Use your Own Car or Rent one?

[Drew Dowdell]

So I have another 900 mile round trip journey to make next week, but this one is for family reasons rather than work.  I can get a rental car for $250 all in, and that includes the extra insurance.   Using the standard mileage deduction, using my own car would cost me $486 (900 X 0.54)... assume that includes fuel.

 

A $250 rental plus figure $100 in gas.

 

The other kink in the chain.... the Buick really needs tires... It'll make it through this trip, but I'm nearly down to the wear bars.   Those will be about $750 (I think I'm going with Triple-Treads and see if I can skip snow tires this year)

[balthazar]

You're claiming a mileage deduction on a personal trip? 

 

- - - - -

If it makes for better financial sense, take the rental.

I once rented one of those Home Depot trucks for $19.95 and picked up my new couch because the furniture store wanted $90 for delivery.

Edited May 6, 2016 by balthazar

[Drew Dowdell]

Not claiming a mileage expense, just using it as a guideline to make the decision.

[balthazar]

In that case I'd use my own unless I had any doubts as to possible issues.

 

------

I have a 7 hr round trip in a few weeks. Going with a friend, I'd rather they drive, but they drive like a crazy person.

I have no issues with my truck, but all the same I don't usually care to take it long distances. #onthefence

[Robert Hall]

Since my Jeep has 165k miles, I use it locally only. For road trips, I rent, usually from my neighborhood Enterprise. Though since Phoenix is kind of isolated, I usually fly and rent a car at my destination.

[Suaviloquent]

Rent the car, beat on it, prove whether if it's a POS or not, and then provide a review of your 900 mile adventure....

[rougeriver]

I would rent because worn tires are not all that good in the kind of rain storms we have been having. Also, the math of the mileage deduction vs. rental cost and the added miles on those worn tires tend to push the decision towards a rental. Nine hundred more miles on those old tires pushes the date of purchasing new rubber about a month forward. 

[regfootball]

I rented a couple times last fall one for a 700 mi round trip but that was so i would not be inflicted with having to use my cobalt.

 

Then I got the weekend deal on the rental car for the typical compact or intermediate.  A great way to sample a car you may have interest in, but you rent cars for work also.

 

I looked at it as cheap miles as far as what i paid for it, and i took the insurance too.  Had i taken our leased vehicle it would have cost more.

 

I'm an advocate of renting the car if the price is not bad and you are putting off maintenance or wear or mileage on your own vehicle.

[Drew Dowdell]

I guess that's another factor. I can rent something larger than our Encore. I'm reserved for a midsize, but because of my status with national, I can take anything on the lot.

[Suaviloquent]

Even better. Take the best vehicle on the lot, beat on it, find out if it's a POS or not and then have a nice little review of your 900 mile trip.

[oldshurst442]

Why put wear and tear on your own car?

Especially when your own tires are nearing the end.

 

Like Rougeriver suggested, putting strain on really worn tires and unkind surprises might happen, knock on wood.

Use up the rest of the life of the tires in your home area....and by that time, winter will be just around the corner and invest in whatever tire you need for when winter is upon us.

In the meantime, like Suave suggested, enjoy somebody else's ride...and $250 + $100 in fuel does not sound like a bad deal to me. (fuel costs are a moot point anyway...because your car or Hertz's car, fuel is needed either way.

Whatever happens on your trip, food and/or beverage spillage inside the car, bug crap on the front of the car, stones chips on the windshield and hood, etc...$250 including insurance sounds like its worth it...

 

With that being said, I usually take my own cars on a family car vacation.

I dont put a lot mileage on my cars because my daily driving needs are no big thing, really.  My restaurant is close to my home, so adding  miles kilometers (where I come from )  to the car on long family trips is an exciting thing for us.

 

So maybe, there is that for you too. For the memories.

We look forward to making family memories with our own car by taking vacations with it...

 

Family memories are PRICELESS!

Edited May 8, 2016 by oldshurst442

[regfootball]

just curious what any lessees have for mileage overage.  I can't remember if mine is .25 or .20.  But a real basic way to justify the cost.....just figure your anticipated miles times your extra.  800 miles at .25 is 200 bucks you'd have to shell out when turning in the lease......

