How to get a car in Boston
Topics Covered:
Preparing ahead: What you need to know about getting a car in MA
Avenues to buy a car: Dealerships, online retailers, dealers, private sellers
4 tasks to do after you've selected your car: Financing, auto insurance, RMV registration, and state inspection
Winning Boston’s commute: E-ZPass, street parking apps, garage parking apps, MBTA mTicket app
As a city, Boston is regrettably not well-connected by public transport. For those living outside of metro-Boston - suburban dwellings like myself - getting a car is sometimes the only option to have mobility in life.
Sad fact, I went through 4 cars in the first 5 years of being in Boston. I’ve been through it all - I’ve purchased cars from dealers on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, a used-car dealership, a mechanic and an independent dealership.
As a super experienced purchaser, here’s what I have to share about getting a car in Boston and winning at its commute.
1. What you need to know about getting a car in MA
Getting a car in MA is a 2-step process- first you buy, then you register the vehicle to drive. If you're looking for a seamless process to getting on the road, know that you'll need these 4 items ahead of time:
Driver's license - can be from any state or territory of the US or Canada. Foreign license is not acceptable.
SSN, or an SSN Denial Notice
Proof of MA residency
Auto-insurance - you don't need one immediately; you should just have an idea of which insurer you'd plan to go for.
All 4 items are important, but the driver's license is the most critical step of which one would require time to obtain.
Without a driver's license, you wouldn't be able to register for an auto-insurance.
Without an auto-insurance, you wouldn't be able to complete vehicle registration and ownership.
2. Avenues to buy a car in Boston: Dealerships, online retailers, dealers, private sellers
Dealerships
Let’s start with the classic move - buying a car from a physical dealership. There are generally 3 types of dealerships that you’ll see in Boston:
Franchise dealerships
Sell cars for a specific manufacturer, such as Audi, BMW, Jeep, Toyota etc. The dealership's name often includes the manufacturer's name.
Independent dealerships
Sell cars from any manufacturer. The 2 largest independent dealerships in Boston are Herb Chambers with 60 locations, and Nucar with 24 locations. Shoutout to Autofair with 2 locations coz I've been a repeat customer!
Used car dealerships
Sell only used cars. They tend to be smaller, local companies. My experience of purchasing from a used car dealership can only be summarized as "shady". Proceed with caution.
Online retailers
This is e-commerce for cars! These aren't marketplaces that connect buyers to sellers; these are companies that hold inventories (backed by their own warranties) for direct-to-consumer sales. Assuming you do not have a vehicle - or a friend with one - to take you around for viewings and test drives, buying a car online and having it delivered may be your most viable option.
2 established online retailers:
CarMax
CarMax would deliver if you're within 60 miles of a CarMax store - there are 4 in MA. If you're out of their delivery radius, you’d have to visit a store to finish your transaction. There is a "10-day Money Back Guarantee" that allows you to return the car if you've got buyer's remorse. There is a 90-day/4,000-mile (whichever comes first) limited warranty on condition.
Carvana
Carvana offers home delivery. In some states they've got car vending machines, but not in MA. There is a "7-day return policy" to address buyer's remorse. There is a 100-day/4,189 (whichever comes first) mile limited warranty on condition.
I have found this article by MarketWatch to be an excellent summary of the differences between CarMax and Carvana.
Dealers
Under MA law, anyone who sells more than 3 cars in a 1-year period is considered a dealer. A dealer could be a sole-proprietor without a commercial location, thus you could very well be transacting with a dealer in an online marketplace like CarGurus, Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
Not recommended.
I've had the worst experience purchasing cars from dealers - none of the 3 cars that I'd purchased I'd kept for more than a year. Buying a car from a dealer that you got in touch with from a marketplace is just a bad, bad idea because these people don't even have a physical location where you could go banging on their doors or leaving reviews should things go south.
Read this Guide to Used Vehicle Warranty Law and proceed with caution.
Private Sellers
Regular folk typically found in marketplaces (CarGurus, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist).
My husband's first car was a Volvo S60 that we sought from a private seller on Craigslist, bought for $1,400 (2016), and lasted him for 4 years so admittedly we did have luck with a private seller! I remember that day- we went to the seller's house in Maynard, learned that he was selling Grandma's car, took it for a test drive, paid him in cash, and took the title with us to the RMV. We returned to the seller's residence after completing registration paperwork at the RMV, affixed the new car plate, and drove it home.
