Anyone ever made the decision to go down to one car?

jay1181

My wife had a bump a few weeks ago and thats resulted in us having only one car (well lets call it a car don't want start another txt war) and boy is it hard.

I work away thanks to business interests and we live in a remote location. We do have access to other cars but they are insured only for our farm fields so (no tax or mot).

I would advise keeping 2 cars but try and go for ones that you could afford to repair quickly if needed. But that's just me.

Unless you have hefty savings to relie on taxis or a hire car for when things go wrong usually having two cars (as long as the running cost are affordable) is the better option.

gabitzul

Ok, what I would do:

The Nissan: hand it back, it has costed you enough leasing it already.
The Mini: keep it as a 2nd car if you like although is very small but still has running costs of a large premium vehicle. I would sell it.

Buy a nice family hatchback (Focus, Civic etc, estate flavour if more space needed) and a small city car like the mentioned Panda, or C1/Aygo/Pug 107 or whatever).

This way you remove one/two expensive liabilities from your life and gain the use of one/two cheap to run cars.

If you must have mobility during winter/heavy snow, buy all-season (compromise solution but only one set of rubber needed) or separate winter tyres for them.

Spidernick

Am I the only one who finds it incredibly sad that we live in a society where the assumption is that families will have (at least) two cars? If nothing else this is a website dedicated to saving money, yet cars are really expensive to run and maintain, so why double the problem?

I would argue that for most people living only a couple of miles or so from their work, a car is far from essential and is something of a cash cow. Obviously that doesn't fit with everyone, especially if there are kids needing to be dropped in one direction and work is the other direction, but even then most kids will go to school within walking distance of their home. Personally I would walk or cycle that distance, which has all the advantages bar a slight saving of time by driving, and even that is not guaranteed.

Each to their own, but the theme of this thread is depressing, as I say.

Iceweasel

I agree completely - which is why I asked if there was any particular reason that the OP was considering a vehicle which had the power of the engine transmitted to all of it's wheels.

mjoneseyjones

If you agree that two cars are flat out unnecessary, why would it matter what type of second car the person wants? You're talking garbage trying to justify your boring, self righteous pedantry.

You really are a card.

Iceweasel

mjoneseyjones wrote: »

If you agree that two cars are flat out unnecessary, why would it matter what type of second car the person wants? You're talking garbage trying to justify your boring, self righteous pedantry.

You really are a card.

Second car?

Rather than spout venom at me and personal abuse at other posters you might do better if you actually read the OP's first post.

He was considering having only one car instead of two and sought advice as to what might be suitable.

Did you even read the thread title?

Obviously not.

Typical argumentative troll.

JustinR1979

mjoneseyjones wrote: »

If you agree that two cars are flat out unnecessary, why would it matter what type of second car the person wants? You're talking garbage trying to justify your boring, self righteous pedantry.

You really are a card.

What's boring is your predictable replies, same crap aimed at same people, over and over.

trailingspouse

Well anyway -

if you decide to stick with 2 cars, it might be worth considering two different types - eg estate car and small runabout, or people carrier and something sporty.

We only had the one car when my children were little, and it was a nightmare - always having to wait to be picked up, having to arrange our days around who needed the car. If I had my time over again, I would definitely have had two cars.