[smk4565]

I think the big question is would you rather spend 900 miles in your own car or 900 in the rental spec Dodge/Chrysler product.

I'd rather drive my own car than a rental. However if you don't care which car you spend 900 miles in, I'd probably rent something for the $250, gas would probably be the same either way.

[daves87rs]

I'd normally say enjoy the Buick, but with the tires, it's best to grab something else!

 

In my case, since my cars start at 10 years old, pretty much any trip over 300 or so miles would be in a rental. Not that the current fleet couldn't handle it, but you never know as they age.....

 

I think as I start updating the fleet shortly, that might change though....

[Drew Dowdell]

just curious what any lessees have for mileage overage.  I can't remember if mine is .25 or .20.  But a real basic way to justify the cost.....just figure your anticipated miles times your extra.  800 miles at .25 is 200 bucks you'd have to shell out when turning in the lease......

I bought out the lease a year ago

[Drew Dowdell]

I think the big question is would you rather spend 900 miles in your own car or 900 in the rental spec Dodge/Chrysler product.

I'd rather drive my own car than a rental. However if you don't care which car you spend 900 miles in, I'd probably rent something for the $250, gas would probably be the same either way.

I usually get something nice. Loaded Grand Cherokees or 300s. My last rental was a Maxima and it was fine

[Suaviloquent]

That's the thing...

 

you would usually expect bummer cars that are truly lame on the rental lots, but now there's all kinds of nice vehicles - if you are willing to pay for'em.

[Drew Dowdell]

That's the thing...

 

you would usually expect bummer cars that are truly lame on the rental lots, but now there's all kinds of nice vehicles - if you are willing to pay for'em.

 

I have "status" because I rent with national so much.   The selection in Pittsburgh has been unusually lame lately. 

[Robert Hall]

I've been renting cars for trips since grad school over 20 years ago..still remember my first rental car--'95 Cutlass Ciera in white w/ red interior...the lady at the rental car counter at Reagan National didn't get my comment about it being a new 13 yr old car.   In the following 20+ years, I've had a variety of rentals---5 generations of Mustangs (coupes and convertibles), a '98 Camaro convertible, a couple Sebring and 200 convertibles, a Nissan 350Z, several Dodge Intrepids, Concordes, a 300M, an LHS, several Grand Marquis, a half-dozen Town Cars, a couple Crown Vics, a couple early 00s Cadillac deVIlles, a '11 Cadillac STS, 2 CTS sedans, a couple Tahoes and Yukons, and a bunch of mainstream FWD models---from loathesome like a Cavalier and a Neon to blandly pleasant like 3 generations of Malibus, a couple Cobalts, a couple early Focuses, several '00-13 Impalas, Tauruses, Sables, a Dodge Avenger, 2 generations of Camrys, Sonatas and Fusions;  a Grand Am and a Grand Prix, and some unique, one-offs like an '04 Ford Thunderbird, '04 Nissan 350Z, Ford Econoline Club Wagon 14 passenger van, '00 Cougar, '00 Mitsubishi Diamante, Hyundai Genesis, Mercedes A160, Opel Vectra.

Edited May 8, 2016 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[smk4565]

If you can rent a 300 or Maxima and enjoy driving it, that is probably the way to go.   If the rental was crappy, you are better off in your own car.

[daves87rs]

I've been renting cars for trips since grad school over 20 years ago..still remember my first rental car--'95 Cutlass Ciera in white w/ red interior...the lady at the rental car counter at Reagan National didn't get my comment about it being a new 13 yr old car.   In the following 20+ years, I've had a variety of rentals---5 generations of Mustangs (coupes and convertibles), a '98 Camaro convertible, a couple Sebring and 200 convertibles, a Nissan 350Z, several Dodge Intrepids, Concordes, a 300M, an LHS, several Grand Marquis, a half-dozen Town Cars, a couple Crown Vics, a couple early 00s Cadillac deVIlles, a '11 Cadillac STS, 2 CTS sedans, a couple Tahoes and Yukons, and a bunch of mainstream FWD models---from loathesome like a Cavalier and a Neon to blandly pleasant like 3 generations of Malibus, a couple Cobalts, a couple early Focuses, several '00-13 Impalas, Tauruses, Sables, a Dodge Avenger, 2 generations of Camrys, Sonatas and Fusions;  a Grand Am and a Grand Prix, and some unique, one-offs like an '04 Ford Thunderbird, '04 Nissan 350Z, Ford Econoline Club Wagon 14 passenger van, '00 Cougar, '00 Mitsubishi Diamante, Hyundai Genesis, Mercedes A160, Opel Vectra.

