cars

[jgriggs]

When I was on the island I asked around at car rental places and was told that I could get a long term rental for 568 per month. Does anyone know if there are any car dealerships that do leases? Or any rental places that have cheap monthly rates?

Getting up our unpaved road and driveway is a four wheeling adventure that I don't think the school buses will be able to survive at night, and so I think we may have to get a vehicle. Any suggestions? I know students sell cars as they are leaving but I don't think most of these will become available until after first term, and I am also worried about repair costs.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Jocelyn

[MSIV]

We bought a car from a student ( and we did wait til end of first term but plenty of cars were available from day one). We spent 2600 US on a decent car that never needed anything except an oil change and new tires ( those grenadian roads....). When we left we sold it for 2500US. Obviously it worked out for us, so the thougth of spending 500 bucks a month is horrifying to me. If you want to rent, you could consider splitting a car with one or more students, that is what most who rent do.

[SideshowBob]

how does car insurance work in grenada? do students bring their own policy from the US..e.g. some international provision through State Farm?
thnx!

8)

[NYC-girl]

I had a car this term..

Generally, the rate is $350 a month. Sometimes you can get a slight discount if you pay upfront.

I used Nedds rental. You can get thier e-mail address if you google the name. A guy named Chris will e-mail you back with rates. I would recommend getting a stick shift with no a/c. This is the cheapest. You end up NEVER using the a/c because it is more effective to roll your windows down. Also, you never really drive long distances anyway.

Gas is really expensive. So if you don't have to rent a car, don't do it.

[tiredintern]

I rented the entire time I was in the carribean.. i was paying $400 a month in grenada for a manual tracker with a soft top and no ac. That was for a full semester contract and the owner was a mechanic who would pick the thing up while I was in class, fix anything that went wrong with it and bring it back by the time i was ready to go home. I wound up totalling it and basically lost my $700 deposit as a result. In vinnies I rented a sweet almost new manual soft top tracker for $450 a month from my landlord. They serviced it for free and washed it inside and out every couple of weeks. I crashed that car as well and also lost my $500 deposit.

Moral of the story:
1. Car values are stable in the islands, chances are you will be able to sell whatever you buy for a few hundred bucks less when you leave the island.

2. Renting is a good idea if you have the money to burn and dont want to deal with shady mechanics when something goes wrong.

3. The roads on the island are either smooth and nice or basically dirt roads. If you want to really see the island get a tracker with a good set of tires and those little things will go anywhere without a problem. You can get a regular car but expect to destroy the thing once you head anywhere off the main roads.

4. The roads are DANGEROUS especially for non-locals who dont know the rules and customs. DWI is not only legal but encouraged and the roads are dimly lit and often drop straight off the side of a hill around every turn.


Having a car is a great treat in grenada and vinnies.. nothing like a nice drive into grand etang or over to grenville on the weekend in grenada or taking a trip to the leeward side in vinnies on a cool afternoon.

[JB79]

What about motorcycles? Do people use those down there?

[emt036]

Well, there are scooters on the island, but see above post re: frequent crashes, drunk drivers and poor roads. Not very popular.

[bigpoppapump]

Buy a car...bottom line! Just get a clunker from a student or a local. Even though you may have to put some minor work into it if something goes wrong, in the long run you won't lose as much (if any) than you would if you rent. As for car insurance...go through Insurance Consultants of Grenada, they do the rate searching for you and find the lowest price. For me, I had a Geo Tracker and I paid $320 US for an entire year (3rd party coverage)...Not Bad!

[jgriggs]

Can anyone recommend someone or buisness on the island in particular to buy a car from? Or do most people just look for student posting on campus?