Long-term rental or buying: the real cost of a car over 36 months in Morocco

A long-term rental rate fits on one line: 3,920 dirhams excluding VAT per month for a Dacia Logan over 36 months at tripn'Go. The cost of a car you buy is spread over three years across expenses nobody ever groups together. This article puts them side by side.

What long-term rental costs, exactly

Over 36 months, the Logan comes to 141,120 dirhams excluding VAT. That amount includes comprehensive insurance with a 5,000 dirham excess, 24/7 assistance, scheduled maintenance, a replacement vehicle in case of breakdown and delivery to your address. Mileage is unlimited. It does not include fuel or fines.

For a company, that rate is a monthly, invoiced, predictable expense. There is no deposit, no depreciation to book, no vehicle to resell when the fleet is renewed.

What buying costs, item by item

Take the dealer price of the same model, then add the following. The amounts depend on your insurer and your garage, so we do not invent them here: write yours next to each line.

• •Comprehensive insurance, paid every year for three years
• •The annual road tax and registration
• •Manufacturer services, tyres and brake pads over 36 months
• •Out-of-warranty breakdowns and the days without a car during repairs
• •The cost of credit if you do not pay cash, or the opportunity cost of the cash you tie up if you do
• •Depreciation: the gap between the purchase price and what you will resell the car for in three years

Depreciation is the item most often forgotten, and often the heaviest. A new car loses a large share of its value in the first year alone. Over three years, the gap between the price paid and the resale price often exceeds all the other items combined.

When buying is still the right choice

If you keep your vehicles six or seven years and drive a lot, buying ends up cheaper per kilometre. Depreciation gets diluted. That is the case for tradespeople who drive the same van every day until the end.

Long-term rental is built for the opposite: vehicles renewed every two or three years, cash you do not want to tie up, and no time to spend at the garage or on classified ads.

Run the numbers with your own figures

The simulator on the long-term page gives the rate for each of the 16 models over 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. Multiply by the duration, compare with your total on the buying side, and ask for a quote if the result surprises you. It usually does.