I don't imagine every private sale to be as fortuitous as ours. We should have brought the car for an inspection prior to registering it, but didn't, and lucked out.
Read this Guide on Private Party Car Sales and proceed with caution.
3. 4 tasks to do after you've selected your car: Financing, auto insurance, RMV registration and state inspection
Financing
Dealerships make it so easy for you to remain comfortable in your seat and fill out documents for in-house financing. If you're a savvy borrower you should have gone prepared knowing which other financing options are available, and at what Annual Percentage Rate (APR), before you sign away. Note that you'd need a credit score to qualify for financing.
Online Car Retailers like CarMax and Carvana require no minimum credit score if you finance through their site- a huge help to those new to credit building! CarMax has an additional perk: 3-Day Payoff Program which allows one to replace the auto financing with cash or an alternative lender free of penalty or interest.
Dealers and Private Sellers require cash or third-party financing only (banks or credit unions). I remember that we got an auto loan from Digital Credit Union (DCU) for our first car purchase in a bid to diversify the credit mix to build credit.
Auto Insurance
Once you've selected your car you'll be ready to shop for car insurance. Purchasing auto insurance is a super seamless process- you could basically get it done over a 15-minute phone call - but before you hop on the call with the insurer, I'd recommend that you get familiar with auto insurance vocabulary and understand what kind of coverage is compulsory in MA so you don't end up over-insuring.
You’ll get very clear instructions about what to do while on the phone with the auto insurer, so not to worry. It’s sales, and salespeople are motivated to close a deal. :)
Well-known insurance providers in MA:
I had Geico for 7 years before switching to Progressive when rates jumped by 40%, so definitely shop around. Here are more options as researched by Nerdwallet.
RMV Registration
If you purchase your car from a dealership or online retailer, expect an end-to-end service - they'd register the car for you and call you up to collect your car once ready.
If your purchase is through a dealer or private seller however, prepare to do some legwork and visit your nearest full-service RMV. You'll be guided on what to do there, though you should expect to have these items per the RMV Checklist:
Completed Registration and Title Application Form (there are hardcopies at the RMV to fill out on the spot)
Proof of Insurance
Vehicle Title (filled correctly and signed by your vehicle’s seller too)
Payment- for registration, plates, and MA 6.25% sales tax
Registration is done on the spot at the RMV. You'll walk away with a new car plate and a registration certificate to keep in your car's glove compartment.
The new title will be mailed to you or your lien holder within 6 to 8 weeks.
State Inspection
MA is one of a number of states in the US that require an annual vehicle inspection regardless of the age of the vehicle. A vehicle with a passed inspection would have a sticker on its windshield that looks like this:
Photo Credit: Neal McNamara/Patch
Newly purchased vehicles must be inspected within 7 days of registration. If you're getting a car from a dealership, your vehicle might already come with a passing inspection sticker at the time of your vehicle collection.
Anywhere else, you'd need to take your vehicle to a licensed inspection station (typically automotive shops) to get it inspected. It's not complicated to find one - you could use this official guide simply Google Maps “state inspection near me”.
If you make an appointment for the inspection, you should be done within 15-30 mins. These are the items that will be inspected.
If your newly purchased vehicle fails the inspection, read The Massachusetts Failed Inspection Law.
4. Winning Boston’s commute: E-ZPass, street parking apps, garage parking apps, MBTA mTicket app
E-ZPass Transponder
For automatic toll payments. An E-ZPass transponder would allow you to pass through toll gantries (in MA and many also states in the US) without stopping to pay with cash.
It’s a time-saver that also saves you money- tolls paid with an E-ZPass are cheaper than paying cash or by mail.
You can easily sign up for an E-ZPass transponder online.
Parking Apps
For street parking in and around Boston, download these apps to make payments through your mobile phone instead of paying with cash/card at the parking meter:
If you’re out of luck with getting street parking, do not simply resign to the nearest garage! Hit up one of these apps - you’ll save some money by compare rates and booking a spot that is still within walking distance to your destination:
MBTA mTicket app
Not all commuter rail stations have a ticketing machine. If you plan on taking the commuter rail but don’t plan on fumbling for cash, download the MBTA mTicket app.
