Summer in Los Angeles - what to do for a car?

Hi everyone, I will be doing a Summer Associate internship in Los Angeles this summer in Century City. I will likely try to find a sublet from a UCLA student, but wanted to see if anyone had thoughts on what to do for a car. Are there any car rental agencies that offer long term (i.e. 10-12 weeks) rentals? I realize I could buy a car and then sell it, but I'd rather not deal with potential repairs etc. in the middle of a hectic internship.

 

I would drive. How many chances are you going to have to do that in your life? If you only want to do it one way just ship it back.

It will probably take you longer to drive to work in the morning here than it will to drive across the country though...

 

Just make it a road trip to LA . Take your car with you. You don't want to depend on people for your ride to work.

Be independent because if you go to a party, people want to leave, you have to leave.

If you go out with them and you want to leave but you are still having fun, then you will have to leave.

If you supervisor calls you in early in the morning, you can't wake up your pals to ask for a ride.

No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well.
 

I was in the same spot back in the day. I bought a 10 year old car for $3K. 3 months later I sold it for $3K.

The biggest headache in CA is the DMV and its rules- Registering a car, etc. I believe you could get a temporary registeration for the 2 or 3 months you are there. I would look into that.

This could be an option, even if you lose some money on it ... you will prob make out better then shipping or driving.

 
Nobama88:
I was in the same spot back in the day. I bought a 10 year old car for $3K. 3 months later I sold it for $3K.

The biggest headache in CA is the DMV and its rules- Registering a car, etc. I believe you could get a temporary registeration for the 2 or 3 months you are there. I would look into that.

This could be an option, even if you lose some money on it ... you will prob make out better then shipping or driving.

I am definitely considering this, and I have enough money where it won't be a problem, but I am just concerned about the headaches, between buying, selling, registration, insurance, maintenance, etc. Good to hear from someone where that choice worked out though

 
cbcbcb:
Nobama88:
I was in the same spot back in the day. I bought a 10 year old car for $3K. 3 months later I sold it for $3K.

The biggest headache in CA is the DMV and its rules- Registering a car, etc. I believe you could get a temporary registeration for the 2 or 3 months you are there. I would look into that.

This could be an option, even if you lose some money on it ... you will prob make out better then shipping or driving.

I am definitely considering this, and I have enough money saved where it won't be a problem, but I am just concerned about the headaches, between buying, selling, registration, insurance, maintenance, etc. Good to hear from someone where that choice worked out though

Did you buy/sell privately or use a dealer?

 
Best Response
cbcbcb:
cbcbcb:
Nobama88:
I was in the same spot back in the day. I bought a 10 year old car for $3K. 3 months later I sold it for $3K.

The biggest headache in CA is the DMV and its rules- Registering a car, etc. I believe you could get a temporary registeration for the 2 or 3 months you are there. I would look into that.

This could be an option, even if you lose some money on it ... you will prob make out better then shipping or driving.

I am definitely considering this, and I have enough money saved where it won't be a problem, but I am just concerned about the headaches, between buying, selling, registration, insurance, maintenance, etc. Good to hear from someone where that choice worked out though

Did you buy/sell privately or use a dealer?

I bought and sold the car through craigslist. I had 30 days to register the car, paid like $100 bucks to register it, and didnt have any property tax on it because I didnt have it at the end of the year. Just put the car on my insurance, not a big deal. When I sold it, I just told the DMV and sent in part of the title. All Cash.

It was pretty easy for me. But this was not in CA. I would check the crap you gotta do for CA, I could only imagine.

 

No way I'd go through the all that hassle of buying, registering, paying insurance, and finding someone to sell it to all within 3 months when i have a perfectly good car myself. Just my .02 though

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
 

Registering a car in CA is not that bad. I moved here from out of state, drove to the DMV, registered, paid the tax (less than 200 if I remember) and got new plates in the mail a couple of weeks later. You will have to get a CA driver's license I think -- I did this a few years ago and forgot the specifics -- which would mean passing the driving test again (I had to do it but I just winged it and passed).

Personally, if I had a decent car, I wouldn't want to drive it across the country twice for a 3 month gig -- the depreciation on the car is going to be pretty expensive unless the relocation comp is material (~5K miles or more -- IRS deduction rate is around 50 cents a mile as a benchmark, which is probably lower than the real depreciation cost). Driving across the country is pretty cool I guess (I've done it) but you end up with crappy views from the highway most of the time anyway.

And who wants to drive in LA anyway? The traffic is horrible. Just pick up a cheap motorcycle, it's better in every way (cost, parking, fun). If not, you should lease as someone else said -- way easier and cheaper.

 
Ravenous:
Registering a car in CA is not that bad. I moved here from out of state, drove to the DMV, registered, paid the tax (less than 200 if I remember) and got new plates in the mail a couple of weeks later. You will have to get a CA driver's license I think -- I did this a few years ago and forgot the specifics -- which would mean passing the driving test again (I had to do it but I just winged it and passed).

Personally, if I had a decent car, I wouldn't want to drive it across the country twice for a 3 month gig -- the depreciation on the car is going to be pretty expensive unless the relocation comp is material (~5K miles or more -- IRS deduction rate is around 50 cents a mile as a benchmark, which is probably lower than the real depreciation cost). Driving across the country is pretty cool I guess (I've done it) but you end up with crappy views from the highway most of the time anyway.

And who wants to drive in LA anyway? The traffic is horrible. Just pick up a cheap motorcycle, it's better in every way (cost, parking, fun). If not, you should lease as someone else said -- way easier and cheaper.

Where are you going to find a 3 month lease? And no lease fees or down payment. I want in...

 
Ravenous:
Really? One of our interns did some kind of two month long-term rental (at much lower daily rates) or lease last year in the Bay Area. I assume they have similar opportunities in LA.

I'll be there for 6 months though, so at that point shipping would probably be cheaper.

 

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