OK, we are flying into NYC (free flight for us 4!) and staying a few nights in Manhattan (free hotels of course!).
After NYC we will head to Niagra Falls, Toronto and on to Chicago & Minneapolis.
I have been out of the USA for almost 2 years and don't have any wheels. And I don't want to rent a car - way too expensive.
So I will buy a car in or around NYC and drive it to MN and use it for the summer.
But I have never been in NYC - so kind of clueless as far as getting around to actually buy a car. Or even heading to Jersey to buy one.
Any advice?
That’s literally the last place in the United States where one would need a car, want to buy a car, or even be able to locate a gas station...
Please do yourself a favor, don’t buy a car in or around NYC. The cost of buying a car in NYC is higher than virtually everywhere else in the country. Parking said car will be a nightmare and expensive. Gas stations are not easy to locate in manhattan and gas prices are really high. Driving a used beater car purchased in NYC and using it to travel first to Niagara Falls (hundreds of miles away on the far western side of the state) will be a gamble. Driving from Niagara Falls to Minnesota will be similarly crazy. The change in registration and plates will not be fun.
If you lived in New York, and were going to buy a used car privately, had time to inspect it fully, time to make repairs and maintenance, and then wanted to drive to Niagara Falls and then Minnesota, you might make it work. What you’re describing is a nightmare. My advice is fly from nyc to Niagara Falls (cheap short flights usually $150 and an hour flight) and afterward fly to Minnesota. If you need a car in Minnesota, buy one there.