This subject doesn't come up that often here, so I'm running a poll to find out what motorised vehicles our members own and drive (if any).

I don't own any motorcycles and more, so just the car for me. Currently a '97 Opel Astra 1.6 that I'll probably be replacing in a year or two, once I've got too much time on my hands again so I can go car hunting. I haven't had any problems whatsoever with it for nearly 2 years that I've owned it now, so it's in great shape. Fully equipped too, so there's nothing I'm missing equipment-wise. No GPS though. :p

How about the rest of you?

Well, while i dont *own* the car, i am the only one who uses it. I have a 1.2L '03 Punto Active Sport, nice car, but it has small drawbacks, like the indicators...

I used to drive a modified 1972 Volvo 144 Deluxe, a bright orange beast of a car, but had to sell it in the end because I couldn't afford to keep it running (repairs and fuel expenses were quite a joke, really). These days I drive a white '91 Mazda MX5, which has clocked well over 120,000 miles but still running right as rain!

I just got my license recently, and bought my first car: a 1998 Honda Civic CXi hatchback 1.6L.

It's stock and has no power windows, central locking, and CD player, but it runs smoothly for its age (only done 112,000 km or so), and I love it.

Updated from a 1.3l '99 Ford Ka with no frills to a brand new '07 Ford Focus Style with cruise control and front window demister (and man, that makes a big difference early in the morning). I miss being able to park nearly anywhere, however...

In Spain I used to drive a basic '01 1.9l diesel Nissan Primera, but it was my dad's.

My parents have two four wheel drives, one of which is always available for my use. The newer one is a Suzuki Vitara and the older one is a Holden Jakaroo (which would have to be branded differently outside Australia)

Cars all the way. I think you would have to be certifiably insane to drive a motorcycle in my city.

I assume that by "cars" you would include things like minivans, SUVs, pickups, etc. I know they are much more prevalent here in the states than in Europe, but if you have a standard drivers license you can drive any of them.

I drive a 2004 3.2L V6 Honda Accord. My wife has a 2000 Honda Civic.

And while I don't live in LA, I have to agree with dmc's sentiments - you'd be crazy to drive a motorcycle on the Baltimore or Washington beltways.

None, for the obvious reason that I'm under 18. :p

I'm not even sure about ever buying a car, well, maybe one day when I have a wife, kids, cat, dog and a row house, but public transportation works well in the cities I live.

None right now. I have owned a car before and may again later (though not an old wreck next time - I had a 12+ years old Fiat when I was at university and learned that what you save on purchase, you end up spending on maintenance:nolike:).

Motorcycle? NEVER! You'd have to be crazy to drive those things anywhere! :skeptic:

I own a new Peugeot 206 LX. It's OK, I want something with more power though.

I assume that by "cars" you would include things like minivans, SUVs, pickups, etc. I know they are much more prevalent here in the states than in Europe, but if you have a standard drivers license you can drive any of them.

Yes, anything remotely fitting the car category is encompassed in that first poll option. :D

Motorcycles all the way. And in case you're wondering: I don't have a crazy bone in my body... riding a motorcycle is a serious thing. Only the true lunatics lock themselves up in a cage :D;):p

Barmy, get the 2.0 GTI version of the 206. It has more than enough power for such a small car ;)

2003 Trailblazer
Mrs. Bruno drives a 2006 CTS

If I bought a motorcycle Mrs Bruno would ensure I had a REALLY BIG life insurance policy... and then kill me.

I own a 1999 Kawasaki Katana 600, and it's my pride and joy.

Of course, can't use it during the winter, so I take the bus and/or walk during the said season.

Cars suck.

No car nor motorcycle. I travel mostly by train whenever I have to go somewhere (since it is free for me).

I drive a 2006 Honda Accord. My wife drives a 2006 Saab 93. Motorcycles are strictly out for me.

I can't afford an auto or motorcycle. All I have is 2 feet and a heart beat.

