Rent or buy?

There is a saying about depreciating assets: it’s always better to rent than buy. When it comes to cars, few capital items depreciate faster. While the losses are hidden from your immediate view, that doesn’t make them any less real. Before you make a decision, do these simple sums:

• How much does a new car cost, including any specialist adaptations required?
• How much will it be worth in four years’ time when you decide you need to replace it?
• How much will it cost to service and maintain over that same period?
• How much will the running costs be, including insurance, oil and fuel consumption?

Use this simple check-list to work out what’s important to you:

• Do you need flexibility? Rental is flexible; ownership less so. And you can always return the vehicle. Unlike fixed term leasing, there will be no penalties.
• Will you fund your car through a company? When you rent the cost does not appear on your balance sheet.
• Do you want to be able to change vehicle as and when you need? Rental allows this while ownership and most leases do not.
• Is cost control important to you? With rental everything is included which means no hidden extra cost.
• Are you a vehicle expert? The AVH team is and will help you choose the correct vehicle, and correct adaptations, for your specific needs.
• When you rent a car you’re only paying for the time you use it. So, unless you plan to use your car more than you plan to have it sitting on your drive or outside your house, you will always be better off renting than buying.

But what if you need a car suddenly?

Short-term rental is always available, or you can take advantage of a flexible service from a specialist rental company such as Adapted Vehicle Hire (AVH), which offers a flexible long-term rental programme with a minimum rental period of just 28 days. This gives you the benefits of ownership without the hassle, including a replacement vehicle if needed, full service, maintenance and repair, a generous mileage allowance and you can change your vehicle quickly and easily to suit your own circumstances.
Just click the link at the top of the page for a quote, or give us a call.

Sometimes the old sayings really do make sense because they are based on accumulated years of wisdom and real life experience.