Topic: exchange student: buy a car for 6 months?

[wasti_ka]

hi there!
i am a German student (23) going to do a exchange program for 6 months in Thunder Bay, Ontario next fall.
my questions to you would be:

should i buy / lease / rent a (used) car for that short time?  if yes,
what car would you recommend? (i m a student = low on cash)

As far as im concerned, the public transport in TB is not what i am used to in Europe, that´s why i would love to be mobile while i m there. I plan to travel a little bit around the area (maximum 10 000 Km/6 months) and i m not picky at all about the car / suv / truck.

Because of the short time, i really don't plan on spending much money on repairs, and well... my goal is that at the end of the 6 months i could get rid of the car (selling / giving it back) without losing so much money.

what should i do?

thanx in advance for your help

[toolatecrew]

Budget?

The prohibitive thing to buying any car for you would be insurance. Likley very expensive.

Just a guess but taking public transport (getting someone to give you a ride) for your day to day travel and renting a car for the occasional trip would probaly be best bet.

[carcrazy]

I guess the cheapest way would be to buy a 10+ year old, high mileage Civic or Corolla for $1K-$2K and scrap it or sell it if you are lucky when you are done.
Look at www.autotrader.ca to get an idea.

EDIT: Indeed the insurance is a big factor. Corolla would be cheaper to insure for sure.

[wasti_ka]

@toolatecrew: does canada have a tax for under people under 25 renting a car?


@ carcrazy: how much does the scraping cost?
insurance in canada is based on what?  EX:how long i have owned a car?  how long i have had a drivers licence?  something else?

thnx again for your fast replies

[PJungnitsch]

Check kijiji.ca at Thunder Bay for cheap cars.

http://thunderbay.kijiji.ca/f-cars-vehicles-W0QQCatIdZ27

Is PL/PD on a thousand dollar car still expensive in Ontario?

[carcrazy]

@ carcrazy: how much does the scraping cost?
insurance in canada is based on what?  EX:how long i have owned a car?  how long i have had a drivers licence?  something else?

thnx again for your fast replies

Insurance in Ontario is a rip-off to begin with. The insurance premium depends on many factors, including driving record (yours will be as good as the one of a new born), the area you are in, the age, the type of car (Civics are expensive to insure regardless how old they are).
Regardless which car you can afford to buy, check the insurance rates before buying to figure out if you can really afford it. The insurance premium could be more expensive than the car itself.

You may need to pay $50-$100 to dispose the car or get paid $50-$100, depending on whom you are dealing with. Not a big issue/cost anyway.

[blur911]

@toolatecrew: does canada have a tax for under people under 25 renting a car?


@ carcrazy: how much does the scraping cost?
insurance in canada is based on what?  EX:how long i have owned a car?  how long i have had a drivers licence?  something else?

thnx again for your fast replies

Scrapping a car costs nothing, the wrecking yard usually gives you $50-200 for it.  It only goes there if you can't sell it for parts or as is.
Insurance in Canada varies by province.  In Ontario it depends on your age, driving record, type of vehicle, area you live in, etc..  With no driving record here, you might have to pay like a new driver.
You don't have to be over 25 to rent from some companies, but they add a surcharge, perhaps $10-20 day.
Get insurance prices for a boring 4 door like a Corolla, might be your best bet if you plan on driving much.

[carcrazy]

One more thing, when you research for insurance, only get Liability coverage which is mandatory in Ontario and nothing else. You don't need anything else for a $2K disposable car.

[inco]

I think you will be far better off taking the transit and renting a car when you need one. This way you don'thave to worry about getting the right car and the insurance hassles. And that's not even counting getting rid of the car at the end.

Insurance companies might not even issue you a policy because of short term. If they do they will likely want a full year premium. No short rate for visitors as I recall.

Renting also gets you new cars and you pay for the insurance as you use it. A lot less of a problem.

[airbalancer]

hi there!
i am a German student (23) going to do a exchange program for 6 months in Thunder Bay, Ontario next fall.
my questions to you would be:

should i buy / lease / rent a (used) car for that short time?  if yes,
what car would you recommend? (i m a student = low on cash)

As far as im concerned, the public transport in TB is not what i am used to in Europe, that´s why i would love to be mobile while i m there. I plan to travel a little bit around the area (maximum 10 000 Km/6 months) and i m not picky at all about the car / suv / truck.