I don't drive anything although I was very tempted recently to buy a Ford Ka. Then I sat in it and my knees kept bumping into my ears so I was mildly put off :D

Well, like most people in North America, I have 2 vehicles for every day of the week (one for summer, one for winter), and a few more just for fun. BMW, Porche, Mercedes, Lexus, Ferrari, etc. So a total of 20. Plus a pick-up truck for utility puposes.

No motorcycles, though.

Car only. 2003 Mitsubushi Eclipse GTS. In fact, I just finished changing the oil in it :)

Because of my disabilities I can only drive a modified car, and can't afford to buy one or get lessons at the moment, so neither for me.

I *am* saving up to modify my wheelchair though. An engine on that thing would rock! :D

I've owned a 1999 Mitsu Eclipse for almost 9 years. Good car.

2000 Honda Civic. Great car. :)

Splunge: Do you actually have 20 cars, or are you joking?

I know cars are really cheap in the US, but owning 20 cars, including among them a Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, etc?

You have to be either really rich or the owner of a car dealership :D

Public transport is the way to go.

Especially as a poor student when parking in most of the city is almost impossible to find.

Well I work for Toyota, so, I have a Toyota. A small Aygo, since petrol prices are almost off the scale in Holland. 1.54 euro for one litre. It has an 1.0 litre engine!

Splunge: Do you actually have 20 cars, or are you joking?

Splunge is an accountant. It is probably just "creative accounting" - counting each car twice or even three times. ;)

I've got a 1.2L 16v opel corsa.

It's a tiny car.

Car - '89 Toyota Corolla. Wish I lived closer to public transport and didn't need it though. It's a very useful thing to have, sure, but the cost is pretty steep and only getting steeper.

Splunge: Do you actually have 20 cars, or are you joking?

I know cars are really cheap in the US, but owning 20 cars, including among them a Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, etc?

You have to be either really rich or the owner of a car dealership :D

Well, although it's totally contrary to my persona on the Boards, yes - I'm joking. :D

Actually, I own a 2003 Camry, and my wife has a 2006 Corolla.

The wife and I own a 2003 VW Jetta.

Where I live, it's too cold and snowy during late autumn, winter, and early spring to drive a motorcycle. And since the only one I would ever want is more than $10,000...I don't think I'll be getting a bike anytime soon. :bad:

Besides...we're moving 1.5 miles closer to work and slightly closer to friends and family, so commuting isn't bad.

Cars all the way. I think you would have to be certifiably insane to drive a motorcycle in my city.
My older brother actually got hit while riding his bike in LA. Some lady went the wrong way through a round-a-bout (or traffic circle if you prefer). He has the traffic cam pictures of the crash too. We laugh about it now, but when he got hit, he flew pretty far. :eek: He doesn't ride a bullet bike anymore, but he still has a Harley. :rolling:

Interesting... considering the results, it looks like cars and bikes don't mix at all.

No vehicle, no licence. Public transportations are fine for where I need to travel anyway. Maybe one day in the future I'll own one but meh.

I know cars are really cheap in the US,

Are cars really cheap in the US? I have heard the arguement that cars are cheaper to operate in the US due to lower gas prices (although at $3 per gallon, the gap isn't as wide as it used to be). I have never heard that the actual cost of the vehicle though was significantly less in the US than anywhere else. In fact, given the number of large cars/trucks/SUVs/minivans that you see in the states, and with the correspondingly larger engines, I would think that the exact opposite is true - that if anything, you'll spend more for the average car in the US than elsewhere.

I haven't done the research on this, but for just a run of the mill mid-sized car with basic features - like a Toyota Camry, which is the most sold vehicle in the US for the past several years - costs around $20,000. If you have a large family and need something like a mini-van/large car/SUV to transport them, you'll be lucky to find a used vehicle for less than $20,000. The average household income in the US last year was about $45,000. So almost half of what a family earns in a year doesn't sound like "really cheap" to me.

