[Hemant_Joshi]

I regularly use both my Car and my Vespa,
I take my Car for my Office Commute and any drives longer than 4/5 kms, for other, I use my Vespa.
My office commute is about 300 KMS/ month,, I do work from Home for a day or 2 every week,,
I think, using a car only for all your run arounds is a pain, more time, traffic, parking etc,
A 2 wheeler is still very much better for shorter runs, weather permitting..

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

And for all other journeys, if I know I am going to an area where parking is a hassle, I use disposable transport (Uber, OLA, Autorikshaw). In all other cases, I use my own car.

I know the practical solution of OLA/Uber. But every time I decide on calling one, I realize I can cover the distance in my own car at 40-50% lesser price and then take my car (I regret later due to frustration ). Secondly, the ease of own conveyance is stopping anywhere I feel like and then start again at will.

Originally Posted by pganapathy

I do understand how difficult it is to get to places where parking is a pain. Sometimes I even choose my locations for shopping etc based on parking.
My decision to use the car was based on the logic "I would rather put a dent in the car than in my body"

Even I feel vulnerable now whenever I ride a bike or ride pillion. My parents still insist on getting a scooter but I never felt worth spending 70k for something which I would use may be 100 kms per month. Thus, I putting it off till now.

[IshaanIan]

Being from Hyderabad myself, I can tell you that driving a car all the time, was never an issue for me. Traffic in Hyderabad is not at all that bad, roads are pretty predictable and even parking was never a huge issue. After coming to Bangalore for college, I stopped driving so much. Mind you I was the kind of guy that swore by manual petrol car willing to take the poor low-end torque, lack of automatic in traffic for those rare moments when you can hit the sweet spot But after seeing how bad roads can get in Bangalore (even brand new ones), and how bad traffic can be on a daily basis, how difficult it is to find parking, I started using Uber most of the time, now I learnt how to ride a bike and there has been no looking back. Even in bad weather, I simply love hopping on my bike and taking it out, heat and committed riding position be dammed (RC390). Bikes are so much fun and get you where you want to be so much quicker too.

So for me it goes like this:
Bike most of the time
Uber when I'm going to drink in the city
Car when I'm either too tired to ride the bike or I absolutely need to stay fresh (no dirt on my clothes, dulling of my perfume, bad hair or sweat in my knees) and I still prefer road trips in a car.

[Skyline_GT]

For transportation in and around our locality my family has strictly restricted me to our Scooty. Dropping every family member to railway station and back home or daily errands we have been using our trusted Scooty since past 12 years. To the point my family rarely uses public transport anymore. Although i have had my share of broken bones and fingers riding but i still prefer it over my car. One of the main reasons being lack of parking facilities. Taking a car for groceries and shopping becomes cumbersome since major part of time gets wasted in finding a place to park. Then there's always a fear of someone scratching onto the car or being towed away.

[fine69]

Well I am lucky enough to have a father who made all sorts of excuses to delay my bike purchase until one day when I put my foot down and so did he, when he said that I'll never EVER get a two-wheeler in a city like Delhi.

Now when I think about it, one of the best decisions he made for me.

I have a Swift as my only mode of transport. I always used to think what if I get into an accident and have to leave my only mode of transport in a workshop for a few days. What if it gets stolen? What if.....?

Well the worry lasted until the likes of Uber & Ola didn't exist. With such cab services I don't really worry about days if my car stops working for some reason. In fact the 3 days in the coming fortnight when I wouldn't be able to take my car out (thanks to the odd-even nuisance) I would be relying on Uber/Ola to ferry me to office and back.

I think a car like Duster makes perfect sense to have if you decide to own just one car. If its AWD then its almost perfect for city as well as any kind of out of city travel to mountains, dunes and what not.

Now coming to another aspect of owning a car & a 2-wheeler for convenience sake. My father-in-law is a big businessman who owns several shops in Old Delhi. While he can afford a 1Cr car he has chosen to commute via his scooter from East Delhi. Last Saturday a car hit him from behind and he's left with 3 broken ribs and deep wounds on his leg and hands.

To add to his woes, my brother-in-law is getting married in the next 2 weeks and he'd have to attend all functions on a wheelchair, where's the fun in that? He chose to travel via a 2-wheeler as that makes perfect sense for the narrow streets of Old Delhi. Though I personally think that the risk a 2-wheeler brings is far too much to even consider it if one can afford to spend a little more money and commute via car or cabs.

