Share a Car With Your Neighbors
12/4/2007
Wheels When You Need Them
Something I’ve never figured out — yet have been guilty of myself — is why people buy a car for something they only do once or twice a year rather than for their daily lifestyle. For example, I have a good friend whose husband bought a brand new pickup because he knew he would do some home projects that year. Well, he did exactly one project that required the pickup, yet he commutes 50 miles every day in a vehicle whose gas mileage hovers in the low teens.
My family has been guilty of this as well. We bought a ginormous SUV because we travel to my parents’ house a few times a year, bringing along our dog and winter/summer gear. When the fill-up for my weekly commutes got a little too hefty, though, we downsized to something a little more fuel-efficient and daily-lifestyle appropriate. We’ve decided we can rent a big SUV for those trips and, between gas and car payments, still come out ahead.
Recently, however, I ran across an alternative to renting that would help my girlfriend whose husband insisted on the pickup. A little different from your typical rental car, Zipcar is a shared-vehicle-ownership company that provides members with flexible car use; you can pay by the hour or by the day. Just reserve a car for a particular period of time (online or over the phone), pick it up from its designated parking space in your city, use it for whatever you need and return it to the same spot. Within a mileage limit, your gas, maintenance and insurance are all included in the fee.
I don’t think this is a far-fetched idea. Nanny sharing happens all the time. Neighbors pitch in for expensive yard equipment and get cut rates on shared services. Heck, one mom I know even shares the services of a hunky snow-removal person with her neighbors. They all lovingly refer to him as the “Russian Snow Boy,” who charmingly writes the fee for his services in the snow after completing a job (with his finger, silly) because he doesn’t speak English. But I digress.
Feel like driving a sports car for girls’ night out? Book it. Doing some home improvement tomorrow and need a truck? Book it. Need a minivan to drive kids on a school trip to the zoo? Book it. Even if you use a shared car daily, you could potentially save money versus buying your own ride. Think about the savings in depreciation, parking and maintenance costs. For a city-dwelling family, this could open up all kinds of possibilities, including not needing to own a second car.
Another place car sharing has gained popularity is college campuses. From my perspective, as a parent of a teenager, this is an intriguing idea. The program is only available to drivers over 21, so just about the time my kid moves off campus we could consider paying for this instead of a car of his own.
Probably one of the biggest benefits of car sharing is environmental. By sharing transportation, chances are good that members will drive less. Car-share members tend to utilize whichever mode of transportation makes the most sense, whether it’s buses, trains, taxis, car sharing or whatever.
Currently available in a couple dozen cities, mostly concentrated on the East and West coasts and in the Midwest, Zipcar is the product of a recent merger between two car-sharing companies, Flexcar and Zipcar (check those sites to see if they’re in your hometown). The company hopes the merger will accelerate its growth to more cities around the United States, Canada and Europe. Who knows — maybe one day this suburban mama will be able to join her urban counterparts in leaving car ownership behind. Hmmm, in the meantime, what else can we share? Snow Boy, anyone?
Comments
A Member of theCars.com Family
Subscribe
My brother and his wife live in Boston and love the zip cars. They are both busy physicians, live in a high rise, no kids, have a Whole Foods in the first floor of their building and thus, don't really have time or great need for a car right now. They love the convenience of getting a zip car when they need to haul a piece of furniture or want to drive up the coast.
Posted by: Courtney A. E. Messenbaugh | Dec 5, 2007 10:16:25 AM