Hi Andreas!

I don't have any experience with leasing vehicles, although I can see how that would probably be an ideal option in your case. One thing to consider when choosing that might be how much car insurance will cost (I think you usually need to have full coverage when leasing?).

If you consider buying, I bought my car last June at Rochester Car Clearance and worked with a very kind gentleman named Ron. I've been very happy with my car and he didn't pressure me or make me feel rushed.

If you buy used, make sure to take it into a dealer to get a thorough 48-point inspection (which is usually a free inspection that should be done any time the car is taken in). It wouldn't hurt to Mention that you're considering buying it and would like to know if any of those inspection points have anything wrong with them. This will help identify any potential issues that the car may have right off the bat, and could potentially be used to negotiate a price if you have a list of things that will need to be done on the car.

Good luck in your search!
Sarah

We have a old car. It's not the prettiest but it still gets you from point A to B. We would sell it for $1000. LMK if you are interested.

@kiehlsa thanks for both tips. I'll make sure to keep them in mind!

@danleedrenth Oh that sounds interesting. Can you tell me what model it is? Or picture. Don't yet have an American phone, so hope you don't mind me asking here.

Again, thanks a bunch to both of you.
BW Andreas

Sorry for the intrusion but can anyone of you guys tell me if a driver's license from another country can help me avoid the driving exam to get an American license and if not, which place is the easiest to take a driver's license test here in Rochester.

Thanks

Hi Karim, it can depend on each state's laws. In Minnesota you can avoid the road test if you are arriving from a U.S. territory or Canada.

Hey Andreas,
For Rochester I recommend leasing a vehicle. You can get a newer car for a way better price than buying and selling again.
If you do buy a car don’t go to the Rochester Clearance Center. My experienced mechanic says it’s the worst place to get a car due to constant car repairs.

In the defense of Rochester Car Clearance Center, I've had my car for almost 8 months now and I've had no issues with my car (2002 Toyota Corolla, 71K miles on it when I bought it. I've put on about 10K miles since then). Spent about $5K on it after taxes (within my budget). I've just had to do maintenance on it like oil changes and my windshield wipers needed to be replaced. With my old car (bought while in college) I got to the point where I was having repair work done every other month, so this was definitely an upgrade!

So, what I'm trying to say is that it depends on what your budget is, and if you do your research on the car you're interested in, and take it to get inspected and such. I think you can find a nice quality vehicle there.

Thanks for the tip. For some reason we didn't find very good deals on leasing. It almost cost the same to lease a 2006 Toyata for 6 months and to rent a brand new Ford at Budget for the same period. It's probably a better deal if the leasing period is for a year or more.