[sharatravan]

I grew up in the company township of a small town with well-maintained, wide roads and with no parking or traffic woes. As a result, I ended up learning to ride and drive at a very young age and I've had my share of fun both on 2 and 4-wheelers, until I had to leave these comforts behind for further studies. I'm now hitting 30.

I love automobiles. So much so, that during my PG days, dreaming about my future rides/drives used to be one of my favorite past-times. An awesome 2/4 wheeler purchase was right up there on my bucket list of things to buy, once I graduated and started earning.

But once I relocated to Mumbai after my PG, everything changed. I hated the crowd, the traffic, the woes of the everyday commuter - I just didn't feel like taking that plunge that I always dreamed of. My office is a good 50km round trip and riding or driving myself in the thick of the traffic just didn't cut it for me. Had I taken that step, I'm sure the enthusiast inside me would be resting in peace by now. I normally take Ola/Uber and on days when these cabs are in short supply, I take an Auto.

However, the auto-lover in me just couldn't sit idle and I ended up buying a Duke 390. I thought that a two wheeler might make everyday commuting relatively easier, while also satisfying my urge to hit the roads. But in the pollution, chaos, heat and general traffic of Mumbai, even this becomes difficult. I now alternate between riding and Ola/Uber, with proper rides getting reserved to outside Mumbai over the weekends.

I believe that people would still prefer their own vehicles in Tier 2 cities/rural areas, where the public transport infrastructure is limited to non-existent, and these should be the ideal targets for automobile manufacturers. But in cities like Bangalore and Mumbai(and other growing urban settlements), my generation has already started to lose interest in owning vehicles. In fact, a very small percentage of my batch mates actually have their own vehicle, despite being in very comfortable positions to own one. They prefer renting an Ola/Uber or Zoomcar to buying a new car or a bike. Also, the types of jobs these days which have frequent travel and relocation, is the final nail in the coffin of automobile ownership.

[aniyo]

I have people working in my office in their early 30's with more than almost 1.5L/month salary and not one has a car. They just take Uber and Ola and don't want to put their head to driving.

Even i have been pushing my next car purchase for almost 1.5 years now. My wife is adamant that Brio is best for Bangalore traffic.
Even I have started using the cab more often.

I feel the road condition and driving causes much of the traffic Jam and stress on road more than the volume alone. I think our cities can take few more cars if we had good quality roads, driving sense and law enforcement.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by aniyo

I have people working in my office in their early 30's with more than almost 1.5L/month salary and not one has a car. They just take Uber and Ola and don't want to put their head to driving.

Agree, young professionals like my high-earning nieces and nephews (single/married) are simply not buying a car outright or are buying smaller (than expected) vehicles or not moving up the 'prestige chain' by replacing their existing first vehicles.

Ola / Uber / Zoomcar etc have totally changed the market dynamics in terms of the sheer availability of vehicles for all purposes:
1. Evening out - Ola/Uber sedans or SUVs and max a 4 hour rental. This is especially true with the rigorous drink-driving checks after dusk on Fridays and weekends.
2. Romantic weekend drive - Zoomcar i20 going upto A-Class etc.
3. Friends weekend drive - Zoomcar Scorpio/Hexa going upto Fortuner etc.

Parking: Parking is hell in most cities especially in the entertainment districts or business hearts

As a result, high earning youngsters are buying at most fully loaded Polo GT TSi or i20 types rather than splurge on a bigger Octavia or XUV5OO etc.

[kjayant]

Well I think, buying cars and homes to large extent is going to stay a trend atleast for millennials.

Multiple reasons:

1. It's very difficult to put an exact tangible financial value to either convenience or peace of mind. Nothing offers you greater peace and comfort when you have a personal ride parked to take care of emergencies like ailing parents or pregnant wife. When my wife was to deliver, my doctor suggested us to not rely on ambulance or cabs when we thought it was time, just zip to the hospital in personal car.

2. Value of those precious 5 minutes. These days I am on a 100 Km daily drive, all for employment. The arithmetic is simple, if I delay my start my 5 mins in the morning, I hit my office 15 mins late, if I delay by 10, then I hit the office atleast 30 -35 mins later. I tried Ubering initially but even when I booked the ride in time, I would never be able to somehow start in time - driver refusals, coordination issues so on and so forth. Add to it the unfamiliar milieu of a rented cab, sometimes dirty, sometimes smelly, jarring music; all these variables came together to somehow ruin my morning. These days I am kind of velocitised, I start in time, hit work in time and much less hassled on most days.

I can go on rambling in similar vein on staying in owned houses, rather homes.

20 years down the line, I can see the equation changing. Much improved infra, people absolutely in sync with fast, mutually-cooperative-urban way of life.

For now, in the current decade we are still at early adopters and this phase is typically accompanied with lota of bells and whistles.

