Do you own a car?

[gbb]

Its funny reading some posts, the almost apologetic ones for owning a car and the almost bemused reactions to some that dont own.
There should be no feeling bad because you do own...there are many benefits, there are many costs. But you have the freedom to go where and when you want...door to door.
There is a growing number of youngsters who have NO intention of ever learing to drive, my son and some of his mates fall into that category. I envy them in some ways, but always having had a car i (personally) couldnt and wouldnt do without one.

Dad said when he stopped driving when his eyes failed...you dont realise how much it all costs...until you stop.

My car sits there 4 days a week doing nothing. Today i use it because we go shopping after work, and i always notice the brakes binding slightly because a light film of rust has built up on the discs

Its the money spent on petrol that bugs me. £15 a week...sometimes i need more, mostly i dont even need that, particually in the winter. I know loads of people that put in £30 a week...and more. I'd be heartbroken.

 

[John the Monkey]

Yep.

driving's too much of a chore to use it all that often though. No idea what mileage it does in a year.

 

[John the Monkey]

There is a growing number of youngsters who have NO intention of ever learing to drive, my son and some of his mates fall into that category. I envy them in some ways, but always having had a car i (personally) couldnt and wouldnt do without one.

There's that, but there's also people like my former next door neighbours, who had five cars at last count (one for every member of the family of driving age, plus a taxi that the pater familias earned his living with).

On our road (which has very little off street parking) we're the only family with one car.

 

[Vikeonabike]

Its the money spent on petrol that bugs me. £15 a week...sometimes i need more, mostly i dont even need that, particually in the winter. I know loads of people that put in £30 a week...and more. I'd be heartbroken.

It used to cost me £60 a week in fuel before I started commuting by bike. My family couldn't get by without one and even now, only having one car can cause problems. This winter I intend to downgrade the family car to something smaller for Mrs Vikes journey into work and get a big old 4x4 for family holidays, re-enacting weekends etc.

 

[Globalti]

Mrs Gti has a Citroen C1 diesel that does 66 mpg and the road tax is now £25 a year. She fills the tank every 6 weeks or so.

I have a company car. 'Nuff said.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I've got a twelve year old BMW (is it a 318 or 319? I'm not very interested in cars). I have to have a car because although I only live about 12 miles from work - well cycleable you would think - the fact that work lies 200 metres higher than where I live means that I just don't have the time to cycle in. If the arrangement were the other way around I would probably hardly use the car.

 

[XmisterIS]

I have a car, but I find driving to be deathly boring. It is a workhorse and nothing else; it's great for filling with shopping and I can fit 3.5m of timber in it.

For shortish local journeys I much prefer to use my bike, and for longer journeys I much prefer my motorbike. By comparison, my car is a pain the arse! I can't park it in cities without paying astronomical parking charges and often I have to drive round for ages to find a parking space. Conversely, the motorbike and bicycle both park for free and I can park them pretty much anywhere. Plus I get eye-watering acceleration from my motorbike for the same fuel consumption as a Nissan Micra! Why on earth would I want a "performance" car?!

One thing I love is cycling/biking past sports cars worth several thousand pounds which are stuck in traffic jams!

 

[beancounter]

I do have a car but I don't use it very much. We use the wife's more economical Mini for running around in and I usually get to work by cycle or motorbike.

It's still nice to use on the odd occasion, for instance ferrying elderly family around.

Here t'is...

bc

 

[HeyWayne]

I have a car, and I sometimes use it to carry our bikes.

Alas, it's not the car I had - which I used to love. The current incarnation is a family vehicle, diesel, estate, practical.

 

[Mark_Robson]

I would find life pretty difficult without a car. Having two kids means that I'm a dad taxi and public transport where I live is scarce and blooming expensive.
And I'll put my hand up and admit that I'm a fair weather commuter who still enjoys the comfort of a metal box.

 

[brokenbetty]

The last year I owned a car, I used it so little I worked out it had cost me £50 a mile

And that's with no depreciation either.

 

[mark barker]

I got rid of my cars 18 months ago, and as a petrol head that was a really hard thing to do! Have I missed them? Absolutely.... But I'm sure the gains have far outweighed the losses. Aside from the financial gains, my family is now much more active than ever before (I have 3 daughters, aged 3, 5 & 9).

I still have my old trackday car sat in the garage (couldn't bring myself to saying goodbye to that one!), and maybe it'll hit the track again one day, but right now I'm happy with my trike and trailer!

 

[tyred]

I love cars and driving and wouldn't be without one.

 

[Team Fiwip]

Why is it unlucky if I don't want to own a car but prefer cycling?

I really dont understand this...I get this time and time again via my work colleagues...I should get a car...I ask why?
Don't want one.

Yes I can manage and yes I understand why people need cars.

We were even talking about this today.

Car orientated society.(or so it seems)

I share similar sentiments, last year I toyed with the idea of buying a car then concluded it wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t as much that I didn’t want one, it was more that I didn’t need one. Two wheels, public transport, online shopping and walking are quite adequate for my needs. I suppose I’m an advocate of the principle that the simplest solution is usually the correct one.

 

[swee'pea99]

Have a 14 year old Golf estate - bulletproof old workhorse that's a reliable runaround for Saisbury's 'n that, swallows up all the kit when we go camping and gets us down the west country two or three times a year to see the in-laws. Couldn't really get by without it - and I do enjoy driving occasionally.