Tell me what you think of this... I'm 20, so I can't rent a car. I was looking up information on alternatives, and someone suggested buying a car, then selling it afterwards. How feasable is this?

I live in Texas, and I plan on going to Maryland for vacation from January 2nd-9th. I would buy the car once I got to Maryland, but I'm unsure what to do from there. Could I drive it for the week and wait until I got back to Texas to transfer the title over? What about insurance? I'm sure I'd have to have that, but can I get the car covered while I'm 1600 miles away from home? Keep in mind that I don't currently own a car, and the car that I do drive is on my mom's policy. I would have to get my own policy for this car, though. Putting my own car on her policy is not an option.

I think I could do this and break even, depending on what kind of car I buy. For example, here (http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/947106442.html)'s a
97 Mazda 626 for $1500 with nothing wrong with it. The KBB on it here in San Antonio is $2060, and similar cars on craigslist are offered at $2500 (http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/939408696.html) (less miles but needs body work), $1495 (http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/923307482.html) ("needs very little maintenance"), and $3399 (http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/ctd/922872587.html) (manual, but 60k less miles).

If I do my research correctly, I figure that I can buy a car in Maryland (not the one I listed, that was just an example), drive it for the week that I'm there, drive it back to Texas, and sell it. Even if I don't sell it for as much as I paid for it, it will average out to be the same as what I would have paid for a rental car and a flight back.

If I fly one-way and drive back, the plane tickets would be $134 each including fees. Roundtrip is $269 a person including fees, so I would save $270 just from the plane tickets. I figure I'll spend about $160 in gas (1600milesx20mpgx$2/gallon [I like to estimate high and be pleasantly surprised]), so I'll still save $90, which can be used for a hotel and food on the way back, which means I'll break even just from the money saved on the flight.

edit: I have a friend who lives in New Orleans, so assuming she's in town on the 9th or 10th, I could drive from Maryland to there, stay the night with her, then drive from New Orleans to San Antonio. It would only add 30 miles to my trip (according to Google Maps), but I could save money on a hotel and get to see another friend that I haven't seen in 2 years.
/edit

As for a rental car, I could borrow a friend's car and pay for her to rent a car, but that would be at least $300. So even if I pay $1500 for a car and sell it for $1200 when I get back, I'd still break even in that aspect. Except for insurance and the title and all of that.

How much of a hassle would doing all of this be? Keep in mind that I might end up keeping the car. The car that I drive now is in my mom's name, and she keeps bitching at me to move out, so if I do, I won't be able to take the car that I'm driving, and I may as well just keep the one that I bought.

But as for transfering the title and getting insurance for it, would it be worth it? I want to spend my time in Maryland relaxing, having fun, and seeing my friends from high school who I haven't seen in 2 years, not sitting in the MVA trying to get a car title transferred over.

It will work, it will work real good, but don't forget there's paperwork. Fucking paperwork :mad:. Also, good luck with the driving 800 miles a day alone on highways. Do you even know how far eight hundred fucking miles is? It will take you about 14 goddamned hours, and then another 14 tortorous hours the next day, milkmaid.

It's nice to see you've done your research for once. Fuck all this noise though, jump on my packhorse and lets ride into the nuclear irradiated 'sunset'.

It will work, it will work real good, but don't forget there's paperwork. Fucking paperwork :mad:. Also, good luck with the driving 800 miles a day alone on highways. Do you even know how far eight hundred fucking miles is? It will take you about 14 goddamned hours, and then another 14 tortorous hours the next day, milkmaid.

It's nice to see you've done your research for once. Fuck all this noise though, jump on my packhorse and lets ride into the nuclear irradiated 'sunset'.

Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that my boyfriend will be with me and can drive as well.

Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that my boyfriend will be with me and can drive as well.

It's nowgere near as bad then, but sitting in a car at all for that length of time isn't something I'd look forward to. Not even if it were Le Mans, Le Mons, Bathurst (in the old days),or Nurburgring. Add in another 2 - 3 hours for leg stretches / lunch, and refueling and it's pretty much every waking minute of yours spent.

^ yeah it's pretty nasty.

Most I ever did was about 600 miles (York to Bournemouth and back) with only one break for fuel, and that was in the Datsun which was pretty noisy. Luckily it didn't have a rev counter so I could easily ignore how badly I was punishing the little engine.

In a more modern car with a bigger engine and longer gears it'll be much easier to do though. I regularly drive from Essex to York (250 miles) and time flies if I have people with me even if you're just as tired and sore when you get out.

^ yeah it's pretty nasty.

Most I ever did was about 600 miles (York to Bournemouth and back) with only one break for fuel, and that was in the Datsun which was pretty noisy. Luckily it didn't have a rev counter so I could easily ignore how badly I was punishing the little engine.

In a more modern car with a bigger engine and longer gears it'll be much easier to do though. I regularly drive from Essex to York (250 miles) and time flies if I have people with me even if you're just as tired and sore when you get out.

My 106 revs like fuck when I'm doing motorway speed, and the steering wheel shakes. It leaks, it's damp, and there's no radio. I regularly do 300 mile round trips to Dublin in it. I think we can feel each other's pain (not in a gay way).

If I fly one-way and drive back, the plane tickets would be $134 each including fees. Roundtrip is $269 a person including fees, so I would save $270 just from the plane tickets.

Quit being a dumb bitch. 269-134=$135. You're wasting money and time, not to mention making shit a lot more complicated than it has to be.

Quit being a dumb bitch. 269-134=$135. You're wasting money and time, not to mention making shit a lot more complicated than it has to be.

135 x 2 = $270

They did this on top gear, the only episode of that show I have ever seen.

Well, they were trying to see if it was cheaper to buy a crappy car and sell it back than to rent one, while vacationing "on holiday" in America. I forget what their conclusion was, so this is no help to you whatsoever. :D

135 x 2 = $270

ROUND TRIP. You don't need to buy 2 roundtrip tickets unless 2 people are going there and back dummy.

ROUND TRIP. You don't need to buy 2 roundtrip tickets unless 2 people are going there and back dummy.

I thought her and her boyfriend are going there and back.

something to consider that a second hand car may seem fine on a test drive, but fall to bits after 15 hours of driving. i'm not saying all cheap second hand cars are rubbish (far from it) but you would want to be pretty confident that its not going to have any issues that leave you stranded and out of cash (towing a car a thousand miles isn't really an option).

also, do you want to spend half your holidays car shopping?

something to consider that a second hand car may seem fine on a test drive, but fall to bits after 15 hours of driving. i'm not saying all cheap second hand cars are rubbish (far from it) but you would want to be pretty confident that its not going to have any issues that leave you stranded and out of cash (towing a car a thousand miles isn't really an option).

also, do you want to spend half your holidays car shopping?

this.

and also, selling a car isn't going to happen over night. unless you want to get 1/2 to 1/3 the value at a carmax or any other place that buys cars, if they would even want to buy it in the first place (doubt a chain like carmax would).

an interesting, and possibly cheaper way would be taking the amtrak if they have a route for you... sure its slower, but its pretty cool, i did it when i was a youngun long ago..

^ yeah or take a fucking greyhound. would be filled to the brim with loud smelly black people, take like twice as long as driving because of all the stops and slowness, but god damn at $33 or whatever the fuck it is, it would be the cheapest option. and it's guaranteed to not end up costing more, assuming you don't get beheaded by an asian on the bus.

It can be hard enough to sell a car on short notice.