To me, choosing a 2-wheeler over a car simply due to high expenses isn't a very wise decision.

[Amit_breakfree]

In my opinion, both have their separate pros and cons. One can't use a bike 100% of the times and similarly one can't use a car 100% of the time.

Having both car and bike at your disposal is a very unique thing which is not the case with everyone out there, and one has to choose between either one of them. Especially for people like us living away from family in a different city, it becomes difficult to maintain two vehicles at once.

Scooters are a good option but once you have the habit of riding bike, it gets very difficult to ride a scooter. I am more scared in riding a scooter than a superbike because I don't feel confident on a scooter.

Ideally one can use a bike for shorter distance and neighborhood run-about and use a car for longer distances. If there's no option then will have to do with whatever option we have in our hands.

I used to solely ride a bike earlier and will not shift to solely driving in a couple of months but I'll surely try to get my bike transported so that I can use it atleast for shorter distance.

Thanks.

[parik_ind]

Till a few months ago I would use my bike during the week and the car during the weekends, even if I was the only one going out. But the last 3 months have been different, I solely use the bike unless the family has to go out. I find it much more convenient to get around Bangalore and also I dont need to worry about parking, most of the time. It is obviously cheaper to use the bike over a car.

If I need to get around for work I use a ride sharing app, mainly because I can bill it to the company and also turn up a little fresh for my meetings .

Unfortunately, this poses a dilemma - we own 2 cars (SX4 and Ritz) and 2 bikes (TB500 and Scooty). Since both my wife and I prefer our bikes (she even hates using an Ola or Uber), the cars are rarely used. In fact I rotate usage of the cars every month but clearly not enough miles are being crunched. Even if when we drive out of town we end up using the SX4 because of the boot space. Currently selling one of the cars is not an option.

Parikshith

[swiftdiesel]

My car (Lodgy) is my primary ride. Always been a car guy and never took to biking except for a few years in college out of necessity. Also, the heat and traffic in Chennai and my dislike for bikes work against investing in a bike. Given the large dimensions of the Lodgy, planning to buy a "cheap as chips" battered second used car (Nano, Alto) for use in crowded areas with sparse parking. That way, I can also teach my wife to drive as I don't want to teach her on my expensive ride. Also, dings and bumps will be a non-issue for me in a used second car.

[adneeraj]

Very interesting question and even more interesting answers. Mostly on the same lines.
For me, I have a Fiesta and a Swift as 2 main transport modes for me. The Swift was mainly for my wife but she now seldom uses it. So I do have a backup car in case my Fiesta goes for a service
Unlike Delhi stories, I wasn't denied a bike. Had a CBZ but used that bike only for recreational purposes. But I got my first car pretty soon that way. Swift was what I got after a couple years in my job and I started using it as my primary mode. My Swift covered 75k kms in 6 yrs and my CBZ covered only 36k kms in 8 yrs. I hope that explains it.
The Fiesta came in only when my wife had to use a car when she was carrying. She used it only for that time though. Seldom touches it now, giving me options what to take to office!

For me, I grew fond of going around in the car like in a post it is mentioned - you can get to your destination comfortably, looking fresh. You just have to love driving unconditionally. No matter what the traffic condition is. Roll up your windows and turn on the music.
We do have 3 two wheelers at home too and I seldom use those. People are surprised if I'm spotted on a 2 wheeler. I do use them for smaller errands like fetching bread/milk or the ilk.

It's just the comfort level you achieve being in a car. All those reasons like not finding a parking spot or congested areas are just that.. reasons!
I usually drive to the nearest parking lot, park the car and take a cab from there (I stay a bit far from the city center). Just can't go away with the comfort your car provides.
My kid (a little over a year now) does not recognize a two wheeler as an acceptable mode of transport and refuses to be on one

Just get used to it. Traffic does not matter. There are too many pluses you cannot ignore. Safety being one of the biggest ones.

[shankar.balan]

We are a small family of just the two of us and our dogs and our home help.

We need only one car at any point in time, since both of us travel a lot and there are other comforts like Work From Home and so on, available to us.

We did not want to increase our own carbon footprint and add to the traffic chaos of Bangalore by owning 2 vehicles. Complete waste for us.

