Leasing a car in Singapore gives you the freedom to gather your kids, pets or golf clubs and hit the road at your own leisure. However, with the COE (Certificate of Entitlement) price currently so high – close to $100,000 for Category A car as we write this – why buy when you can grab a rental car? Especially if you’re not sure how long you’ll be staying. Then it’s just a matter of turning up the music, blasting the air-con and driving in Singapore to spots you mightn’t otherwise explore! Here are some readers’ experiences.
BOLT Car Leasing
Chris Seal
My wife and I moved to Singapore in August 2022, and we’re renting a Kia Seltos from BOLT Car Leasing. We picked the car as the price was in our range and the spacious 4×4 offered us enough comfort and practicality to do all the things we wanted. It’s been great on long road trips through Malaysia, for example. It also holds my golf clubs easily and is perfect for buzzing around Singapore.
The BOLT team have been great. I did a lot of research before coming to Singapore and their prices were great but their service even better. Their representative Jeannie has been available via WhatsApp and did an amazing job of helping me out when I first arrived in the country.
We love being independent and moving around under our own steam. We also wanted to live in an area by the water, so I knew I would have a commute to work. That’s why a car was essential for us.
I enjoy driving in Singapore. I spent five years driving in Bangkok; Singapore is much easier than that! The roads are smooth and the traffic is light.
As for a dream car, before we left the UK, we had to sell our beloved Toyota Landcruiser. I’m still sad about that and would love to be able to have another one in the future.
6416 9708 | boltcarleasing.com
Carzuno
Iain Ross
I moved to Singapore in 2020 and frequently travelled out to the far side of Seletar. Grabs were difficult to get from there, so I decided to rent a car and found it really convenient. I leased a VW Golf until the rental company raised their prices and I started looking elsewhere. That’s when Carzuno offered me a Mercedes A200 for a much better price.
Carzuno’s rental process was also really simple. I sent them a WhatsApp, they let me know what cars were available and they organised the delivery. It’s very easy and no fuss! If the car breaks down, which it hasn’t, I just give them a call.
Having a car in Singapore is great if you have a family. Parking is generally cheap, there’s plenty of it surprisingly and getting a grab can be nearly impossible in central. Plus you get used to Singapore’s obvious tourist attractions quite quickly, so being able to go out to Kranji, Pulau Ubin and some places further afield is a huge benefit.
My dream car would have to be an Aston Martin DBS, although it’s not one to fit the whole family so it’s definitely a dream for the time being.
Vincar
Benjamin White
We moved to Singapore at the end of January, so just under six months ago, and we decided to make a Mercedes-Benz GLB200 from Vincar our rental car. It’s the perfect size for our growing family, along with having a useful third row when our extended family visits us.
Even though Singapore has excellent public transportation, living in Sentosa with a toddler meant that we required a car for our many trips into the city to run errands, drop him off at nursery and make it to work on time.
We were searching for a GLB or a similar-sized vehicle, and there was quite a disparity of costs among rental agencies for the same car, which surprised me. Even though Vincar offers ultra-luxury cars for the top of the market, they were the most reasonably priced – by a significant margin. This coupled with offering excellent service and flexibility through our dealings with Lilian meant that Vincar was an easy choice.
With a young family, driving in Singapore is by far the fastest and most efficient way to travel around. Parking has never been difficult to find near to our destinations, which is especially helpful during Singapore’s frequent rain events! It’s also very easy to drive here since they limit the number of cars on the road. It means that “rush hour” is not nearly as bad as in most other cities we have lived in.
Our family’s dream car is a Ferrari Purosangue, but perhaps in another lifetime!
ComfortDelGro Rent-A-Car
Anand Natarajan
We have lived in Singapore for almost four years and have changed cars a couple of times. Our latest model is a Mercedes GLB200 SUV, which we lease from ComfortDelGro Rent-A-Car. We prefer the SUV because of the height getting in and out and flexibility with the seating arrangements.
When we first moved to Singapore, I was not sure how long we would stay so leasing just made more sense. Now the price of the COE simply makes it too unreasonable to buy a car.
I have found ComfortDelGro very supportive and the staff very friendly and responsive. They have a large fleet to choose from and flexible contract conditions that take into account what expats need. The insurance package, and 24×7 roadside assistance, including travel into Malaysia, are huge benefits built into the leasing package. Plus, they have scheduled maintenance and servicing and have been great at helping me deal with tyre punctures because I drive through industrial areas regularly.
Although public transportation is excellent in Singapore and there are pet transportation options available, having our own vehicle has been liberating. And driving in Singapore is easy!
As boring as it sounds, my personal mission is to drive an electric vehicle next. However, having spent a few years in Dubai with supercars and luxury brands all around, my wife has clearly zeroed in on Bentley as her favourite brand!
6882 0888 | cdgrentacar.com.sg
Current Leasing
Roel Louwhoff
We have lived in Singapore for almost two years. When I first started looking at all the rules and regulations of buying a car, I didn’t know how long I was going to stay; I found that leasing was a more convenient option. I was recommended Current Leasing by a friend, and after entering the showroom, I received great advice about selecting a car. Everything was taken care of within an hour! Once I organised the fixed monthly payment, I drove away with a new Toyota Harrier Hybrid while Current Leasing handled the rest.
We are renting a five-door SUV that’s easy to drive, very roomy, fuel efficient and functional. I’ve been blown away by the service at Current Leasing. From being involved in an accident to being trapped in a parking lot, on all occasions, weekend or evening, the company was just one call away.
As with most things, Singapore is car-friendly with parking everywhere, and the IU is a brilliant concept I haven’t seen anywhere else. Moreover, leasing a car in Singapore gives me the certainty that I can always be on time, and take urgent work calls within the privacy of my car and there’s no hassle.
My family’s dream car would be a Porsche Taycan!
8323 8800 | currentleasing.com.sg
Evergreen Rent A Car
Kevin and Jessica Tibble, Children: Ava and Sam
“We were in Hong Kong for eight years before moving to Singapore and have been here for nearly two years.
I’m used to driving in London and Hong Kong so driving in Singapore is very easy. The roads are well maintained and signposts are clear. I’ve never had trouble finding a place to park and it’s usually not expensive. Just don’t rely on Google maps as it often takes you on strange routes!
About 18 months ago, we leased a new Toyota Vios from Evergreen. We chose it as we wanted reliability and we didn’t want to spend a huge amount every month. The other car rental consideration was boot space; we knew we’d be using the car for days out so it would have to fit scooters, bicycles, picnic blankets and all the stuff you need for a family adventure.
The team at Evergreen are responsive, helpful and kind, and always ensure the car is in excellent condition. Any issues are dealt with quickly, efficiently and made as easy as possible for us. We’ve been really impressed.
Having a car makes Singapore instantly more accessible and gives us flexibility of diverting to a new park on the way home or going to the Zoo on a whim. We’ve been able to travel all over the island without having to worry about whether we’ll find a taxi at a particular time to get back. It’s also so much safer for the kids to travel in fixed car seats.
Our family’s dream car is a BMW Grand Tourer, but for me, it’s an Aston Martin!
6459 0990 | evergreenrentacar.com
This article first appeared in the August 2023 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
