Is it worth it to have a car right now?

[Progster]

I wouldn't get a car unless you really, really need one and can't manage without it. Owning a car is extremely expensive and requires a lot of committment. After the initial expense of taking driving lessons and getting a licence and then buying the car, there are: services, oil changes, break downs or other problems, insurance, road tax, MOT or equivalent thereof... they aren't immediately obvious when you first buy the car and all add up. If you feel that you need the car just because of peer pressure, then I would say that it isn't worth it, to my mind that's jsut a wrong reason to want to buy a car - perhaps wait until you finish your course and start earning money, to be sure that you can afford it.

 

[Mary Anne]

As y’all know I am 22 years old who does not have a car nor has a drivers license due to financial situations. This is something I usually do not worry about at all but I’ve been lately given that how old I am and I don’t want to wait any longer to work for a license.
The campus I’m at A&M Galveston many students there have cars and such and yet I feel so out of place that I have that need to get one. I’ve been lying which I hate doing to people lately saying I do have a license to feel like I’m like everyone else. I’ve had some people make fun of me for not having one but I don’t care.
On the other hand I have that fear at times of getting behind the wheel and something bad might happened even though I knew how to drive when I was younger practicing with my parents.
Is this something I should worry about now? When did y’all receive a license and is it a bad thing to have waited in my 20s??

Let me say that many young people your age nowadays and older now refuse to buy a car and even get a license in the big cities like Chicago, and NYC (I lived and worked in both). I see people in the 20s using Uber and Lyft because it’s cheaper than having a car in the city, and there are huge parking headaches.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s where everyone wanted a car ASAP. I think the desire and need for a car vary as to location and culture. Texas is a place where everyone has cars and there is probably lack of public transportation. DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED A CAR? Or are you just caving to public pressure to get one (not a good reason to get one)? I honestly wish I did not need one, but I live now in the suburbs and need one to get around to jobs, and places difficult to get to by public transportation. I have many neighbors who do not own a car and they do manage to around just fine.

Cars are a costly headache. Do NOT ignore the costs of having a car. There are many costs, and unless you have cheap rent and little other expenses, the car costs of insurance, vehicle sticker, parking fees, maintainence, ever-rising gas prices; plus the potential for parking and moving violation tickets....you are better off not buying one.

Having a license is a good thing, because you can always rent a car if you want to go on vacation or rent a moving van. You can use a listen ear as I.d. And to get a passport with. When you get you license- get a regular I.d card als

 

[Mary Anne]

A lot of people in their 20s now refuse to get cars or even learn to drive. Especially in the bigger USA cities. They do not want the costs, parking tickets (very difficult to park in big cities), gridlock traffic, insurance, rising gas costs (in Chicago, it’s around $3.50 per gallon right now), city vehicle sticker ($145.00) year in Chicagoland), and very real stress of driving, etc. Its also a HUGE envirvonmental problem which many college students and older want to not engage in. People are biking, walking (in NYC people will walk 4 miles with no concerns to getting somewhere, and 4 miles back), using public transportation, Uber, Lyft, and ridesharing.

You are a student. You don’t work full time, and probably do not need a car right now. You cannot probably afford it. If you want to buy one because of peer pressure- that is NOT a good idea. It’s a RIDICULOUS idea. The costs of mataining a safe running vehicle are great. The insurance is a headache. Younger males pay higher insurance costs- did you know this? If you buy a newer car, you will have car payments and high insurance rates. An older car is affordable, but there will be more costs to repair it and the repairs never end. Trust me on this. Then there are the regular oil changes, and other stuff. I got a moving violation recently that cost $125.00. Yikes. My insurance will probably rise.

A license is always a good idea even without car ownership. You could rent a car if you wanted to go on vacation, or rent a moving van , etc. It’s an I.d.

Texas being what it is, the state was built on two things historically: cattle and oil. Of course Texans are pro oil, and pro automobile! It’s a huge state with wide open spaces - needing a car. But you are in school and do not need one. It’s truly a horrible environments issue to own a car. I wish I could buy an electric, or a hybrid, but I cannot afford one. In my dreams, I would buy a horse and ride it everywhere instead, but I would have to have a time travel machine and go back 150 years.

If you went to school in Seattle, your peers would rant at you FOR driving a car and not biking. Really, get a nice bike (used is more affordable), and a good lock, and panniers or rack to carry your books and things. If you bike at night get a bike light too. Tell your peers you choose to not engage in global warming. Be aware that many Texans are quite politically right and Republican. They scoff at global warming and environmental change...but hopefully college students will be more open minded and taught the science behind the facts. Some might even admire you for standing up to the cause! You might make some friends. You could even join the environmental social groups at your university.

