With people having limited movement because of the pandemic, carsharing rose dramatically. It made little sense to pay car expenses when you could barely even use it so it makes sense. This rise in car sharing made people take notice of how much they were using their cars and how much it cost. Now they are wondering if it makes sense to go back to owning a car at all.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the differences between owning a car compared to using a carsharing service so you can decide which is best for you.

Car ownership pros

There are several good reasons to take on the added expense of owning a car. Below you will see some of them.

You get exactly what you want – When you buy a car, you can shop around and find the exact car that you want. It can also be personalized so you can have the right color and extras that don’t always come standard.  Just visit your local dealer like Volkswagen Utah.

Always available – It is nice to not have to plan too much when you want to drive. All you have to do is open your front door and there is your car ready to take you where you need to go.

You can live anywhere – Living in a rural area puts you out of reach of any of the carsharing schemes available. You have to live near an urban area to take advantage of a carshare.

Car ownership cons

Not everything is always roses. There are some downsides to owning a car.

The expense – The most obvious problem with owning a car is how much it costs. Car payments, plus insurance plus filling the tank can take a major chunk of your monthly salary.

Maintenance – There is always a repair that needs to be done at some point. That can be costly and inconvenient. Plus you have to do routine things like oil changes and tune-ups.

Car Sharing pros

Here are some of the things to love about not owning a car and using a car share instead.

It’s economical – For just the cost of your monthly membership, you have a mostly brand new car to drive when you need to do things like shopping or get out of town for a hike. You don’t have to deal with car loans or insurance payments. Sometimes you even get free gas.

Try out a variety of cars – There comes a time when you have a new car that the thrill wears off and you wish you could try another one. This is the case when you do carsharing as you can try out different makes and models all the time.

Car Sharing cons

Availability – What happens when you need a car right away and there isn’t one available? Looks like you need to rent a car for the day which is not convenient or economical.

You have to plan ahead – It’s hard to be spontaneous when you share a car as you can’t risk the car not being available. You are forced to always be planning ahead.

Verdict?

If you live in a city and don’t drive often it makes little sense to own a car. If you are out in the country then you really need to buy.