Are cars really cheap in the US? I have heard the arguement that cars are cheaper to operate in the US due to lower gas prices (although at $3 per gallon, the gap isn't as wide as it used to be).

I don't know about gas prices in Europe, but here in Brazil gas is still much more expensive than in the US. The price of a gallon here, is pretty close to $5. It's true that the difference isn't as wide as it used to be, but it's still pretty large. Car prices I don't think are much different, but I believe we tax it a lot though.

I used to own a Ford Focus '04, but sold it a couple of months ago, bought me a Fiat Palio '01.

The gas price in Denmark hovers around 10 Danish kroner right now, which would be like 6-8 dollars per gallon, depending on the exchange rate. The price in the rest of the EU is probably more or less the same.

We also pay a 189% tax on motor vehicles, so compared to Denmark, cars are dirt cheap in the US. :p Prices in other EU countries are closer to US levels.

Are cars really cheap in the US? ...I have never heard that the actual cost of the vehicle though was significantly less in the US than anywhere else. ...a Toyota Camry, which is the most sold vehicle in the US for the past several years - costs around $20,000

Well, in Canada, where $1 Cdn basically equals $1 US, yes - the US is a lot cheaper. That $20K Camry in the US starts at $26K in Canada. The price discrepancy was understandable a couple of years ago when the Canadian dollar was only worth $0.70 US, but now that the Canadian dollar has risen in value relative to the US dollar, and the prices in Canada haven't really changed, there really isn’t any justification for such a significant difference in cost. And the problem doesn’t just apply to cars – most items in Canada are more expensive than in the US.

Aldeth: Yes, it's still cheaper to buy a car in the US, and the cost of petrol in the US is still lower.

According to www.toyota.com.au, the basic Camry model starts at $28,490 AUS. According to Google, 1 US dollar is $1.1285 Australian dollars, so it's still cheaper in the US.

A gallon of petrol is about 3.78 litres, at $3 US a gallon, that's about $3.40 AUS for close to 4 litres of petrol - current petrol prices in Perth, Western Australia now hover around the $1.30 AUS mark per litre, and have soared to above the $1.40 AUS mark.

Is your average income per household per annum figure gross, or net after tax? If you earned that amount per year in Australia, your income tax would be around 30%, therefore the cost of a new car would be more than half your annual net income.

I drive a 1998 GMC Sierra (truck), it's nice, although I would like something with a bit better mpg (fill ups cost me... well, my parents, 80+ dollars).

According to www.toyota.com.au, the basic Camry model starts at $28,490 AUS. According to Google, 1 US dollar is $1.1285 Australian dollars, so it's still cheaper in the US.

I just looked up the price at a local dealer, and it turns out I low-balled my estimate by a few percent. It actually appears a Camry goes for about $21,250, so that sounds like around $24,000 in Australian. So it's definitely somewhat cheaper in the US, although not by quite as much as it initially appeared. I can think of two reasons for this to be the case (and this reasoning would also apply to Canada). 1. Toyota sells so many more cars in the US than it does in Canada and Australia that it can afford to sell them at a lower cost. That's simple economics - you can reduce your profit margin per car if you sell more cars. 2. Most Toyotas sold in the US are built in the US. There are several Toyota manufacturing plants scattered throughout the US, and therefore it costs less to transport them. If there aren't similar plants in Australia, it may actually cost a heck of a lot more in transportation costs to get a Camry to a showroom in Australia compared to the US.

A gallon of petrol is about 3.78 litres, at $3 US a gallon, that's about $3.40 AUS for close to 4 litres of petrol - current petrol prices in Perth, Western Australia now hover around the $1.30 AUS mark per litre, and have soared to above the $1.40 AUS mark.

Oh, I wasn't suggesting that gas was more expensive in the US. Sorry if you interpreted it that way. My comment about the gap in the price becoming less was simply pointing out that the cost of gas today in the US is about double what it was 3 or 4 years ago. If I go back 10 years ago, I can remember when gas cost only a little over $1 per gallon. But I wholeheartedly agree that gas costs less in the US than it does just about anywhere else in the world.