 

 

Wow...

[Robert Hall]

Yeah, I was thinking..20 years, 2-3 rentals per year average (3-4 day weekend trips with flying + rental, the occasional week or more vacation rental), that's probably 50-60 different cars...

[Drew Dowdell]

If you can rent a 300 or Maxima and enjoy driving it, that is probably the way to go.   If the rental was crappy, you are better off in your own car.

 

It just has to be a comfort cruiser... I'll have the in-laws in the back seat the whole time, so not like I can have any fun with the car.

[Cory Wolfe]

I opted for a rental to go home for mother's day. I figured I'd rather put the 700 miles on something other than my GTI since it's a little needy.

[William Maley]

I would rent as well considering the miles you're going to be putting on.

Who knows, you might end up with another Maxima.

[Robert Hall]

I think I've had so many rentals over the years mostly because of geography...Colorado and Arizona are fairly isolated from places I tend to go, other than So Cal being an easy drive from Phoenix, most other out-of-state trips I've taken were too far to conveniently drive in a few hours (cities up and down the West Coast, Chicago, Ohio, etc).  With cheap flights from Southwest, United, Frontier, etc it was always easy to fly away for a long weekend and rent a car at my destination...

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm leaning more toward the rental right now because there will be 4 of us in an Encore and that feels pretty tight for such a long drive.  Albert wants to take the Encore because its a car he's familiar with. (I don't have to pay the extra driver fee due to my contract with national)

[Suaviloquent]

Rent an Encore if it's available as a rental....

 

(LEL)!

[furioustee]

I'd rather drive my own car.

[G. David Felt]

Being one of the tallest and biggest members here at C&G you all know I drive full size SUV's as such, I always default to my own personal auto even on long road trips. I love to drive and for me driving 500 miles in a day or even 900 is no big deal.

 

This saturday taking some friends to the Hoh Rain Forest on the Olympic peninsula to show them the awesome area. 

 

Hoh Rain Forest web site: HERE

 

National Park web site covering Hoh Rain Forest: HERE

 

Images of the Hoh Rain Forest: HERE

 

From my house to the park and back is a total 471 miles or 235.5 one way.

[G. David Felt]

Reason for using my own personal transportation, I know the condition the auto is in, I have everything set the way I like it, I am totally prepped for the long drive.

 

Rental, makes sense if your auto is needing things done before the road trip or older and might not make it, if you have more people going and only have small auto's then I would get a bigger one. Was surprised as to how nice the Ford Explorers were on my most recent trip. If you just do not want to put the miles on your own auto then by all means rent.

 

Personally, I will stick to my own paid off auto.

[Drew Dowdell]

I ended up using the Buick.  I have a hard stop in July on the tires as they won't pass inspection then (they wouldn't pass inspection today). So, instead of renting I decided to just save the money from renting the car for the new set of tires in July and burn as many miles off the old tires as possible till then.

 

It was a little snug with 4 of us in the car, but it was fine.

[G. David Felt]

Very cool, and yes I would also burn off the tires and save the money for new ones. Glad to hear you has a fine road trip.

[oldshurst442]

I second that...Im glad you had a fine road trip.

 

 

What is this "hard stop in July on the tires as they won't pass inspection"  you mention?

[Drew Dowdell]

I second that...Im glad you had a fine road trip.

 

 

What is this "hard stop in July on the tires as they won't pass inspection"  you mention?

 

Someone previous mentioned that I should use a rental because it would mean having to replace the tires a month sooner because I was about to put 900 miles on them.  The "hard stop" is that they have to be replaced by end of July regardless because they are already in a condition that they would fail inspection..... so might as well burn as many miles off of them as possible before I am forced to replace them anyway.