Vroom Vroom
So, I passed my driving test last Wednesday on the second attempt. The first one I failed because I 'swan necked' five times. He let me off once, but still counted the other four. You get four minor faults and you fail. I had 10 minor faults in total that time and he said I could clearly drive, but he had to fail me. Grumble grumble.
£170 later for two refresher sessions and the test I am now a full qualified member of the polluting class! Huzzah. 5 minors in total, no more than one in each area though, so pass pass pass. Now waiting on my shiny Card of Proof, although I do have a certificate of proof which is just as good for the police, but not so great as ID.
I had planned on buying a second hand car for journeys up to Leicester. However, the cheapest cars I can find are much further along the road to dead than I would prefer and the ones that are still running nicely are (realistically) outside my price range.
Fear not comrade, for there is another option. Another way! Renting. Now I can hear the chuckles, screams and outrage now, but wait. A train ticket from Cardiff to Leicester costs £60. Renting a car for a day to get up there and drive around in a little once there before coming back costs... £58. Now, petrol does go on top of that, but the fact is that it's about an hour faster to go by car and the added freedom once there makes the extra feel worth it.
For the cost of insurance, plus car, plus potential repairs, plus tax, plus MOT, I could rent 40 times or more. It doesn't really make sense to pick up a 11 year old car for more than I could be using a brand new one for.
The advantage of buying, of course, is that it's mine. I own the car. I can use it as and when I please. However, I live in Cardiff. The city center is less than 30 minutes walk away. My uni is less than 20 minutes walk away. Everything I do is less than 30 minutes away by foot and much of it has terrible, terrible parking access. Getting to uni and parking up would probably take me in the region of 30 to 40 minutes, possibly even longer. Getting into town and parking would take longer than walking and would cost me money. What I'm getting at is the only thing I want a car for is to get to Leicester and back and to drive around in once in Leicester (that place is spread out like crazy cakes). The renting option seems like the bestest one on offer.
£170 later for two refresher sessions and the test I am now a full qualified member of the polluting class! Huzzah. 5 minors in total, no more than one in each area though, so pass pass pass. Now waiting on my shiny Card of Proof, although I do have a certificate of proof which is just as good for the police, but not so great as ID.
I had planned on buying a second hand car for journeys up to Leicester. However, the cheapest cars I can find are much further along the road to dead than I would prefer and the ones that are still running nicely are (realistically) outside my price range.
Fear not comrade, for there is another option. Another way! Renting. Now I can hear the chuckles, screams and outrage now, but wait. A train ticket from Cardiff to Leicester costs £60. Renting a car for a day to get up there and drive around in a little once there before coming back costs... £58. Now, petrol does go on top of that, but the fact is that it's about an hour faster to go by car and the added freedom once there makes the extra feel worth it.
For the cost of insurance, plus car, plus potential repairs, plus tax, plus MOT, I could rent 40 times or more. It doesn't really make sense to pick up a 11 year old car for more than I could be using a brand new one for.
The advantage of buying, of course, is that it's mine. I own the car. I can use it as and when I please. However, I live in Cardiff. The city center is less than 30 minutes walk away. My uni is less than 20 minutes walk away. Everything I do is less than 30 minutes away by foot and much of it has terrible, terrible parking access. Getting to uni and parking up would probably take me in the region of 30 to 40 minutes, possibly even longer. Getting into town and parking would take longer than walking and would cost me money. What I'm getting at is the only thing I want a car for is to get to Leicester and back and to drive around in once in Leicester (that place is spread out like crazy cakes). The renting option seems like the bestest one on offer.