If the primary/ only vehicle has gone to the garage or for servicing we just use UBER.

I think one first class car is more than enough for an use case such as ours.

We did have 2 cars at one time, some years ago but realising what I have outlined above, I sold one vehicle and kept only one.

Then I changed from a large size to a smaller size though a much more feature loaded vehicle.

I intend to play the Quality game from now on, rather than the Quantity game!

[sudheeshnairs]

I like to drive always rather than hailing a cab or using public transport. I try to have alternate vehicle if my car is given for service. My primary mode of transport is my 4 year old Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI, in Bangalore. I had bought a Suzuki Swift also two years back which is kept in my home (locked) in Trivandrum. I spend a couple of days in Tvm once in 2 months or so and I prefer to have my own car rather than arranging a relative's car or cab.

I stopped using two wheeler from 2002 when I was in to my second year of work and bought my first car, a Tata Indica. From then I have not used two wheeler at all. I feel it is very dangerous in India to use two wheelers. I would not want my wife or daughter to ride a two wheeler either. Now I am about to buy another car, a premium hatch or compact SUV for wife & kid's use.

I like driving, or rather being in the car. It's like a second home for me. I dream, sleep, listen to music etc in the car. I have spent even up to 7 hours a day behind the wheel in the traffic choked streets/roads of Bangalore. My Skoda is my perfect companion in keeping me cocooned from the hustle & bustle, pollution, dirt & dust of Bangalore city roads.

[pamiboy]

Originally Posted by sudheeshnairs

I like driving, or rather being in the car. It's like a second home for me. I dream, sleep, listen to music etc in the car. I have spent even up to 7 hours a day behind the wheel in the traffic choked streets/roads of Bangalore. My Skoda is my perfect companion in keeping me cocooned from the hustle & bustle, pollution, dirt & dust of Bangalore city roads.

Congratulations. You sound like the rest of 99% of world population (me included). Ha ha.
Jokes apart, I agree that two wheelers are very dangerous to ride in India. Several people I know including some of my friends have died in two wheeler accidents.

[aveemashfaq]

I am in such a unique situation quite opposite to most of you. I had an old Kawasaki KB100 inherited from my father which I swore that I would ride till the end, park beside my grave and then die. But I bit the pill of familial love and murdered the bike to make it an ATV for use in our mango garden. The whole process is well-documented on this site itself.

And then, for a year, I had my two legs that took me even 3 kms away to fetch groceries for my mum. The looks that people gave me when I was walking on a rather empty and wide 4 lane road in an area devoid of shops thinking if I was mentally retarded to walk such a distance was truly embarrassing. BTW, I am a fair coloured muslim from south so naturally people assume that I am uber rich and have relatives in saudi, so not having a vehicle is out of question for them. Even my barber asked me why I don't bring my bike. The imam of mosque also asked me why I wont ride to the masjid and instead walk and be all sweaty. I would happily walk but these reasons embarrass me a lot.

And so, I used to take dad's bike in the mornings before he went to office or at night when he came back. I asked dad that I would drive our car to places but my dad thinks that I am trying to create a bubble of false prestige and luxury around me and so refused it. He used to ask me to drop him in the office on the bike, bring it back home, do my work and then pick him up in the evening. I did not mind that but the irritating thing was his timings. I sometimes forget to pick him up and call him late, sometimes he decides to stay late, sometimes he asks his agent a lift back home. All the guilt associated with discomforting dad killed me. He is an officer for god's sake and he asks one of his agents to give him a lift home because he lent the only bike in the house to his son. In my mind the agents are thinking "How poor must the officer be to not be able to afford another bike or how "khadoos" he should be to not allow his son the liberty of a bike". But my dad just does not get it that even an unemployed son will not be sitting at home months upon months. Just to clarify, I am not unemployed by choice, but my parents want me to have a govt job and I asked them that I would do a private job as an engineer in a city until I get one but he point blank refused it. According to him, I should be happy and thankful that I am sitting at home with all the amenities in luxury preparing for exams whereas he does not realize how miserable I feel with the tag of unemployed and friends, relatives and fellow colony people assuming that I am so incompetent that I cannot even get a job. And how can I tell them that I rejected 4 job offers that I got from internet job portals without sounding show-offy.

