Get another car for the station run or get 10 taxis a week ?

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I need to get to the train station each day and then get home after work. I have two viable options, either to buy a second car or have a taxi pick me up each day and take me home again.

The car costs whatever it would cost to buy plus £900 a year station car parking, roughly £500 insurance, £150 or so tax and suffer the depreciation and cough up for the fuel and servicing. Outside of this commute there would be perhaps 10 times a year when we would both need a car and utilise more than one at a time.

Taxis would be around £5 per trip so about £50 a week and at 48 weeks a year, that would be a guaranteed £2500 or so.

The worry about going down the taxi route is that they won't show up on time every day which could mean a missed train or simply that they arrive early and I feel pressured to meet their time, leaving me standing on a cold train platform for longer than I want.

Bangernomics is not really an option but I don't think a new car is either. It would have to be an automatic as well.

What do you think / would you do ?

Kilty_2

Small cheap supermini on PCP ? Don't know how much you'd pay for an auto but I pay £75 pcm for my manual Picanto.

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Kilty wrote: »

Small cheap supermini on PCP ? Don't know how much you'd pay for an auto but I pay £75 pcm for my manual Picanto.

Sorry, I should have said no contracts. If a car, outright purchase only.

I sat in an Hyundai i10 and I couldn't drive that if I had to. Far too small.

Kilty_2

What size of car would you need as a minimum then?

How far away is the station?

[Deleted User]

Can't be far if the Taxi is £5.

Just get a small cheap runaround. Saxo/106/Micra, etc.

angel00079

Not sure how far the journey is so may be a daft question. Are you likely to walk to the station when the weather is nice?

Personally if the car is only used for commute (plus a few journeys a year) it would make me question if it is needed. On the other hand I see what you mean about relying on Taxis, do you know how reliable they are?

Do you know anyone that is going to the station that you could get a lift with?

I think I would ask myself which option would be the least stressful. Personally I like driving, some people don't. What do you think would cause you the most stress, relying on a taxi or possibly driving through rush hour traffic (this is an assumption on my part as to the time of day)?

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Kilty wrote: »

What size of car would you need as a minimum then?

How far away is the station?

Don't need a large car, just that the supermini tin can does nothing for me. Maybe a Fiesta would do it ? We currently have an Astra which is a great motor.

Station is a couple of miles away but up hill and down vale so a rather strenuous walk and not something I'd consider before an hour plus commute.

jungle_jane

I drive to the station - 4 miles - every day at a cost of £6 parking a day. I considered a bicycle (too much added time to my journey) and have tried out busses...the end result is that we are moving within walking distance of the station to get around the problem

The issue with driving is that i sometimes like to stop off after work and have a drink - that means i can't drive. The cost is prohibitive and i hate leaving my car in a public car spot all day. The downside with taxis is waiting for them, no shows and needing to pay them each journey.

None of these work for me - hence our decision to move. Now we just need to find a decent new home lol

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Deleted_User wrote: »

Can't be far if the Taxi is £5.

Just get a small cheap runaround. Saxo/106/Micra, etc.

So what is your logic ? MPG is immaterial, insurance for any car is going to be about the same as no NCB, tax is less on a small car for sure.

Are you thinking about new or second hand ? I know next to nothing ab out cars and would have to buy from a dealer with warranty (not some after market bolt on either).

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angel00079 wrote: »

Not sure how far the journey is so may be a daft question. Are you likely to walk to the station when the weather is nice?

Personally if the car is only used for commute (plus a few journeys a year) it would make me question if it is needed. On the other hand I see what you mean about relying on Taxis, do you know how reliable they are?

Do you know anyone that is going to the station that you could get a lift with?

I think I would ask myself which option would be the least stressful. Personally I like driving, some people don't. What do you think would cause you the most stress, relying on a taxi or possibly driving through rush hour traffic (this is an assumption on my part as to the time of day)?

It is needed as I need to go to work

I've tried taxis from all companies and most of the time they are fine but sometimes they are late and they try to fit in too many jobs, meaning that delays become compounded.

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jungle_jane wrote: »

I drive to the station - 4 miles - every day at a cost of £6 parking a day. I considered a bicycle (too much added time to my journey) and have tried out busses...the end result is that we are moving within walking distance of the station to get around the problem

The issue with driving is that i sometimes like to stop off after work and have a drink - that means i can't drive. The cost is prohibitive and i hate leaving my car in a public car spot all day. The downside with taxis is waiting for them, no shows and needing to pay them each journey.

None of these work for me - hence our decision to move. Now we just need to find a decent new home lol

Strangely my parking would be £6 per day or £900 a year (not sure about monthly). We don't have buses. I may also fancy a pint after work on a Friday and yet I'd be stuffed with the car as you describe.

I also thought about moving but we have large open spaces right out the front door and moving near to the station would mean a hell of a compromise. It is an option but to be viable, it would have to be be very near, near enough to walk in snow and hard rain.

Also with taxis, though I could get a contract and pay each week or month, I would have to phone every day and tell them what time I was coming back. Even that is just another nail in their coffin I think.