 

[Dillon]

Let me say that many young people your age nowadays and older now refuse to buy a car and even get a license in the big cities like Chicago, and NYC (I lived and worked in both). I see people in the 20s using Uber and Lyft because it’s cheaper than having a car in the city, and there are huge parking headaches.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s where everyone wanted a car ASAP. I think the desire and need for a car vary as to location and culture. Texas is a place where everyone has cars and there is probably lack of public transportation. DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED A CAR? Or are you just caving to public pressure to get one (not a good reason to get one)? I honestly wish I did not need one, but I live now in the suburbs and need one to get around to jobs, and places difficult to get to by public transportation. I have many neighbors who do not own a car and they do manage to around just fine.

Cars are a costly headache. Do NOT ignore the costs of having a car. There are many costs, and unless you have cheap rent and little other expenses, the car costs of insurance, vehicle sticker, parking fees, maintainence, ever-rising gas prices; plus the potential for parking and moving violation tickets....you are better off not buying one.

Having a license is a good thing, because you can always rent a car if you want to go on vacation or rent a moving van. You can use a listen ear as I.d. And to get a passport with. When you get you license- get a regular I.d card als

I don’t feel like I’m being pressured to get one quickly but at the same I feel like if I don’t do this one way like anyone else I don’t feel like I’m part of society playing by it’s standards....however a car can wait due to the fact I’m already paying so much for a 4-year University $10,000 a semester. I may just work on a listener in the mean time and the reason that’s more important to me is that there’s a older relative of mine who we do a lot of things together such as go out fishing and I worry sometimes since he has health problems such as going through cancer 4 years ago. My grandfather also has heart problems and I worry that he might have a heart attack or something and couldn’t drive. I would be the one to drive him to the nearest hospital but worry that if i did something like that without a lisence I’ll get pulled over by a cop and get ticketed maybe worse. Those are some important reasons why I feel like a lisence is more important to me than a car itself.

 

[Mary Anne]

I don’t feel like I’m being pressured to get one quickly but at the same I feel like if I don’t do this one way like anyone else I don’t feel like I’m part of society playing by it’s standards....however a car can wait due to the fact I’m already paying so much for a 4-year University $10,000 a semester. I may just work on a listener in the mean time and the reason that’s more important to me is that there’s a older relative of mine who we do a lot of things together such as go out fishing and I worry sometimes since he has health problems such as going through cancer 4 years ago. My grandfather also has heart problems and I worry that he might have a heart attack or something and couldn’t drive. I would be the one to drive him to the nearest hospital but worry that if i did something like that without a lisence I’ll get pulled over by a cop and get ticketed maybe worse. Those are some important reasons why I feel like a lisence is more important to me than a car itself.

If having a car makes you more popular, you are hanging out with the wrong people. Are you saying that no one rides a bike or walks at A&M? This is untrue.

We all said that having a license makes excellant sense for every adult that knows how to drive, even without car ownership.

I think, that you, as a 20-something, naturally are aware of peer pressure, and just want to fit in. This is normal. However, owning one does not make any financial sense at this time of your life.

 

[Dillon]

If having a car makes you more popular, you are hanging out with the wrong people. Are you saying that no one rides a bike or walks at A&M? This is untrue.

We all said that having a license makes excellant sense for every adult that knows how to drive, even without car ownership.

I think, that you, as a 20-something, naturally are aware of peer pressure, and just want to fit in. This is normal. However, owning one does not make any financial sense at this time of your life.

You’re totally right on that. Yes I just want to find a way to fit in but the way I see it maybe I’m going too over the top rushing in wanting something when it can wait till later.
The campus I’m on it’s off the Texas coast. You have your main island which is Galveston island seawall and all, but north of it is another smaller island Pelican island in which the campus sits on. The two islands are connected by a draw bridge and the only way you can get across is by motor vehicle as walking and biking is dangerous to go by on that bridge especially since it’s a four way intersection. Basically I’m stuck on campus especially on weekends where I’m in my dorm the whole time to where it’s nerve wrecking, it’s like a ghost town as I would say. The stuff that goes on campus related like big events are on the main island so I would miss many of those opportunities since people I’ve tried to carpool with are just jerks. The transportation services to get off that small island kind of sucks and you rarely see them come by. There’s not much at all to do on that little island and not much in the way of any food places except we have a cafeteria on campus and there’s a convient store across the street and that’s it. I guess that’s another reason why I’ve been so worried about one cause of being stuck on campus until I have a family memeber come over to pick me up and get to finally hang out on the main island.

