[SoxyMama]

Eventually I had planned to lease a car but didn't want to do for at least 6-12 months.

Our car is an 2000 model ford, and the cooling system is all wrong! It overheats very quickly. It also has cosmetic issues (inner roof fabric falling down very badly) and a few other things. Just had brakes done a few months ago. Rego is due on the 15th of Feb. It now does 5 minute trips but no longer. Hasn't had a major service for a while... but I get the feeling it is on the slow way to death. We had the same thing with a holden a few years ago and ended up spending so much on fixing little things, then something went very wrong and would have been several thousand to fix it. So we sold it for cheap to a wreckers - it just wasn't worth fixing.

We are debating whether to get it fixed and re-registered OR

Find another cheap $3000 ish car to do us by for 6-12 months until we can get a lease.

OR temporarily rent a car for that time, which can work out to be around $4000 for that time.

I need a car to drive, it is too far to walk to school and we live too far away from good transport. We've just bought a house so don't want to borrow more for a new car just yet; realistically do want to lease a car in 6-12 months.

So I guess our choices are:

1. Fix current car and all its issues
2. Buy another car for the time being (hopefully that has no problems)
3. Rent a car

What would you do in this situation, and why??

[harper_]

1. Fix current car and all its issues
2. Buy another car for the time being (hopefully that has no problems)
3. Rent a car

What would you do in this situation, and why??

1. Fix current car and all its issues - depends on how much it will cost all up. Perhaps get a mechanic to check it over, how many kms has it done
2. Buy another car for the time being (hopefully that has no problems) You could be buying another money pit. I would try and fix your current car.
3. Rent a car (very expensive)

[SoxyMama]

Yes precisely our dilemma. Don't forget the rego is also +$650. Quote for a few internal issues was about $350. Haven't got quote for the cooling issue. Car also doesn't lock and in past the doors haven't actually closed and we got a cheap part put in to fix that. So it is a car with 'issues'. Having been through this before with the holden I don't want to down money on repairs and then it dies anyway. From memory around 270k we only bought it for a few thousand about 6 years ago.

[tamjk]

Firstly I'd find out how much it is to fix the current car, get a mechanic to look for problems that are likely to arise soon.

It may be cheaper to buy an older car from a reputable dealer than it is to fix your current car. I wouldn't rent a car for 6 months, that's just throwing good money away.

[Rubyduck]

I would buy another car rather than rent or fix the old. You might get something fairly decent for $3000 if you buy private check the car sales web site and gumtree occasionally a bargain will come up when a quick sale is needed I brought my current car privately the owner needed to sell quickly so I paid $5000 and had it insured for $9800 so I got a great deal. I wouldn't go to a dealership as their markup is way to high.
You might even be able to sell the ford for a few hundred privately if its road worthy otherwise scrap metal will usually pay a few hundred to take it off your hands many years ago I had a few bombs (paddy bashers) that scrap metal gave me $400 per a car, not bad seeing they were barely running and completely smashed up!!
Oh and when buying private it's worth paying for a nrma inspection on the car you want to buy or asking your local mechanic to have a look once you have a few options most will for a small fee mine charges $30 to check out a car if you bring it to him and $50 if he has to come to you. Also a revs check is free just a phone call to make sure there's no debt on the car your wanting to buy.