Do you think it is wise to buy a private car in Shanghai?

Coy Tapley: I think as with any big city, owning a car can be more of a negative than a plus. Sometimes looking for parking can be a real hassle. Also I am sure Shanghai has pretty decent public transportation. If your mother does buy a car, I would suggest something small since it would be easier to drive and find parking. I don't know how much it costs to own a car in China nor do I know how much gas costs there. There are a lot of different factors to consider and I would not rush into buying a car immediately....Show more

Toney Flaten: if your mother buy a car,will she drive you to school?

Nedra Oltz: Many people in China buy cars just because they can - for years it was an unobtainable goal, almost symbolic of life in the West not possible in China. It helps to understand different social conditions in western countries (such as the US, where I am from) and China (where I have lived for 20 years). In the US, most people prefer to live outside of citi! es, in suburban or rural communities where a car is an absolute necessity for transportation. Going to work or even shopping means driving 20 minutes or more, and low population densities make mass transit unavailable, or inconvenient at best.In China, on the other hand, there are no real suburbs. As people start to make money there are 2 goals: buy an apartment in the city and buy a car. What does it mean, "there are no real suburbs"? Once leaving the city proper basic services, including shopping, schools, police, health care, and so on, are of much lower quality, enough so that it is not practical for most city people to live there.Many people living in cities in the US do not have cars, but rely on mass transit to save time and money (when I lived in Boston I did not have a car). While only your family understands your needs, there are some areas to consider. What do you need a car for? Is it for daily use? If so, do you have parking available on both ends? I don't know! Shanghai well, but I would *never* consider driving into down! town Beijing regularly. With the traffic (much worse than in the US), danger, and expense, alternate transportation is a good alternative. In Beijing, busses are frequent and, except for rush hour, not too crowded. Cabs have just gone up in price (now $0.25/km), which is still cheap, and they are numerous. If you want a car to get out of the city on weekends, daily rental for a small car is only a little over 200 RMB/day ($25) (for those not here, bicycling is no longer practical on a regular basis in Beijing, the pollution and danger introduced by cars make it a poor choice)One other factor: if you have a car your mother *will* drive it hours a day - everyone does. It will mean a major change in lifestyle, but also turn her into a driver for you and others who will take rides because it seems so much easier. Taking classes farther away and needing to be driven both ways, friends asking for rides because it is so easy, driving a km to the supermarket because it is easier th! an walkig or busing... Expect a lot less exercise.I do have my Chinese drivers licence but we have not bought a car, and I am very reluctant to drive into the city unless absolutely necessary....Show more