Because of the short time, i really don't plan on spending much money on repairs, and well... my goal is that at the end of the 6 months i could get rid of the car (selling / giving it back) without losing so much money.

what should i do?

thanx in advance for your help

I know someone in Tbay who is sell a beater
If you are staying on campus it maybe cheaper just to take a cab, or hitch a ride with someone
Because insurance will be at least $200 a month with nothing
ALSO you freeze your ass in Tbay in the winter

[vdk]

@ carcrazy: how much does the scraping cost?
insurance in canada is based on what?  EX:how long i have owned a car?  how long i have had a drivers licence?  something else?

thnx again for your fast replies

Insurance in Ontario is a rip-off to begin with. The insurance premium depends on many factors, including driving record (yours will be as good as the one of a new born), the area you are in, the age, the type of car (Civics are expensive to insure regardless how old they are).
Regardless which car you can afford to buy, check the insurance rates before buying to figure out if you can really afford it. The insurance premium could be more expensive than the car itself.

You may need to pay $50-$100 to dispose the car or get paid $50-$100, depending on whom you are dealing with. Not a big issue/cost anyway.

Some insurance companies might take into account his driving experience in Europe.

[articsteve]

Factor $300. a month for insurance as 6 month policies cost more.  You will need to know something about cars to avoid getting stuck with a turkey.

2000 dollar "safetied" Corollas are a figment of ppl's imagination in Ontario, let alone Thunder Bay.  Look for an old Crown Victoria without the intake manifold issue.

When are you arriving? 

[Careener]

Factor $300. a month for insurance as 6 month policies cost more.  You will need to know something about cars to avoid getting stuck with a turkey.

2000 dollar "safetied" Corollas are a figment of ppl's imagination in Ontario, let alone Thunder Bay.  Look for an old Crown Victoria without the intake manifold issue.

When are you arriving? 

Why? have you got a beater for him? 

[carcrazy]

2000 dollar "safetied" Corollas are a figment of ppl's imagination in Ontario, let alone Thunder Bay. 

Here it is one of those Toyota priceless master pieces selling for $2200 O.B.O., certified and e-tested.

http://www.autotrader.ca/used_cars_Cars_details/SCARBOROUGH_Ontario_1998_TOYOTA_COROLLA+CE_2939080.html?srcid=AVS9243699&source=25&pgno=1&srt=7&CompanyID=&r=ontario&ad-attributes=photos,,


... and another one in Thunder Bay:

http://www.autotrader.ca/used_cars_Cars_details/THUNDER+BAY_Ontario_1995_TOYOTA_COROLLA+_3179015.html?srcid=1561217&source=24&pgno=1&srt=7&CompanyID=&r=ontario&ad-attributes=photos,,

Remember, this is a beater that only needs to run safely 6 months and 10.000 km.

[Careener]

A 1999 or newer Mazda Protege is a nice alternative to a Corolla.

[Careener]

Here's another idea. Make friends (girlfriend?) quickly with people who have their own cars :-)

/End Thread

[ovr50]

Seems like a legitimate request for info but username of "wasti_ka", a student in Germany??

At best an unfortunate choice of user name, at worst....

[vdk]

Seems like a legitimate request for info but username of "wasti_ka", a student in Germany??

At best an unfortunate choice of user name, at worst....

The symbol has an ancient history, appearing on artifacts from Indo-European cultures such as the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Hittites, Slavs, Celts and Greeks, among others. The earliest consistent use of swastika motifs in the archaeological record date to the Neolithic. The symbol was found on a number of shards in the Khuzestan province of Iran and as part of the "Vinca script" of Neolithic Europe of the 5th millennium BC. In the Early Bronze Age, it appears on pottery found in Sintashta, Russia. Early Indian swastika symbols were found at Lothal and Harappa, on Indus Valley seals.

No biggie IMO.

[Turbo Bob]

Seems like a legitimate request for info but username of "wasti_ka", a student in Germany??

At best an unfortunate choice of user name, at worst....

I was gonna say the same thing...    Get a people's car, it will last for 1000 years.  Well, maybe not in Thunder Bay.  

[Turbo Bob]

Seems like a legitimate request for info but username of "wasti_ka", a student in Germany??

At best an unfortunate choice of user name, at worst....

The symbol has an ancient history, appearing on artifacts from Indo-European cultures such as the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Hittites, Slavs, Celts and Greeks, among others. The earliest consistent use of swastika motifs in the archaeological record date to the Neolithic. The symbol was found on a number of shards in the Khuzestan province of Iran and as part of the "Vinca script" of Neolithic Europe of the 5th millennium BC. In the Early Bronze Age, it appears on pottery found in Sintashta, Russia. Early Indian swastika symbols were found at Lothal and Harappa, on Indus Valley seals.

No biggie IMO.

Yes it has been around for a long time, but you are naive to think it doesn't remind people of something else in Germany (most of the time).