Do you need a car in Singapore?

You might think that with public transport being so good here you can do without having a car. When we first came to Singapore, we lasted about a week without one – and ended up buying a 12-year-old one that spent a lot of time at the mechanics!

These days, I rent through Evergreen Rent A Car, a company with more than 50 years’ experience in the car industry. I rent an old one – just happy to get from A to B without having to wait for taxis or get rained on.  There are no MRT’s near me and buses are limited. Expat Living has been working with them for around 10 years and they have long-term rentals with flexible leasing packages as well as short-term rentals on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The longer rental term you choose, the better price you get.

Personal and corporate car leasing

It’s no surprise that leasing is popular around the world. There’s an ever-increasing number of new vehicles, models and variants launched onto the market, making the buying decision more complicated – even more so in Singapore with the complexities of the COE. Leasing also provides you with flexibility to use your vehicle for a specific period of time and at a fraction of the cost, and with all kinds of services bundled in. You can then upgrade to a different vehicle at the end of the lease term. Buying a car, on the other hand, comes with lots of associated costs that may not be clear upfront. These can definitely create an impact during the period of ownership – the expense of repairs, the cost of accidents, those wasteful periods of downtime when the vehicle is off-road, the challenge of resale, and so on. With a lease, you pay a fixed monthly rental during the lease term and save on all the additional costs of ownership.

Plus, you get to enjoy a whole range of benefits, including the following:

8 reasons to lease

#1 There’s a wide range of brand new or used vehicles to choose from.

#2 Payment plans are flexible and there’s minimal documentation.

#3 You get hassle-free maintenance and repair, including regular maintenance and grooming services with courtesy cars for you to use during this period.

#4 There’s unlimited mileage on rental.

#5 You get 24/7 Roadside Assistance, a 24-hour emergency hotline and an immediate replacement car if your rented vehicle breaks down or you have an accident.

#6 The rental agreement includes comprehensive insurance coverage, and no hassles with insurance and registration renewal.

#7 Unlike with buying, there’s no risk of a dip in resale value or increased maintenance expenses.

#8 At the end of the contract, you can replace your car with a different car of your choice.

Special offer: Drive a new car and save! Evergreen currently has a special promotion price on new Toyotas. “With the New Year in mind, we’ve purchased brand-new cars for expats who are in Singapore or moving here. Minimum rental duration is two years, and we can also quote customers on a different range of cars matching their preference and budget. A brand new Toyota Vios 1.5A on a two-year lease starts at $1,500 per month.”

Evergreen Rent A Car
6459 0990 | evergreenrentacar.com

For more helpful tips, head to our Living in Singapore section:

Neighbourhoods: Bukit Timah
Earn air miles on your rent and bills

This article first appeared in the January 2020 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!

Rebecca Bisset

Heading up Expat Living, Rebecca's the oldest but not necessarily the wisest of the crew! Her original career was in photography and video. A bit of a nomad before Singapore, she loves looking at properties, fashion and home décor.