Hi everyone,
Firstly apologies for the slightly off topic post...
I have a Supra TT here in the UK but am currently contemplating a move to California to study at UC Berkeley for a couple of years. Unfortunately this will mean selling the Supra I think having a car for my time in the US is a must but I have absolutely no idea about car ownership in the US/California/Berkeley area.
I was wondering if someone could give me the low down on how much a car costs to run in the US? How much insurance is likely to be for someone aged 28 with a clean license? Car wise I guess I'd be looking at something relatively economical - civic, golf, mini or something along those lines..Is there any road tax and if so how much does that cost - does it vary depending on emissions etc? Finally what is the parking situation like? Is it generally easy to get a street parking permit and how much do they usually cost? Any other hidden costs?
Also when it comes to buying is there anything I should watch out for? Do you guys have the equivilent of HPI checks to look for existing finance/insurance claims/write offs?
Any help very greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Francis
Firstly apologies for the slightly off topic post...
I have a Supra TT here in the UK but am currently contemplating a move to California to study at UC Berkeley for a couple of years. Unfortunately this will mean selling the Supra I think having a car for my time in the US is a must but I have absolutely no idea about car ownership in the US/California/Berkeley area.
I was wondering if someone could give me the low down on how much a car costs to run in the US? How much insurance is likely to be for someone aged 28 with a clean license? Car wise I guess I'd be looking at something relatively economical - civic, golf, mini or something along those lines..Is there any road tax and if so how much does that cost - does it vary depending on emissions etc? Finally what is the parking situation like? Is it generally easy to get a street parking permit and how much do they usually cost? Any other hidden costs?
Also when it comes to buying is there anything I should watch out for? Do you guys have the equivilent of HPI checks to look for existing finance/insurance claims/write offs?
Any help very greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Francis