# Car ownership



## kdwags (Jan 23, 2013)

We will be moving to Mississauga for a period of 10 months and are wondering how easy it would be to buy a second hand car and insurance on a UK licence. Have been quoted $10,000 for rental for this time so unsure if buying the cheaper option. Any advice appreciated.

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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

kdwags said:


> We will be moving to Mississauga for a period of 10 months and are wondering how easy it would be to buy a second hand car and insurance on a UK licence. Have been quoted $10,000 for rental for this time so unsure if buying the cheaper option. Any advice appreciated.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


It will not be easy. Without an Ontario licence I doubt if you will be able to register ownership. FYI, it is illegal driving on a foreign licence over 90 days in Ontario.


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## kdwags (Jan 23, 2013)

Ah thanks I did not realise that! That changes things, will have to look into applying for a Canadian licence.

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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

Auld Yin said:


> It will not be easy. Without an Ontario licence I doubt if you will be able to register ownership. FYI, it is illegal driving on a foreign licence over 90 days in Ontario.


The first part is wrong (you can register ownership without an Ontario license), the second part is dead on...


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## kdwags (Jan 23, 2013)

Great thanks. So, taking into account that I will exchange my licence for an Ontario one, will it be cheaper to buy and insure for ten months or just hire at 10,000. I have seen previous threads where people say insurance is ridiculously expensive as a new driver in Ontario, so I'm wondering if it will be better to just hire.

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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Long term rent sometimes is more expensive than short term rent! Go online on the rental website, and play with the dates: rent for 10 seperate months, and add it up. Rent for periodes of 58 days, and add it up.

Pay attention to insurance for a rental car. If I rent a car out of Belgium, to drive around in Toronto, my Belgian rental company gives me a price including the insurance I need. If I want to rent the same car, but I go an a Canadian rental site, it's much cheaper... because the insurance system is different. If you live in Canada and own a car, and you want to rent a car to drive around, your own car insurance policy will offer you protection. My Belgian car insurance only insures my (Belgian) car, so I'm not covered when I'm driving another car! I have to pay for additional insurance (LDW, liability, and so on).


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

It seems you can only drive for 60 days on your foreign license:
Out of Country Drivers


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## Scatterling (Apr 25, 2010)

Liam(at)Large said:


> The first part is wrong (you can register ownership without an Ontario license), the second part is dead on...


Can you get insurance, though, without an Ontario license, which would be required before a vehicle can be registered/licensed?


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

Scatterling said:


> Can you get insurance, though, without an Ontario license, which would be required before a vehicle can be registered/licensed?


Yes, you can get insurance without an Ontario license.


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

I would look further in to a long term rental. As a new driver in Ontario, car insurance is very expensive, you could pay up to $4000-5000/year for fully comprehensive.


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## Camerish (May 24, 2012)

Insurance can get very expensive, as Liam said. I would try to get a quote over the phone to get an idea. When i migrated from Michigan, US to Canada I had to provide a copy of my driving record. Service Ontario told me I had to have it faxed directly from the Michigan Secretary of State office when in fact the fax number they gave me was not valid and I had bring it in myself (after several weeks and trips to Service Ontario office).

Be sure your record only has minor tickets. My father had a DUI and the penalty/suspension was completed, but when he turned in his Michigan license for an Ontario one they instantly revoked his Ontario one due to the DUI license suspension penalty being more severe than in Michigan.

A large factor in your insurance rates is whether or not you are currently insured. I did not own a car for a couple of years and was not insured; once I went back for insurance it was very expensive due to the gap. Pretty lame reason if you ask me, but rates were horrendous.

I would probably try to purchase a car for the 10-month period, considering you may still need the car or could resell and recoup much of the cost of the car.

Also, you don't say where you are coming from. I am not sure if you could trade for an Ontario license or if you'd have to rewrite the test and possible have a restricted license.


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