And finally the car we own, a 1995 Maruti 800 was too old and rust started showing up that we bought a used Hyundai Getz. Even that is a long story as dad bought a flood damaged car and gave me the responsibility of pouring sanjeevani into it and bringing it back home because I was a mechanical enngineer. All of restoration is documented on this site. And in the process of restoring Getz, after looking at the gremlins of modern car, mom was convinced to have something simple and mechanical and so we did not sell the M800. But the rusting car needed restoration and so I did it (I have just finished restoration and will be posting about it soon). And obviously, the car cannot be sitting idle so now, it is my ride to get stuff from here and there.

And that is why I drive a car as my primary and only ride. And I agree, a car is not as friendly as a bike in the crowded places. But it is a M800 and it will squeeze past by any gap wide enough for an overcrowded auto. So, no problems with driving it. And as much as I hate it, I admit that I am one of those people who use horn like a switch, leave it on for sometime if a slow vehicle does not give way on a fast road.

Parking is an issue at times but I just have to park it a block away in some small lane. I can walk the distance. After using it for a while, I have started to appreciate the secure feeling inside a car and how you can stand near a U-turn without any bus/auto bullying you as they go so fast so close to you etc. And protection from heat, safety in a crash/scratch because maniac drivers on suicide missions often overtake even if you are in opposite lane. If you are in a car, you can honk and be relatively carefree that max, you have to repair bumpers whereas on a bike, you have to get your skin repaired and a lot of pain.

Originally Posted by ashis89

I know the practical solution of OLA/Uber. But every time I decide on calling one, I realize I can cover the distance in my own car at 40-50% lesser price and then take my car (I regret later due to frustration ). Secondly, the ease of own conveyance is stopping anywhere I feel like and then start again at will.

Even I feel vulnerable now whenever I ride a bike or ride pillion. My parents still insist on getting a scooter but I never felt worth spending 70k for something which I would use may be 100 kms per month. Thus, I putting it off till now.

I agree with you and understand the feeling. I used to feel the same when I was in my college that pure economics dictate that buying a used bike and travelling on it and taking a cab level out to the same cost in four years.

I feel miserable when I have to come out, wait for a cab to arrive, point him out to the exact spot or keep finding him in the concrete and metal jungle. What is worse, my dad is so lazy that even when I came home after 21 hour journey from college (NIT nagpur to gulbarga), he used to ask me to take an auto home. After 21 hours of non-stop journey changing a train and a bus, bargaining with an auto, getting home with luggage in a town with no traffic jams and only 2 kms of distance just because dad wanted to stretch his legs was annoying.

After all, the motor vehicle became popular for the independence and the flexibility it offered the consumers.

Originally Posted by sudheeshnairs

I like to drive always rather than hailing a cab or using public transport. I try to have alternate vehicle if my car is given for service. My primary mode of transport is my 4 year old Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI, in Bangalore. I had bought a Suzuki Swift also two years back which is kept in my home (locked) in Trivandrum. I spend a couple of days in Tvm once in 2 months or so and I prefer to have my own car rather than arranging a relative's car or cab.

I stopped using two wheeler from 2002 when I was in to my second year of work and bought my first car, a Tata Indica. From then I have not used two wheeler at all. I feel it is very dangerous in India to use two wheelers. I would not want my wife or daughter to ride a two wheeler either. Now I am about to buy another car, a premium hatch or compact SUV for wife & kid's use.

I like driving, or rather being in the car. It's like a second home for me. I dream, sleep, listen to music etc in the car. I have spent even up to 7 hours a day behind the wheel in the traffic choked streets/roads of Bangalore. My Skoda is my perfect companion in keeping me cocooned from the hustle & bustle, pollution, dirt & dust of Bangalore city roads.

You seem to symoblize the bumper sticker "Live to Drive". Agreed with you.

Originally Posted by pamiboy

Congratulations. You sound like the rest of 99% of world population (me included). Ha ha.
Jokes apart, I agree that two wheelers are very dangerous to ride in India. Several people I know including some of my friends have died in two wheeler accidents.

