Leasing a car for a 21-year-old during university in the USA

[Cockahoophappy]

hi, does anyone know how we can go about leasing a car for our 21 year old DC for senior year at Uni in the USA?

I'm sure I found a company who specialised in this, when we looked last year but I now, of course, cannot remember the name. 🤔

TIA

Why not just buy a beater for the year?

Try Enterprise car rental for a long term hire, which is usually much cheaper.

That's what we currently have but it's cost us so much money last semester to keep running, and needs more spent on it, that it's no longer viable.

$11k plus for the Fall/Autumn semester!

We need a proper Student leasing company me thinks.

Leasing cars in the US is an expensive undertaking. I lived there 2 decades until recently. You are better off getting an old car (again) and just using that. I recommend Toyota dealerships, they always have something around the $7k mark.

Might be better off buying, and doesn’t need to be an old banger so long as you have the cash to hand, just think of parking the money for a year, and then selling on when done. This was 5 years ago but I bought a nearly new VW Tiguan and sold it on for more than I bought it for a year later so really I only paid for insurance, registration and gas.

There was a surge in 2nd hand car prices you benefitted from, it's not the car you bought or the usual pattern. Most "new" cars loose 50% of their value as they're driven off the lot

It wasn’t new it was 6 months old but yes possibly benefitted from that. But my point is that a decent second hand car is not going to depreciate at anywhere near the rate of the $11,000 per semester (😱) that OP got quoted for the Enterprise lease. Still balking at that! Even if it loses a couple of thousand it could still be her cheapest option, so long as there are no surprise maintenance costs, hence going for newer (not new!) rather than a banger. Only thing is that OP would have to have the cash and know she won’t need it for the next year.

Thank you so much for the posts.

We think you are right and we will part exchange the current older car for something still used but newer. It's looking like our senior will do a Masters in the US too so will have the car for two years at least.

More money 🙄

Your choice!

In your research on leasing reading the fine print of the lease as far as charges for breaking lease, going over mileage, and condition car is in when turning it back in, etc.

I've not used Carvana to buy or sell cars, but have heard positive reviews. They'll also deliver the car tou buy, or pickup the car you were selling.

Kelly Blue Book is a good resource on a car's worth by year, make, model & mileage. Can also provide further info if to have the VIN (vehicle ID #).

Good luck w/ your search.

Rentawreak used to do this. Long term rentals of old cars but cheap