My verdict: Ownership is going to stay her for a while.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

While I appreciate all your views on this matter, we've to remember is that most of us here are the educated middle class. We belong to the 2% of the country's population that pays taxes. Some of us live in densely populated urban areas (Bangalore, Delhi) and maybe some of us don't live in a jam-packed metro city.
The reality is that the number of people who can think of affording a car is still very low. This is a case of social inequality- people aren't able to afford cars. On the whole, India's auto market has a potential for growth. Will it grow rapidly? I don't think so. Also, our weather is pretty moderate that people using two-wheelers isn't unfeasible.
For your reference: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/a...ver-be-closed/

An eminently sensible point of view and I agree. The one thing to look out for is that 2% you have mentioned! As the country heads bravely into the nascent prosperity stage (not too far behind China) that 2% is likely to grow rapidly. Even at present, the craving for multiple cars in a family is so strong that used car sales have rocketed (with small hatches leading the brigade!) and, almost overnight, a quiet leafy lane (in my tier-II home town) turns into a public parking lot all along the grass verges on both sides - because the closely packed houses have not provided adequate parking space.

But I suspect that long before that sardine-can stage becomes endemic, our circumstances (air pollution & diminishing fossil-fuel reserves together with inner-city congestion) will have forced the advent of sustainable energy driven transport solutions. And we will look back with nostalgia to the days of large SUVs (the Scorpio being my current weakness) and svelte sedans.

[baahubali]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Traffic congestion and parking issues do not worry me that much, but the 10 year rule for diesels and the imminent advent of electric and autonomous vehicles are the main reasons for me to slowly lose interest in buying new vehicles

Traffic and congestion _/\_ the infra in our country is in pathetic state. To some extent I believe its our fault on voting for illiterate politicians and this is what we have come to.

I believe electric and autonomous vehicles in India are not even there in the distant horizon as of now. The adoption will first happen for 2 wheelers. Brands like Hero, Okinawa, Ather etc will probably see the growth in about 4-5 yrs down the line. 4 wheeler and transport vehicles have not moved to electric even in China and western developed nations, we my friend have at least 20-25yrs more before new buyers start preferring EVs. If you are in India, dont worry about buying and running an IC engine for another 20yrs, go for it

Traffic problems can be reduced to an extent if every organization is required to provided buses for their employees to commute, its a win win for everyone. Employees come on time, leave on time, lesser private vehicles on road, employees need not worry about honking/road rage. Bangalore for instance has been planned to inefficiently that the only way out now is to shift the companies on ORR to outside the city limits and expand the city in every direction. Only a miracle can help now.

[Hayek]

I think we all have to admit that the Über Ola revolution will hit car sales badly. Almost everyone I know employs a driver for their daily commute. For most of these people, this personal driver is a very inefficiently utilised resource - he typically works from 830 am to 915 am (commute to work) and then 730 pm to 815 pm or later (commute home), and lounges around throughout the 10 - 12 hour work day for most executives. A number of my friends have therefore switched to using an Über at least one way. They still have personal cars, but the car either drops them at work and then goes home to ferry the kids, or comes in late in the evening to get them back home. In short, Über has at the very least replaced the second car for these folks. For the less affluent, Über can easily replace even the only car. Of course, Über is also replacing public transport - there are people I know who have shifted to Über from trains. Spin short, even as car sales drop, congestion on roads will continue to rise. But more efficient utilisation of resources(cars and drivers) is an unadulterated good, and should be welcomed.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by Hayek

For the less affluent, Über can easily replace even the only car. Of course, Über is also replacing public transport - there are people I know who have shifted to Über from trains.

I would go ahead and disagree with you on this - Uber / Ola can never replace a primary car.
Chiefly from the dependability point of view, and if you already have a car, it's about half as less costly to drive yourself than to take an Uber/Ola.

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by blackasta

I would go ahead and disagree with you on this - Uber / Ola can never replace a primary car.
Chiefly from the dependability point of view, and if you already have a car, it's about half as less costly to drive yourself than to take an Uber/Ola.

Not challenging your statement here but I have heard otherwise. When we combine EMI, fuel, insurance, maintenance, parking and accident repair all put together, the overall cost does shoot up.

A few years ago, some youngling in our company did the math and swore off buying a car. He showed me his Excel for the car that he wanted to purchase (I think it was an Ecosport) vs. costs of daily commute plus weekend trips using Zoomcar with 2-4 friends. The price differential was leaning quite a lot towards Uber than buying the car.

I think this all comes down to personal preference. Even if I have all the ability in the world to be driven around, I LIKE to drive. So, I buy a car. Now, whether I take that car out every day and add to the city's woes or if I am responsible enough to take my car out for a weekend fun trip is a different conversation.