Yup. Two wheelers are indeed very dangerous. My aunt passed away in November 2015 when she jumped a tractor with a trailer carrying sand in Kakinada when she was crossing the road on scooty. The tractor slammed the brakes with over-reaction to the situation. The tractor spun left and trampled my aunt dead. I later found out that it was partially the tractor's fault when I was enlightened that the tractor has independent wheel braking and these tractor drivers wantedly overtighten the left brake so that in emergency braking, it swerves to the left because traffic is usually to the right.

So, yes, because there are fools who setup their tractor wrongly and because mistakes happen in life, it is better to be safe than sorry. So, a car for me is a good idea.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

We did not want to increase our own carbon footprint and add to the traffic chaos of Bangalore by owning 2 vehicles. Complete waste for us.

As long as you are driving only one car at a time, you won't be adding to the carbon footprint.

Then I changed from a large size to a smaller size though a much more feature loaded vehicle.

I intend to play the Quality game from now on, rather than the Quantity game!

That's a good strategy. Hope the Skoda never fails you.

Originally Posted by sudheeshnairs

I like driving, or rather being in the car. It's like a second home for me. I dream, sleep, listen to music etc in the car. I have spent even up to 7 hours a day behind the wheel in the traffic choked streets/roads of Bangalore. My Skoda is my perfect companion in keeping me cocooned from the hustle & bustle, pollution, dirt & dust of Bangalore city roads.

Even I have driven upto 200+ kms right within Hyderabad city in a single day. I love driving and as already stated, I'm addicted to arriving fresh even for a casual weekend outing. But there are days and then, there are places which just feel too much for a car.

Originally Posted by aveemashfaq

I am in such a unique situation quite opposite to most of you. I had an old Kawasaki KB100 inherited from my father which I swore that I would ride till the end, park beside my grave and then die. But I bit the pill of familial love and murdered the bike to make it an ATV for use in our mango garden. The whole process is well-documented on this site itself.

I was an avid biker myself. I have ridden up to 700kms in a day and enjoyed each and every moment on my ride. Here is a link to the ownership report:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...it-sold-7.html

And then, for a year, I had my two legs that took me even 3 kms away to fetch groceries for my mum. The looks that people gave me when I was walking on a rather empty and wide 4 lane road in an area devoid of shops thinking if I was mentally retarded to walk such a distance was truly embarrassing.

Walking is never bad. Just because people stare at you doesn't mean you are doing something wrong. Drive in a Jaguar into your locality and even then, people will stare. Enjoy their attention and enjoy your walk.

BTW, I love walking. I walk down for all my needs which are nearby. Over the weekends, I go for long walks (7 to 15 kms depending upon my mood). I have walked down a highway for 13 kms just for the heck of it. I just ignored the stare, concentrated on the road and the slow music playing in my earphones (they work wonders to keep you engaged, just keep the volume low to hear the road noise).

.....rejected 4 job offers that I got from internet job portals without sounding show-offy.

Off-topic:
Parents have their own way of thinking and most of the times, they are right. So, it's better you concentrate on your preparations. Regarding borrowing father's bike, been there done that, during my college days. Even he used to take lifts or call me to come pick him up. Even I used to feel guilty at times. In the end, they are our parents and we are their children. If we can understand each others' wishes and feelings then we are good. We shouldn't worry much about what others think.

And finally the car we own, a 1995 Maruti 800 was too old and rust started showing up that we bought a used Hyundai Getz. Even that is a long story as ...

I have read both your threads and loved them. Looking forward to the 800 thread as our first car was 800 too. Owned it for 13 years before dad decided it was too old and sold it off. I had requested him a lot to give it to me so that I could use it as beater car (I just joined my first job then) but he offered to buy me a new car instead.

I agree with you and understand the feeling. I used to feel the same when I was in my college that pure economics dictate that buying a used bike and travelling on it and taking a cab level out to the same cost in four years.

Money was never a concern when I put up this thread. It was more about the convenience (or rather inconvenience of choosing not to have a back-up 2-wheeler) and the practicality of having a car to meet any kind of transport needs.

[Ajitsingh208]

My daily Office commute is around 10 kms one side and my vehicle depends upon the time I leave, Before 9 AM I take my Standard 500, after 9 there's a massive traffic jam at university circle in Pune so I prefer wife's vespa. In case if i leave post 11 AM then I take my Safari as it gets really hot.
For traveling to other parts of Pune during peak traffic I prefer my Bullet, Safari stays parked for most days and is taken out for journeys >60 kms.