[LordSharan]

Originally Posted by GTO

This one line sums it up.

If we had to live a need-based life, we'd all live in tiny houses, eat only simple home-cooked food (never eat out), use Rs. 5,000 basic phones and watch the news on 14" TVs. There's more to life than just having what you 'need'.

I think I would agree with GTO here. What the heck, it's just one life we get & its full of compromises. There only few passions that we can pursue.

If you don't own one now; you, being passionate towards driving might end up regretting your decision. That regret IMO, is the worst feeling to have in life.

I don't know if the electric powered cars would give that feeling or redlining a petrol engine or turbo kick of a diesel. If you can afford one, go for it. If you don't like being tied to one car- then renting self drives makes a lot of sense.

I'd wish you many happy years of mile munching ahead.

Mods: Seeing the opinion here is divided between yes/no, could we have a poll here?

[RohitChauhan10]

Hi Guys

I just love this thread and the one sided opinions, incidentally I have landed in the same position as the OP. Was making my office commutes(first job) using my brother's car when he was out of city, but now he is back and I am left with none so had to switch to uber.

Here are my two cents:
1. Flexibility - Zero flexibility if you use Ola/Uber as your primary. Soon, you will realise that the short lunch break outings to the nearby mall/mcdonalds will start costing a bomb and feel like a burden.

2. Uncertain & increased pricing - Two month into using uber, I have switched from individual cab to POOL cab and still paying double than what I used to a couple of months back.(Also consider increased prices since you will be travelling during rush hour)

3. Boring Rides- No matter how much traffic, we love to drive, don't we ? Sitting at the back of the cab will become the most boring part of the day

4. Pride of ownership- Nothing like owning your own asset which loves you no matter what

I believe net cost (cost of car - selling price of car) comes out to be a good number in most cases(unless you wreck the car). Go for it !!! ( I wish I could )

Rohit

[Waspune]

I dont like to weigh everything financially in life. Owning something and caring for it brings immense satisfaction which is the key to live a happy life. We are talking about a family member here not some distant relative

[shankar.balan]

Simply put, if I were you, I would probably opt for the Uber/ Ola option
Irrespective of anything, with Uber/OLA, your likely spend per day can be topped at say Rs 250-300.
Taking into account about 22 days of work + 8 days of weekends, you're looking at 9000 per month.
Compare with the cost of buying a car and maintenance and petrol and insurance and all the rest of it, you're not looking at much change left over from Rs 15K per month (for a nice hatchback type car).
Im thinking why spend that extra 6K if you don't need to?
Add to this the irritation of traffic, parking and all the rest of the woes that beset us motorists and there you have it.
Now go figure!

[DevilsCry]

Having lived in Pune myself for four years, I've a simple advice: Rent a car for 5 days (Monday-Friday). Zoomcar has a reasonable offer for the same. Then see if driving in Pune traffic twice a day and finding a parking spot for 5 days a week is irritating or not.

This experience will make your decision a lot easier.

[silverado]

Pune being your city, I would suggest you to go for a decent bike.
Buy a car if your parents needs it.

Else, get settled down in your job and eventually you should be in a position to buy car of your choice.
If there is an urge to buy a car and if you have like minded friends of same age, buy a second hand car in sharing.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by procrastinator

I miss that oomph in my life because I do not drive.
If I think to buy a car, it doesn't make any sense economically.

I think you should take the decision based on how much you can spend. It would be most ideal to try getting a used car to start of with. Save up some cash every month and buy a nice car a few years later, when you're welcoming a new member in your family.

Don't live your life calculating each penny on the excel sheet.

Originally Posted by GTO

T

That said, these services have certainly negated the need for the 2nd / 3rd / 4th car of the house.

There are quite a few bad experiences with Ola, Uber and Zoom. The services aren't hassle free.

Trusted Driver + Own car is best for senior citizens at home.

[Lil Mozart]

Go for it mate. I'd recommend you to go for a preowned car and there are great options under 4-5 lakhs which is sure to fulfill the enthusiast in you. As someone already pointed out, a car to us is like a family member and you care for it and it makes our daily routine lives a lot more interesting. The preowned market is on the rise and with some research and patience you'll find a good deal. You only live once so make the most out of it. Cheers!

[Anuruddhs]

Originally Posted by GTO

This one line sums it up.

If we had to live a need-based life, we'd all live in tiny houses, eat only simple home-cooked food (never eat out), use Rs. 5,000 basic phones and watch the news on 14" TVs.

There's more to life than just having what you 'need'. Going by your posts and the fact that you're on Team-BHP, you are obviously a car enthusiast. Go out and buy a car - car ownership provides immense satisfaction that's not matched by any rental service!

Of course, you need to ensure that your finances are in place and that you aren't going to move to a faraway city soon. If that's the case, rent a ZoomCar / similar. If not, go out and buy that car!

While I'll agree that Uber / Ola / Zoom and gang have made things super convenient, there is simply no substitute to owning your own car. That said, these services have certainly negated the need for the 2nd / 3rd / 4th car of the house.

I fully agree with you , as I was in same dilemma but this got clear when my car was in workshop for a week and i have to take a ola/uber for office for a week. driver will be waiting some where you need to guide him to come and it will waste 10-15 minutes daily and no rental can beat convenience of ownership , if you can depend on bike for errands and need car just occasionally then rental is good option than investing so much money .

[SatsMumbai]

There are many valid points made both ways and here is my view given than I am familiar with both sides.

