The question of "whether you need your own car" has changed noticeably in recent years. If earlier the choice between a personal car and mobility services was rather emotional, today it is increasingly reduced to numbers. Rising prices for maintenance, insurance and parking make you count every kilometer and compare ownership with use. Experts agree: the era of "car by default" is over, and for many city dwellers there is indeed an alternative.
According to Boris Belenky, Director of Development of the Carcraft auto business financing platform, the dispute has long moved from the realm of habits to accounting. A personal car entails mandatory expenses that do not depend on whether the owner drives every day or once a week. Insurance, depreciation, maintenance and parking create a constant burden on the budget, which in large cities is already comparable to the cost of renting a car.
A typical urban scenario was taken as a starting point — 12,000 km of mileage per year. These are trips to work, on business and rare trips on weekends. For Moscow, the total cost of a personal car, taking into account comprehensive insurance, maintenance and related expenses, is about 440,000 rubles per year. In terms of conversion, it comes out to about 37 rubles per kilometer — excluding unexpected repairs and a drop in the residual value of the car.
Car sharing at first glance looks more attractive, but here it is important to translate kilometers into time. The average speed in a metropolis rarely exceeds 20 km/h. At this rate, 12,000 km turns into approximately 600 hours or 36,000 minutes behind the wheel. Even with a mass rate of about 10 rubles per minute, the rent comes out to 360,000 rubles per year, to which are added the costs of waiting, parking and small surcharges. The final amount approaches 390,000 rubles — the difference with a personal car no longer looks convincing.
The situation is different with a taxi. The minimum cost of a trip in the economy segment, surcharges for kilometers and minutes make each trip noticeably more expensive. The average Moscow route with a length of about 10 km and a duration of 25 minutes costs about 640 rubles. To "drive" the same 12,000 km per year in this way, you will have to spend about 770,000 rubles, and without taking into account increased coefficients during peak hours, bad weather or holidays.
In practice, it turns out that the cost per kilometer in your own car and in car sharing is almost equal today. At the same time, rental cars often suffer from worn tires, imperfect technical condition and formal maintenance. Add to this the risk of hidden fines and controversial write-offs — and the apparent savings can easily disappear. A personal car in this regard remains a more predictable tool.
A taxi should not be considered as a full-fledged replacement for a car. This is more of a service for rare trips, when the car would be idle most of the time. For those who drive a couple of times a week or only on weekends, a taxi may indeed be the best option. But with regular travel, your own car or, in some cases, car sharing is still a more rational choice.