While the Uber / Ola experiences are quickly improving (thanks to social media and tech), there's still a lot left to do from a user experience perspective.

[Nissan1180]

Somehow I feel this discussion is leaning towards the folks who live in big cities. In most small towns, buying a car is a sign of success. Uber or Ola are good for airport runs, not when you want to go somewhere on a busy night and expect instant convenience. Yes Uber is available, but that's never as convenient as driving your own car without worrying about a surge pricing.
I believe this blip is due to the macroeconomic factors India is getting assuaged by rather than a fundamental talk shift, at least now.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Nissan1180

Somehow I feel this discussion is leaning towards the folks who live in big cities. In most small towns, buying a car is a sign of success. Uber or Ola are good for airport runs, not when you want to go somewhere on a busy night and expect instant convenience.

Success/image/social standing apart.. I find that ONE car is way too essential for most people.. the rate of OLA/Uber nowadays in Bangalore is frighteningly high, I'd be paying close to Rs.400 for my usual daily trips (total km is hardly 12 but the surges at 9 am and 5 pm are insane). By driving my cost is barely Rs.100.

Come what may, we will continue to own ONE car.. any size, any spec, but one car. The Uber vehicles are all pathetic economy grade models like Etios and Dzire and most drivers refuse to put on the a.c, Rs.200 for a ride in those with a D-Segment car at home? No thanks. Have removed both the ride apps from my phone and hopefully for good.

[sensible_driver]

Yes the times are changing and I am also moving to office by Uber nearly half of month to avoid traffic, unruly drivers and then ensuing fights in Gurgaon. But when my car is parked in my office, there is less uncertainty in my mind for my travel.

Secondly I just cannot trust Ola \ Uber for my night travels specially with my family and night trips to airports. My wife still prefer Ola Auto over the Ola Car any day for the sense of security, if she is travelling alone.

So I think one should have one personal car at least for such out of city travels, odd hours and emergencies. For the talk of Electric Vehicles, the requisite infrastructure will take long time to be build in even metros. I have tried to give as many practical points which I am having, leaving aside all the heart related driving pleasures.

[shankar.balan]

In a crowded city like Bangalore I know a number of people who have simply opted out of car ownership. Some own cars, but those are mostly parked and used occasionally on weekends.
The Uberization and Olaization of transport has seen to this, as has another wonderful car pool app called quickride.
The main advantages in using these services are;
1. No worries about traffic stress
2. No driving related stress and tiredness
3. Can read the ET or something sitting in an Uber (like one of those big tycoons!)
4. No parking woes in the congested cities
5. No more EMI’s, Insurance, fuel and maintenance worries.
That said, if you’re an enthusiast like most of us are, we will own one or two cars just for our personal pleasure.

Originally Posted by Hayek

I think we all have to admit that the Über Ola revolution will hit car sales badly. Almost everyone I know employs a driver for their daily commute. For most of these people, this personal driver is a very inefficiently utilised resource - he typically works from 830 am to 915 am (commute to work) and then 730 pm to 815 pm or later (commute home), and lounges around throughout the 10 - 12 hour work day for most executives. A number of my friends have therefore switched to using an Über at least one way. They still have personal cars, but the car either drops them at work and then goes home to ferry the kids, or comes in late in the evening to get them back home. In short, Über has at the very least replaced the second car for these folks. For the less affluent, Über can easily replace even the only car. Of course, Über is also replacing public transport - there are people I know who have shifted to Über from trains. Spin short, even as car sales drop, congestion on roads will continue to rise. But more efficient utilisation of resources(cars and drivers) is an unadulterated good, and should be welcomed.

[sandx]

While we are on the topic. Quoting a few lines from a cnbc article. Pretty strong words but makes sense at the end. So a desire getting the better part of the mind than financial acumen.

"Nothing you will do in your lifetime, realistically, will waste more money than buying a new car," he tells CNBC Make It. "It's the single worst financial decision millennials will ever make."

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/11/davi...-decision.html

[5kmiles]

I won't ever trust Uber/Ola for my individual and family needs.

- Erratic rash drivers - many of them
- In Gurgaon, 1/5 is well-behaved and rest are ill-behaved on call and in-person. I lose my patience with them
- Potential criminal record of drivers
- Last minute random cancellations
- Overworked and harassed drivers - lack of rest

- Worn-out near-zero-groove tyres
- Worn out brake pads and discs
- Spurious parts for servicing
- Never-checked and serviced CNG kits

I own 2 cars. Driver quit recently and am still avoid using these cabs. Love the flexibility, control, and predictability. Value these more than the cost of owning the car. Loss of productivity in coordinating with the driver first thing in the morning is a very high price to pay for using the cab services.

Not everything can be measured from the financial lens. Too many wasteful expenses - each one has own categorization of the same.