Going Car-less

Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
25,289
Location
Lake District
I have a 2016 Kia Cee'd on HP with 0% APR, costing me £216 a month until march 2021.

Since Jan I've only driven 1000 miles, I can get everywhere I need to either by walking or using the work vehicle.

I've decided it's a waste of money and I'm selling the car back to the garage for £9100 which will clear the finance and leave me with a little bit of cash.

Does it sound like I'm doing the right thing?
 
Associate
Joined
9 Jan 2019
Posts
885
Do you
A need the money
B have access to another vehicle if you need to

Unless i needed the money, er nawp i wouldnt but then i can see a lot tied up in the payments so would prob chop it out for something much much cheaper but still have a car.
 
Caporegime
OP
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
25,289
Location
Lake District
I do have access to another vehicle as long as I request it.

Getting this car is my worst decision I've made, I had a 2012 Rio which was owned outright but got tired of how underpowered it was (1.1crdi) but it wasn't costing me anything :mad:
 
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Soldato
Joined
3 May 2012
Posts
8,525
Location
Wetherspoons
I have a 2016 Kia Cee'd on HP with 0% APR, costing me £216 a month until march 2021.

Since Jan I've only driven 1000 miles, I can get everywhere I need to either by walking or using the work vehicle.

I've decided it's a waste of money and I'm selling the car back to the garage for £9100 which will clear the finance and leave me with a little bit of cash.

Does it sound like I'm doing the right thing?

Hmm you live in the Lake District?

If you lived in London or something fair enough, 1000 miles since Jan, I dunno....

Does sound like a lot of money for something you don't seem to use much just surprises me where you live how little miles you do.

I live in a rural area in Cambridgeshire, I work from home now since Jan, yet I still manage to do around 500 miles a month, somehow.

EDIT: ahh just read work vehicle.

Yeha makes sense what you are doing, its a lot of money for nothing really.
 
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Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
Posts
21,204
Location
Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
I suppose the main question is of those 1000 miles, were any of them "emergencies" where you needed a car and therefore would've been stuck without it, or were they times when you had other options but took the car.

If it's the former and the money isn't hugely important to you then keep it

If it's the latter then i'd get rid and maybe just hire a car if you ever need/want one for the weekend.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
12 Jul 2005
Posts
20,490
Location
Aberlour, NE Scotland
I have considered going carless as we only do 2500-3000 miles a year as we normally only use it once a week but in the end we can't really be without a car. We live in rural Banffshire just outside the village of Aberlour and while we do have a bus service to Elgin (nearest big town) it's been severely cut back in recent years and there are no buses after 19.00 Monday to Saturday and none at all on Sunday. The bus service costs £10.50 for a return trip and then we need to walk the last 3/4 of a mile up the hill which is not much fun loaded down with shopping and even worse in the rain and snow. Add to that that the buses are from 2007, clapped out with no heating in the winter and no legroom at all for me (I am 6'2" and my knees are hard against the seat in front so much that it actually hurts) so it's not a option. We wouldn't be able to get to the vets and would be screwed in a emergency plus it makes it very difficult to get to the hospitals in Aberdeen where I need to go for scans and painkilling injections into my spine. We really couldn't do without our car.
 
Associate
Joined
26 Jul 2011
Posts
191
Location
West Yorkshire
I'm getting rid of my car soon, costing on average £300 per month and we only do a few thousand miles a year.

I only paid £800 for it 9 months ago after I broke my last one by starving it of oil. So it's not worth much and isn't in very good condition so it's not a joy to drive.

Home shopping is a god send too!
 
Associate
Joined
6 May 2011
Posts
1,381
Location
Inside the M25
Impressed you can go car-less in the lakes OP! If you've got a work vehicle you can use when you need, go for it.

I work in central London and plenty of people who live closer in than me don't bother with a car as public transport and cycling options really are fantastic. I'm not surprised other areas of the country get annoyed when yet more central government cash goes in improving the infrastructure here.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
159,534
I'm getting rid of my car soon, costing on average £300 per month and we only do a few thousand miles a year.

I only paid £800 for it 9 months ago after I broke my last one by starving it of oil. So it's not worth much and isn't in very good condition so it's not a joy to drive.

Home shopping is a god send too!

How are you spending £300 a month running an £800 car a couple of thousand miles a year?!
 
Associate
Joined
26 Jul 2011
Posts
191
Location
West Yorkshire
How are you spending £300 a month running an £800 car a couple of thousand miles a year?!

insurance, tax, fuel, MOT, service, repairs - averaged over a year costing about that.

Repairs are down to its age and condition, haven't even had the tractor sounding engine looked at yet, as mechanic reckons it could be an £800 timing chain.

Doesn't matter how cheap the car is except if it's not been paid for yet of course.

Still, it's something I've never even considered before but we hardly use it really.
 
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