 

[Mary Anne]

You’re totally right on that. Yes I just want to find a way to fit in but the way I see it maybe I’m going too over the top rushing in wanting something when it can wait till later.
The campus I’m on it’s off the Texas coast. You have your main island which is Galveston island seawall and all, but north of it is another smaller island Pelican island in which the campus sits on. The two islands are connected by a draw bridge and the only way you can get across is by motor vehicle as walking and biking is dangerous to go by on that bridge especially since it’s a four way intersection. Basically I’m stuck on campus especially on weekends where I’m in my dorm the whole time to where it’s nerve wrecking, it’s like a ghost town as I would say. The stuff that goes on campus related like big events are on the main island so I would miss many of those opportunities since people I’ve tried to carpool with are just jerks. The transportation services to get off that small island kind of sucks and you rarely see them come by. There’s not much at all to do on that little island and not much in the way of any food places except we have a cafeteria on campus and there’s a convient store across the street and that’s it. I guess that’s another reason why I’ve been so worried about one cause of being stuck on campus until I have a family memeber come over to pick me up and get to finally hang out on the main island.

I did some research and see your points. They are thinking of making the Pelican Island Causeway more bike and pedestrian friendly, but it would take 10 years, if they came up with the money and engineering plan.
Guest Column: Pelican Island Bridge
They did a 94 page study back in 1996,
https://www.portofgalveston.com/DocumentCenter/View/2111/E-7
...so they ARE in the initial planning stages.

I can understand anyone’s anxiety of walking along a busy bridge with rushing vehicles passing by. People already do bike and walk the bridge though- around 2700 people per day. There is a sidewalk. I would walk as I spent too much time biking in super heavy traffic in Chicago’s downtown Loop- often during rush hour. Ugh.

At your college, there is also Zimride: Ride Share
That is not the same as car pooling or car sharing. It’s a car rental service. I could see you doing that.

I see also that if you do own a car at your university, you need a monthly parking permit. More money. There was also night parking permits. Agh.

I do not understand why they don’t have ferry services like they do all up and down the east coast of the USA. Even in busy NYC there are ferries. Even in Chicago, there is a “water taxi.” There are ferries on the Great Lakes. Seems like a great idea for someone with a commercial licensed boat to Feiffer people back and forth at least twice a day, if not more.

 

[Dillon]

I did some research and see your points. They are thinking of making the Pelican Island Causeway more bike and pedestrian friendly, but it would take 10 years, if they came up with the money and engineering plan.
Guest Column: Pelican Island Bridge
They did a 94 page study back in 1996,
https://www.portofgalveston.com/DocumentCenter/View/2111/E-7
...so they ARE in the initial planning stages.

I can understand anyone’s anxiety of walking along a busy bridge with rushing vehicles passing by. People already do bike and walk the bridge though- around 2700 people per day. There is a sidewalk. I would walk as I spent too much time biking in super heavy traffic in Chicago’s downtown Loop- often during rush hour. Ugh.

At your college, there is also Zimride: Ride Share
That is not the same as car pooling or car sharing. It’s a car rental service. I could see you doing that.

I see also that if you do own a car at your university, you need a monthly parking permit. More money. There was also night parking permits. Agh.

I do not understand why they don’t have ferry services like they do all up and down the east coast of the USA. Even in busy NYC there are ferries. Even in Chicago, there is a “water taxi.” There are ferries on the Great Lakes. Seems like a great idea for someone with a commercial licensed boat to Feiffer people back and forth at least twice a day, if not more.

Really!? Well thanks I may look into that. Learn something new everyday since you’re not told what services are available or what exactly is going on. You didn’t have to look that up but I appreciate it anyway!!

I never understood why we never have ferry services around here either. I wish we did though. I’m just glad to be back at home for the summer than at campus for once. I got another 2 years until I graduate with my bachelors so I’m not worrying or anything such as a car so as long as I make do and take care of myself I’ll be just fine.

 

[Mr Allen]

I had lessons when I was 20, for about 9 months till the instructor turned round and said I'd never pass a test in a manual car and he felt bad taking my money.

He was a funny old bloke Terry, very comical and an excellent teacher.

This was before I was diagnosed Aspie.

 

[Misery]

Honestly I'd go crazy without the ability to go where I want. Must leave the house at least once per day... get really stir crazy otherwise.

That being said, I can sorta understand where others are coming from that dont drive.

I got my first car at 16. These days there's enough money that I dont even have to work and can do what I want, but back then the situation was different. No new car for me, nope. It was an old junker. A Mazda, I believe. Blocky and built like a tank. Cost around $700... used money I'd saved up from babysitting over a few months.

