Cars are in decline.

[GrasB]

Last time I did the economics (about 6 months ago) it was cheaper for me to run the Alfa than get rid of it given the following:
- My partner won't cycle to work so she'll need to take the bus or use a Taxi if there isn't a car
- We make at least 2 trips to her family in mainland europe by car - we usually make 3 or 4
- We hire a similar sized car for 5 days/year - we've use the full carrying capacity of the car on 4 or 5 days a year for the last 5 years or so
- I do most of the servicing on the car - I do anything that doesn't need anything written to the ECU (I have the tool to read every register in the ECU system) or involves the Air-Con system, which is a most the servicing work.

Of course cost is actually a red herring IME. It find it very interesting that I hardly use the car for medium distance trips when we visit my wife's family, despite the fact it's cheaper to use the car rather than public transport. Cost doesn't get me out of the car & onto public transport, connivence does.

 

[al78]

I wasn't debating whether we needed more regs, merely what the govt's reaction would be if one of their cash cows, namely the everyday motorist, were replaced by a non-revenue-generating alternative. They won't let it go 'cos they never do.

Are you sure that the everyday motorist is a revenue generator for the govt, when you take into account the cost of mitigating the destructive side effects of motoring?

 

[515mm]

I'm not talking about the additional costs, I was talking about fuel alone.

There's too many variables when you talk about depreciation, loan costs etc (some will drive an old banger, some will have a Ferrari). Fuel is the constant factor, and it's too cheap.

Maybe for you. Not for me.

Not that I'm campaigning for cheaper fuel, either. I would prefer a properly integrated public transport system so I wouldn't have to drive anywhere and maybe I could have a pint occasionally without having to plan ahead. What does get up my nose are those who feel it necessary to burn as much fuel as they possibly can, in a most vulgar and ostentatious display of wealth. Why the **** do you need a 5 litre v8 engined car that does 12 miles to the gallon to go back and forth to work?

"Look how successful I am! I can afford to piss away petrol on a whim! Look on my works ye mortals and despair!"

Pathetic.

Not that I'm including you Dodgy in that, not unless you drive an SUV with really shitty gas mileage..........

 

[stevetailor125]

I do own a car but will be downsizing this year, the car is currently used 6 times a month and 4 of those occasions are to take my elderly neighbour to her club. I have my hybrid that I take everywhere and have just been given a bykaboose trailer so don't even need the car for anything but the major fortnightly shop. My wife has a balance problem so is in the process of upgrading from a Pashley Tricyce to a Mission which is a lot smaller and doesn't tend to spin out on loose ground, my 6 year old is just learning a 2 wheeler after riding a 1940s tricycle.

 

[515mm]

Of course cost is actually a red herring IME. It find it very interesting that I hardly use the car for medium distance trips when we visit my wife's family, despite the fact it's cheaper to use the car rather than public transport. Cost doesn't get me out of the car & onto public transport, connivence does.

You're lucky to be in a position where the cost of running a car is not the significant factor for you. I would agree that it requires a sea change in attitude from most people to consider giving up car ownership. It's giving up a personal freedom with the "what if?" thought uppermost in the mind.

 

[al78]

You're lucky to be in a position where the cost of running a car is not the significant factor for you. I would agree that it requires a sea change in attitude from most people to consider giving up car ownership. It's giving up a personal freedom with the "what if?" thought uppermost in the mind.

After an improvement in health which has resulted in me being able to cope with cycling to work every day plus other utility journeys and weekend leisure rides I have been toying with the idea with selling my car, as I am probably doing well under 2,000 miles/yr in it now. I do have the "what if" thing playing in my mind as it is easy to think about going car free now whilst the weather is dry, warm and sunny and has been for a couple of months now, but what about when the bad weather returns and we get the inevitable extended periods of cold, wet and windy weather which is not at all pleasant to cycle in (and can be very tiring).

In addition, I do wonder if women would be turned off dating/having a relationship with a man who didn't have his own car?

 

[400bhp]

Why the **** do you need a 5 litre v8 engined car that does 12 miles to the gallon to go back and forth to work?

Because they can.

If you spend a large amount of time sat in a car why not have something that is nice.

