Lease or buy car for one year in Italy

I dunno maybe this will help: http://rome.angloinfo.com/information/transport/vehicle-ownership/buying-selling-cars/

Since you'll be traveling around Europe, why burden yourself with a car? Use the trains like a European, and rent or lease opportunistically.

And wasn't this all discussed in a previous post?

well Mike, can't travel the back roads without a car. Seeing Italy by only visiting big city tourist locations is not my idea of experiencing the country. Tuscany comes to mind. She needs a car.

Thanks Jim --- I am traveling with my dog, and I will be based in Umbria, so having a car is pretty much an essential part of enjoying the trip. Trains are terrific but don't allow you to take the back roads and travel without a schedule. That is really a part of why I am taking this trip. Enjoy my life for a year without a fixed schedule and rushing to catch planes for yet another business meeting.

I've been trying to research ahead of arriving in Italy, so that I have some sort of idea on the immediate cash requirements. I am fortunate to have flexibility on cash, but I would sure appreciate hearing from someone that stayed for a long period of time and whether they found a lease or purchase to be the best option.

Appreciate any information. Thank you.

Not sure about you residency status there with the type of visa you have. However you don't need to be an Italian resident yo buy a car. If you intend to buy a car there for later importation back to the U.S. You can buy it under the Escursionisti Esteri regime. The owner will get a license plate that starts with EE. That is for residents of a extra EU country that intend to register the car in the country temporarily (up to a year) for then for example transferring it to their country of origin. I looked into that a few years back. It actually has substantial tax advantages therefore I strongly suggest going that route. If you intend to reimport it back home, I recommend to buy a model that is sold in your home State as well. Not all cars made overseas are sold in the 50 U.S. States, for example the Fiat 500e (electric) is sold only in California. This is because, when you reimport your car to your State, it must meet the state requirements (for emission, safety features, etc). Also you want to make sure you can find the auto parts and mechanics that know how to work on it.
To buy and sell cars in Italy, especially under the EE regime, there are bureaucratic requirements that are a bit more complicated than here in America. You should seek the advice of an agency that specializes in this type of paperwork. Search the yellow pages in the town where you will be www.paginegialle.it. Search AGENZIA PRATICHE AUTOMOBILISTICHE. I presume you speak Italian with a decent level of fluency, because living in a small town without knowledge of the language will not be fun.

Plenty of Europeans use a car, Mike.

Of course driving around Italy is great fun, and the only way to see many sites. It is also a huge pain in cities, and very expensive for long distance travel. When I owned a car in Italy, I found it burdensome compared to renting - the buying, registering, annual bolla, periodic inspections, oil changes, and selling took a great deal of time and trouble. So my considered advice for someone who is still imagining a change of life of this magnitude is don't lock yourself in by buying a car. It will not be cheaper than renting and it will restrict your options.