It was a little scary at first... but after awhile, I got used to it, and then it was hard to imagine NOT having it. Back then I mostly used it to go to school and back. Later, college and whatever stupid job I had at the time.

These days, it's different. I've been through 5 cars in the past including that junker. Mostly, different ones were gotten when the one I had at the time simply stopped working. With one exception, a red Saturn, that one went due to being obliterated... that was not a fun day.

Recently, I got a van. My previous car, a silver Toyota Corolla, worked fine and wasnt old, but it had problems with ice and water... was a pretty light car and slipped very easily. After spinning out 5 freaking times in a row earlier this year due to ice, I'd had enough, and now I have this van. Giant bloated thing, turns like a whale. But it's very good anyway.

These days, I drive either to stores nearby, or just wherever. Sometimes I go exploring for the heck of it (I live in the middle of nowhere... I wouldnt even consider doing that in an urban area). It's fun, it's scenic, and it's very stress-relieving. I cant imagine not doing that stuff.

However: I recognize the dangers of driving, and even moreso than money issues, I think THAT is the bit that people need to seriously think about when it comes to driving any sort of vehicle. Driving is the most dangerous thing people do on a day to day basis. And yeah, I've been in crashes. Like I said, that red car was destroyed... after that crash there was no way that thing was ever moving again (it was a crash at a notoriously bad stopsign... I remember the cop telling me "yeah we've had one crash after another here" and me wondering "...well why the hell doesnt anyone DO something about it?"). The car previous to that had also been involved in a crash, though not quite as bad. And then there was The Blizzard. I made the mistake of driving from Wisconsin into Illinois (coming home from a trip). Was advised not to, advised to wait due to incoming weather. Didnt listen. Scariest damn thing I ever did related to driving. The conditions were so bad that once you started, you couldnt turn back. Only reason I made it was that it's almost a perfectly straight line to home, yet even so I bounced off of guardrails numerous times, and saw many other cars just wedged in snowbanks off the road. Horrible.

All of that stuff and more can happen... never think "it wont happen to ME" or "*I* am too good a driver for that", as that's the first step towards disaster.

But yeah, it's something that absolutely needs to be considered, and something I always mention to anyone that hasnt really driven much yet, but is considering it. Dont underestimate the dangers of it.

And for the love of all that is good and kitten-shaped: DONT even think of driving on tollways until you have alot of experience. Just trust me on that one. I know a few people that have been driving for like 40 years... and still refuse to do tollways unless absolutely forced. There's very good reasons for that.

 

[Judge]

Given your circumstances, I'd think that owning a car reflects a potentially huge expense you should wait until after you've graduated to contemplate. Especially given your present costs for college alone.

Taking one big hurdle at a time rather than negotiating several of them all at once.

 

[Mr Allen]

If my Parents would condone it, I'm half considering applying again for a P license with a view to having lessons in an Automatic.

Only problem is, would a guy my age qualify for credit to get a decent budget level Mother? And I don't mean some dodgy second hand job that gets me from A to... A and breaks down every week because I don't get high enough benefits for a Motability car for about £35 a month.

 

[Judge]

Only problem is, would a guy my age qualify for credit to get a decent budget level Mother?

Big question in your case. The very first thing to determine is if you have any recognized credit history to begin with through Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) like Experian, Callcredit and Equifax. To find out where you stand with them.

Though I can't honestly comment on the legal nature of Britain's subprime loan market. In the US it's still a relatively predatory process relying on cosigners and their collateral property creditors can take away, though the market itself has been curtailed. And apart from securing a loan, you have to consider auto insurance in terms of being a principal, but inexperienced operator. That in itself adds some nasty surcharges to your insurance premiums.

Perhaps your biggest hurdle might not be the loan itself, but rather getting someone like your father as a cosigner, risking his collateral simply because he has it and you don't. Though the both of you might find whatever terms offered to be both offensive and objectionable. However most predatory loans usually are. Especially the ones that don't even ask for your credit record. Who instead may simply seize whatever collateral is declared if you default on the loan.

Here's a website with an article that emphasizes obtaining your credit report for free. Might be best to initially pick one that simply provides you with your credit score alone. Without a history of paying jobs, such details may be scant anyways. Of course given your circumstances, if they actually have nothing about you on file then you have a much bigger problem relative to obtaining any form of credit. With the understanding that a poor credit rating being better than none at all.

Improve your credit rating, history and score | This is Money

Having a car can be a great thing, but only if you can truly afford to own one.