Driving & Car Versus Vacation & Travel the World

[Trien Chieu]

What is more important to you? Driving & Car or Vacation & Travel the World?

For me, having a car and driving is a need!!! something you can't live without. On the other hand, vacation & travel the world is luxury, something I can live without it... Honestly, if I have extra money I rather spend it on getting better car than blow it away on travel . I like travel to beautiful place nearby by driving and just stay few days away from home. I dislike travel long distance where I have to spend big buck like the europeans do...

[Happy Kadaw]

Although I voted for Others,

I'd vote for traveling but its much less important than having my own car and transportation. It depends on where I'm living too. Around here, there's no way I can live without a car--I don't want to get attacked walking down the street lol.

[expression]

You mean if you have saved up enough, would you spend it on a car or spend it on vacation?

Car, definitely. I commute, and I hate leasing.

I've heard of a couple who keeps putting off putting down payment to buy a house because that would mean no annual luxury vacation for a couple years, so they decide to keep renting... Some people do put entertainment before basic needs.

[yittz]

I don't get this thread.

What's driving and car? Is that the same as a road trip? It's heaps fun when you go with friends and just drive from one spot to another - the time in the car/van is half the fun.

On the other hand, if you really want to visit other cultures and landmarks, you can't always drive there.

[Hoju!]

Are you asking, if you only had enough money to buy a car (and you don't have one already) or go on a holiday, what would you do? I guess the answer is, it depends...

In the current city that I'm in, well, I'd take the car of course. Public transportation is much more inefficient compared to many of the other major cities I've been to, and it's a Canadian city so waiting in the cold for a bus is not fun. In this case, it's deciding between a necessity or a luxury, and I'd take the necessity (car) for sure.

But if I lived in, for example, Hong Kong, I don't think I'd even want a car unless I was wealthy (and then I'd get a chauffeur ). To me, a car is more of a luxury item in HK than a necessity. The public transportation system there is very well developed (frequent, efficient, many many routes), and with the congestion on the roads, I'd definitely prefer to take the bus/subway than drive.

Now, if your question is whether I had extra money to spend and it was a difference between upgrading to a nice car (e.g. Porsche, Audi, etc) or a vacation, then it's vacation for sure, regardless of where I was living. A car depreciates the instant it leaves the dealership. A vacation is not an investment in that you cannot quantify any of your experiences, but what you get out of it is intangible and to me, my memories are priceless. The experience you gain from seeing other cultures, lifestyles, etc enriches your life and broadens your mind, and it can make you a better person.

But if I could afford to do both.......

[S Beaver]

yes, it certainly depends on where you live. if i had easy acess to a GOOD public transportation system, then i think i can live without my own car. not only does it save money (gas) but it is also more environmentally friendly.

however, such places with GOOD public transportation are rare, esp in the North America.

[expression]

I suppose it can be split into 2 questions:

1. For a vacation, do you prefer driving around to explore your country or do you prefer travelling far to visit other countries?

~~~~~~
2. You are a working adult betwen 25-35 renting an apartment. There's no good public transport and you're leasing a car. You just managed to pay off your tuition debt so you start to have some extra cash every month. Would you:

a. Continue renting and leasing. Spend all your extra money on luxury vacations and other items every year.
b. Continue renting. Save money to buy a car, meaning no luxury annual vacation for 2 years.
c. Continue leasing. Save up for down payment to buy your first home, meaning no luxury annual vacation for 5 years.
d. Keep on saving with the goal to eventually own a car and a home. Cut back on all forms of entertainment/luxury items. Luxury vacations out of the question for the next 8-10 years.

[999roses]

Yeh the city I used to live in was okay...except there was huge monopoloy so there was ill service.

Depends on the guy I marry. If he's adventurous like me, then sure, I don't mind not owning a car/house immediately. Actually I'm not even a huge "house" person and I just want a condo...even if I have to rent one for a while, I want to enjoy life while I'm young.

Then there's the other possibility that I will be single for many many many years....and that's starting to become a reality haha. In that case, I probably will be even less willing to settle down.

[Sparky]

I don't understand how you want us to interpret this, but if I had to give up a car for the rest of my life to travel the WHOLE WORLD, I think the choice is pretty evident! Seriously, I don't care if the car is a Lamborghini. I'm sure I would learn a lot more experiencing the beauty of this world, expanding my lenses, and immersing myself in different cultures, than I would from driving a Lamborghini around and polluting the environment.

Besides I hate cars. I remember in Grade 11 sex ed, the teacher for some reason asked who didn't want to drive. I was the only maverick who raised her hand and everyone thought I was crazy, so below is my reasoning why:

1) I can't imagine not living downtown, and there's no point of a car downtown, although I understand there are cities that aren't as developed in terms of infrastructure as where I live. But for me, it's more of a nuisance, especially since I don't parallel park very well.

2) People who commute to cities have ridiculous amounts of patience that I cannot muster. I drove on the Gardiner Expressway once during rush hour. Never again.

3) Our dependence on cars is exacerbating the energy situation. Gas prices are incredibly high nowadays, but the bigger problem is that our reliance on gas is hindering our shift towards alternative energy and increasing our dependence on many unstable regions.

4) Public transit has way more interesting people, like people who play guitars on subways. I also like how I can zone out when I'm on the bus, even if I'm standing and it's crowded. Driving actually requires focus, and after a long day that's not what I do best.

[expression]

Very different here; I like settling down. I like to stick to family rather than live alone, but being the conventional Chinese I'll aim to buy a townhouse/condo for investment as early as possible. I don't spend much on luxury stuff anyway.

Me no adventurous granny.

[xJadedx]

I don't get this question or how people interpret it.

The thing is, I like big cities, so I'll always try to live somewhere with lots of people and usually a good public transportation. I would probably take public transportation as long as it suits my needs until I have a family, since driving around by myself is not that great for the environment. As well, the costs of maintaining a car is much more than public transportation.

I love travelling, so I would rather put off having a car and travel around while I'm young. It's not about putting luxury before needs, since I don't need a car. A car in my case, would be a luxury as well.

[jadebunny9]

Since the question doesn't really have any limitations...I'll answer in the same nonsensical manner. I already have a car so between the two, I would pick a vacation.

But of course, nothing is more important than food, duh.

[expression]

I don't like to live in the city; I prefer the suburbs. I work in the suburbs too. So public transport is out of the question.

[HuangYushi]

My car is a work-horse. Needless to say, it is the smallest and cheapest available in the local market. It is not for showing off or impressing anyone with.

I have never travelled overseas purely for a "vacation". All my overseas trips, ranging from days to months, were work-related, but I wasn't stuck in some boardroom having a meeting with a bunch of suits. My work took me out into the streets, into the community, amongst the people and into their homes. A person who has never looked at overseas trips in this manner would be unlikely to appreciate the full value of such trips, much less attempt to go on one.

HYS

[expression]

I like mid-range cars with decent engines and reasonable comfort. Good for daily commute on highways.

[MrPhotastic]

I hate driving period. I'll take a vacation anytime.

[Trien Chieu]

I hate driving period. I'll take a vacation anytime.

Have fun with your vacation but then you will have to take public transportation everyday when it is ended....

[expression]

Well, it's just that the availability, feasibility and advantages of public transport varies widely...

I'm just curious TC, do you rely on your car a lot for work? And do you live alone or with family?

[MrPhotastic]

Have fun with your vacation but then you will have to take public transportation everyday when it is ended....

I don't have a problem taking public transportation, as a matter of fact before I got my driver's license public transportation was my best friend.

4) Driving actually requires focus, and after a long day that's not what I do best.

Sounds like you need a chauffeur