Is your average income per household per annum figure gross, or net after tax? If you earned that amount per year in Australia, your income tax would be around 30%, therefore the cost of a new car would be more than half your annual net income.

It was gross - so you're right it would be more than half the net income. I would not want to guess what the tax rate would be here in the states, although your 30% seems like a good ballpark estimate. You won't pay 30% in federal income tax on a $45,000 salary (it will definitely be less), but there are state income taxes and local income taxes as well. However, state income tax and local income taxes vary widely from one place to another, so it's impossible to say exactly how much of that $45,000 is take home. It also depends on whether or not you are married and how many, if any, kids you have. But you do bring up a good point - cost of living should really be factored in here. If the take home pay is greater in Australia, then the difference in price will be not as great, whereas if it is less, the price difference will be magnified.

Cars suck.

True, I wish I could arrange my life to be less reliant upon individual transportation.

Aldeth:

The price of petrol in Western Australia in mid-2004, when I first arrived, was around the $0.80+ to $0.90+ AUS mark, and now, it's $1.30+ to $1.40+ AUS. Rising prices of per barrel of oil have affected the whole world, unfortunately, though it's not as drastic here as it is in the US.

As you said, it's not possible to get an accurate tax figure for a $45,000 gross annual income in the US, so we can't do an accurate comparison according to the take-home pay.

But I'm sure we both can agree that operating a car in the US is cheaper than Australia, if we're just talking petrol prices. :)

I'm currently driving a 89 Ford Ranger. I'm also restoring a 68 Barracuda.

We own 6 "car-type" vehichles in my family. A manual Ford lynx (the only manual), another ford lynx, a ford e-150, a volvo v50 (iirc?), a hyundai tucson and a hyundai santa fe.

I can't really drive a manual as I haven't practiced since I learned how to drive on one, so thats out. I can't drive something as big as an e-150 either. And my dad wont let me drive the volvo :D so when I can't hitch with anyone and absolutely have to drive (yep, you guessed it, I'm a lousy driver and I hate driving) I choose between the ford lynx auto, tucson and sta fe. I usually drive the Tucson though.

I don't own a car o motorcycle. I don't need one, but if I do, I use my moms little shoppingcart: A Suzuki Alto. One of the newer types. Cheap, easy to park and clean.

I don't understand why people need such big SUVs if all they do is drive to work, all alone.

I've not had a car since I moved to Ediburgh (used to drive for 6 years before that). I don't really need one here, as I live in the city centre (so impossible to park) and I can easily take the bus to work. I only miss having a car in the summer, on a warm sunny weekend. It would have been nice to be able to take the car and just drive to somewhere nice outside the city for the day.

I have a 1.2L Renault Clio

It's nothing special, but it's reliable and cheap to run.

I don't understand why people need such big SUVs if all they do is drive to work, all alone.
Some people use them as a status symbol. Why else would anyone ever buy a Cadillac Escalade? It's a very large SUV that you wouldn't dare take off road... :rolleyes: :rolling:

I think he's joking . . .
And this topic is old, but I just noticed it.
Car for me, a 2005 Honda Accord, bought of necessity after my last Honda went to Honda heaven in a wreck. Did what it was supposed to do and protected me from serious injury. On a motorcycle I would have died, and maybe been badly hurt in a less protective car.

No such thing as public transportation out in the sticks here - not even a commercial taxi service within three counties.

I see the lure of motorcycles and yearned for one when I was younger. But after doing some volunteer work at a trauma center I see why they're nicknamed "donor cycles" by the trauma staff. Even the best and smartest riders can't outwit an idiot in a car, alas.

I drive a 98 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. 4-wheel drive comes in handy, especially with the winter weather when College classes are hardly ever canceled.

Still driving my company's Iveco Daily 35S18. Recently got Opel Corsa 1.3 CDTI.