You might want to think about moving to North Korea. Everyone is equal there.

 

[400bhp]

Mine will be for sale next week I think.

It costs me about £3k a year just to sit on the drive. I'm just not using it and have pretty good transport links/amenities close to my home.

Sometimes it's nice to mix things up for a while.

 

[Holdsworth]

I haven't got to the stage of owning my first car, and seriously I can't see me being able to afford one any time in the near future. I passed my test 1st time last year, I only had this as my estranged, divorced (yet rather well up) dad payed for all my lessons and test costs, it took me 35 hours of lessons to pass and that combined with the test fee must've been around the £800 mark. Something which I could not afford at the time as I had no job and was only on student EMA (£30 a week).

So far though passing the test has had no positive influence on my life whatsoever and I haven't been in a situation where my licence has been necessary, apart from buying drinks of course

ATM I am on a rather low paying job, ongoing temp in an office to be precise, not sure how secure it is truth be told as it is with an employment agency. I certainly could not afford the costs associated with motoring, insurance alone is in the region of £3000, add that to £500-1000 for a car that is usable and you see why the costs are prohibitive. Even paying off monthly is no good as it would use up around 1/2 of my income per month.

I am also going back to college in September and as such my working hours will be reduced by 1/3, I work 3 days most weeks as per my contract, this be down to 2 in college time. This will inevitably bring a significant reduction in my weekly income which would make the chance of owning a car even more remote.


All that said, I haven't yet had any real need for car. I admit I do get the occasional lift of friends when I need to get to somewhere out of the way or if I need to transport a bulky item, but other than that I make almost all journeys by bike. No complaining here, I rather like cycling, it keeps me fit, I was 16 stone and very unfit this time last year but now I am down to a respectable 12.5 and I feel much better for it. I doubt I would be in as good as good health if I had got a car after passing my test that's for sure.

 

[evilclive]

I am seriously considering ditching the mondeo once I've done all my building work, and getting a hybrid and trailer. Since I learned to ride a motorbike, cars just don't "do it" for me! If I wanted a car with the same acceleration as my bike, I'd need to spend tens of thousands of £££ on some fuel-drinking monstrosity! And it would still get stuck in traffic jams ... I'll stick to getting 0-60 in under 4 seconds from something that has the same fuel efficiency as my mum's nissan micra, and it can filter. It's a no-brainer!

I've occasionally had the discussion of mileage costs of motorbikes with people at work, and they tend to say the motorbike costs as much to run as a car - sounds like yours is more fuel efficient than most of theirs though, but is that because yours is doing longer runs?

Meanwhile one big reason I'm keeping away from motorbikes is the same reason you're saying you use them - can't trust myself with something with that much performance, I'd use it and end up mushed :-)

 

[GrasB]

You're lucky to be in a position where the cost of running a car is not the significant factor for you. I would agree that it requires a sea change in attitude from most people to consider giving up car ownership. It's giving up a personal freedom with the "what if?" thought uppermost in the mind.

Of further interest is that where my wife's family live car ownership costs less that in does in the UK but typically 1 car per household* & cars will typically be lining the streets. However the car is used for longer journeys that would be convoluted on public transport or for when there will be a large amount of cargo (be it luggage or some purchase). The key here seems to be the lack of in-town parking & the streets are narrow & are very awkward to drive in even with a small car.

* though due to the hilly nature of the terrain moped use is much higher. With that said over the last 2 years or so every time we visit the number of of electric assist cycles seen on the street increases (cheaper to run, less noise & no license needed).

 

[asterix]

Maybe electric assisted bicycles are the elephant in the room?

 

[Baneli]

The goverment is forcing motorist of the road and will eventually start losing money where people start riding and using public transport instead. You know that they will end up forcing people to tax bikes because of this and force us to pay our way for cycling.. It's what they do best, rip of the people.

I have started to cycle to work because I was spending 50 quid a week on fule, for a small 1.2 corsa thats just stupid amounts so its the best way to cut back

 

[lit]

Probably going to tax walking soon too...

 

[GrasB]

Maybe electric assisted bicycles are the elephant in the room?

... care to explain that please cause it's completely lost on me.