Buying cars can be expensive. Fuel and maintenance costs alone can drain your monthly budget quickly. Then there’s the cost of MOTS and regular services on top.

When you take into account the investment, insurance premiums, road tax, wear and tear and depreciation of privately owned cars, it’s not hard to see why cars are labelled "money pits”.

That’s not to say there are upsides to owning your own vehicle. They are convenient. But is the convenience worth the cost?

Hiring a car could be a better option for some people. If you only use a car occasionally, there are more benefits to hiring a car than there are to owning one. 

Save Money

When you rent a car, you free yourself from burdensome costs. MOTs, servicing and repairs are all covered by the car dealer.

Damages may also be covered by the car hire firm’s insurance, but you should check what the insurance covers before putting pen to paper.

When you hire a car, you usually have to pay “car hire excess” or “damage limitation waiver”. That all sounds good if the car is a write-off, but it’s not unheard of for drivers to be left footing a bill of up to £2000.

Car insurance premiums are always high for car rental firms and the excess is passed off to customers.

You can read more about the problems customers can experience when hiring a car here.  

It’s usually recommended that you take out your own car hire excess insurance with a private lender to make sure you are sufficiently covered. The insurance premiums are also less.

More Choice Of Cars

If you want the flexibility to choose from a wide range of vehicles without risking massive losses on car depreciation, hiring a car is a huge benefit.

You even have access to luxury cars which depreciate very quickly and are not really worth owning. This is how much money luxury cars depreciate by.

Our lives are always evolving and as they do, so do our needs. What suited you a few years ago may not suit you today. Maybe you just wanted a small car for the occasional trip, but now you need something more family-sized.

Or perhaps the flashy sports car you really want isn’t suitable for your lifestyle or family needs. Whatever your situation may be, car hire allows you the freedom to choose the best vehicle for the occasion.

Car Hire Excess Insurance

Despite all the benefits of hiring a car, there are some things to watch out for. Paying for a damaged vehicle can become costly very quickly if you’re in an accident or put a dent in the bodywork.

Some car rental companies have a habit of charging drivers for damage to a car that was caused by a previous driver. Or you return home from holiday to find an unexpected charge on your credit card bill. 

The best option to avoid paying for damages you are not responsible for is to take out car hire excess of your own. 

Bettersafe covers you for up to £7500 and our insurance premiums are more cost-effective than you will find with a car hire firm. Don’t risk being landed with unexpected charges and speak with a member of our friendly team today.