The most important point apart from the finances is the age at which you are in. Since you are just out of college, in these formative years it should be more about experiences and the car ownership is an experience to have early in life as down the line you might get brutally practical and fun might take a slightly back stage.

Though there is joy of owning car and cherishing the experience which is a wonderful feeling, like our stuntman Mike "You know, a bar offers all kind of things other than alcohol", there are other things a car ownership offers. I used to drive a car when I was in Pune, and social life gets better with car vs bike. This might sound shallow but at your age, I would go with shallow just for the experience sake! Ownership of a car might make you more responsible and wary of how you drive since you are more keen to protect your ride and who knows it can make us the next Daredevil with heightened senses. Last but not the least, I must have driven to Goa about 10 times, impromptu, with the car and the road trip fun is very different.

All this is about 15 years back and now it is all Ola / Uber / Driver, play safe, stick to the routine etc. If I look a my father, he plays even safer no more driving at all.

So, the age you are in is very important but at the same time SIP you must. Get a smaller car but do not skimp on SIP as that is the one of the best things I did with out realising it back then.

[srgntpepper]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Simply put, if I were you, I would probably opt for the Uber/ Ola option

There is no doubt that cars cost a lot of money, and as somebody starting fresh, i'd advice you against buying a depreciating asset.

another reason, i'd ask you to stay away from driving yourself, is that youngsters often drive and then decide to drink. they don't have the wisdom to walk away or may be under peer pressure. Avoid all these temptations. call and uber from the convenience of your home, get dropped back and forth without a care in the world.

get a car when you know what you really want.

[akshay]

9 years back I had just finished paying for my first new car - a wagonR which was loved and driven from Gujarat to Kashmir. I wanted a change and work was good so I could afford it but I held on to the wagonR for 2 extra years and saved as much as I could. In 3 years I had enough for a full cheque payment for a Ritz. With zero emis I started saving again and result is that I have managed a fair bit of savings(more than I could imagine)

Every so often I keep doing something to the Ritz to keep it interesting and plan to use it for 9 years.

My point is that this was the balance that suited me. Find your own balance. Maybe you can buy a car but if you do, plan a car which will last you a long time and that should give you the opportunity to be able to make the choice that works for you.

[LoneRidder]

Originally Posted by procrastinator

I have moved from college to job at a new place.

I miss that oomph in my life because I do not drive.
If I think to buy a car, it doesn't make any sense economically.

ha ha what a bloody question! This is the typical signs of one becoming independent

Your question itself shows your need and want. Simply go for one. There is nothing to explain the convenience and the happyness of your first car. Depending on your EMI capacity choose one. It can be a nano or a bigger one!

After couple of years (as you build your family) you will have enough time to have serious though of economics. Till then fill oomph to your life!

[NiInJa]

I was in the same boat as you seven years back. My father had a car but I never got that sense of 'owning' it. So I understand your dilemma.
My answer would be: go for it, but don't buy a car that is way too expensive. Buy something which you can afford and at the same time save money. I believe your parents are not too old so you can splurge some without worrying about healthcare or other things. You will also have to consider if you have a good financial backing if things go south for any reason.

Here is my story:
I got a green colored Beat when I was three years into my first job (Just like you). The first time paying EMIs and all made me feel responsible. At the same time girls used to dig that green colored beauty (an important aspect when you are single). Apart from that, my daily commute to office became much safer (You never know when you change jobs !) Parents never allowed taking bike on long trips but it was never a problem with car. There are lots of bitter-sweet memories attached with the car. Now I am married, paying emi for my house and thinking about family planning. I dont 'splurge' the way I did back then. Nor am I thinking of buying a new car, I am thinking of investing the money I am saving in real-estate, SIPs etc. Parents are older now and saving for their healthcare is also a priority. But there are no regrets whatsoever of splurging on a car !

So think about what you gain and what you lose if you own a car, but remember that you become 21 only once

Off topic : My physics professor used to say: Life is not like an ice-cream which you need to enjoy before it melts, life is like a banana, you have to eat it at the right time !

[IshaanIan]

I would say hold off on a car as a car in your case would be a liability not an asset. Buy one when you can afford to throw money on it. You would be surprised what holding off on such a big purchase for a couple of years, could lead to.

Now obviously the itch for you to own your own wheels might be really huge (just as it is for me). In which case I'd advise you to look into one of the following:

BUY a bike- I used to be the kind of guy who did not know how to ride a bike and would just pass judgement on anyone who said it was more fun but having learnt and bought my first bike. After a year of riding it I can tell you that I was completely wrong. It is actually a lot of fun and quenches my thirst for a fun rush every day. Ride one while you're fit enough and park your butt in a car once you've grown older and can afford it.

Used Car- Again if you're someone like me, you will never be able to kick off the urge to own your own car as well no matter how fun a bike is In which case go for a used car that is cheap to buy and more importantly, cheap to maintain. A good 1st gen pre VVT 1.6 SX4 could be bought for around 2 lakhs. Built better than most marutis, drives pretty darn good and comes with space and a boot unlike other "sensible" options like Altos etc. That said, remember one thing, if at this age you buy something that your peers don't own, be prepared for jealousy and other bitter side-effects of youth. When I first joined college and my parents told me not to drive a big car to and from college, I disregarded it but later realized that there is some truth to what they say. People will use you for your car as much as they can with no care about it or the money that goes into keeping it the way it is, and when you are paying for its maintenance and fuel yourself you better be wary of this fact as this kind of behavior or lack of regard for someone else's proud possession, lurks common amongst most people our age, thus it's often best to lay under the radar for a couple of years