Help me get transportation on the res.
June 15, 2010 7:50 AM   Subscribe

How can I rent a car for a month, and drive a lot, without spending a fortune?

So I'm spending a month on the Navajo reservation in NM. Obviously I'll need a car, and I'll be driving it a ton, because everything is sooo spread out there. Are there places where I can do this for less money then just the Hertz place at the Albuquerque airport? Also I would actually prefer a not-nice car, because I'm worried about damaging it on bad roads and whatnot, are there places where I can get a beater? Can I lease a car for just a month?
I'm 26, and thus have never rented a car before. Will I have problems? Any help/advice greatly appreciated.
posted by genmonster to Travel & Transportation (8 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
For a month I'd consider buying a cheap used car for a grand and then turning around and selling it when you leave.

Something to consider: If you don't live in NM (and/or do live somewhere with a considerably cooler climate,) buy the used car where you live and make a road trip out of getting it to NM. Buying a car with A/C (which you will want) will be much cheaper in a cooler climate than in NM.
posted by InsanePenguin at 7:59 AM on June 15, 2010


Do you already have a car?

For a month of intensive driving, it might be cheaper to buy something cheap and then sell it at the end of the month. FWIW, with my insurance policy I've got 30 days of coverage to get a new car insured, so, um, you might be able to get away with taking the long way to the motor vehicle registration office IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. Depending on what the law says where you'll be, of course.
posted by pjaust at 8:01 AM on June 15, 2010


You would probably be better off buying a used beater and selling it back to the dealer at the end of the month.
posted by srboisvert at 8:02 AM on June 15, 2010


(ie, potentially avoid the registration/licensing/insurance fees altogether and have a good story for if you get pulled over)
posted by pjaust at 8:03 AM on June 15, 2010


Best answer: There's generally a higher set of taxes and whatnot associated with renting cars at the airport as opposed to the metro area nearby. The classic "rent a beater" places are called Rent A Wreck but even they don't have what you'd really consider beaters. The big deal with rental places is that they give you peace of mind at some level because if the car drops dead, they'll handle it. You might decide instead to pump some money into the local economy and see if someone where you're working wants to make an informal deal with you. Looks like the starting rate for renting a small car from the airport will be about $600/mo so work your way down from there.
posted by jessamyn at 8:03 AM on June 15, 2010


I have to assume that there are businesses in and around the reservation that would perhaps be willing to do a long term rental. I saw on the internet that Ziems Ford Corners in Farmington has a contract to lease pickup trucks to the Navajo Nation for farming. If your business on the reservation is in anyway positively connected with the the Navajo, I would try calling dealerships around Farmington to propose renting a reliable but "not new" pickup.

Traditional rental car companies tend to have rates that allow for 28 days for some reason (probably legal definitions of renting vs. leasing). And jessamyn is spot-on about $600 being the airport rental price. So maybe someone on or near the reservation is willing to beat that price.
posted by beelzbubba at 11:53 AM on June 15, 2010


Also, you do not want to be out on the reservation trying to "sell" the Navajo police that the reason your car doesn't have title/plates/registration is yadda-yadda-yadda, and although I don't have any concrete evidence, I am willing to bet that there is any convenient way to buy something reliable and then sell it back without spending more than you would engaging a rental from a Farmington-area dealer or at worst, the Rent-a-wreck in Albuquerque.
posted by beelzbubba at 11:56 AM on June 15, 2010


is NOT anyway
posted by beelzbubba at 11:57 AM on June 15, 2010


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