for $975.

I see several other cars listed for under $1000 in the Washington D.C. area that could work well for your needs.

Or find a local used car dealer who supports Obama and go make a deal. It's the end of the month and they are often willing to unload as much inventory as possible.

By: M.C. Lo-Carb!

M.C. Lo-Carb! — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:41:14 -0800

I once bought a $900 car for a newspaper internship, and totally regretted it. You get what you pay for.

If you'd rather focus your energy on your work for Obama (good on ya, BTW), instead of getting your $975 1995 Saab to the mechanic yet again, why not get a bicycle?

Tampa is actually quite nice in the fall, this would be the perfect time to be on a bike there, plus you'll get in shape, it won't cost you anything for gasoline or insurance and a bicycle is infinitely more reliable than a jalopy. A long commute by bike can seem daunting at first, but you get used to it really fast.

Good luck!

By: Dreama

Dreama — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:14:00 -0800

If purchasing a vehicle in Florida one must consider that the cost of registering said car with the state and getting a license plate is nearly $200.

By: mudpuppie

mudpuppie — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:19:13 -0800

MouseSavers started out providing rental car coupon codes that were Disney-travel-specific, but they also work nationally.

Your main problem isn't going to be getting a reduced rate -- it's going to be your age. You'll most likely have to pay a hefty surcharge.

I don't think buying a car will work all that well for the short-term. You'll also have to pay for registration + insurance (and both of those will eat up time, as well as money), and you might have to get a FL license to get either.

By: jeffburdges

jeffburdges — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:56:36 -0800

Why not ask the campaign if they have idea. I mean, I'm sure they have tons of volunteers who don't have cars, and can't afford a rental. You might also consider a motor cycle.

By: 913

913 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:06:36 -0800

If you really want to go the rent-a-car route:

Show up at the rental agency and negotiate with them. Rental rates are not firm and can be changed on a case-by-case basis. You're 23? No problem, Avis will let you rent, and yeah they do have a surcharge but you can negotiate with them and have them take it off.

By: cabingirl

cabingirl — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:16:03 -0800

Consider that there may be a neighborhood car rental place near where you either live or work. If that's the case, you could limit your rentals to the occasional weekend or so, when you really want to be able to drive somewhere. Plus, in alot of these locations, the weekend rates are ridiculously cheap and you don't have to pay the airport taxes.

The under-25 thing doesn't have to be a problem. If you check out the rental car discount list on fatwallet, there are a number of codes for different rental companies that waive the underage fee.

By: glip

glip — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:57:58 -0800

If you don't want to bike, how about an electric bike, or even a regular moped/scooter?

By: SampleSize

SampleSize — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:12:59 -0800

I haven't done a long-term rental like this, but I have had excellent results using name your own price on Priceline. You can try once a day, so start with 1/2 the going rate, and increase it a bit each day until it's accepted. Seems like 30% off is pretty easy to do.