Car Co-Ops

[querelle]

Anybody here a member of a car co-op? I was asked to join one in my neighborhood and wanted to know if any DU'ers had experience with this sort of thing. Because I live in the downtown area of my city, I really don't need a car every day, except to do specific errands like a big supermarket buy or the odd trip to Home Depot. This co-op will cost me $100 a month and I have to book the car at least 24 hours in advance. No out of town trips are allowed.

Comments?

Q

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. That sounds really interesting...

But I guess it would depend on what I needed a car for and I wouldn't want to get stuck in a jam in an emergency.

[sbj405]

2. Do you have zipcar or flexcar in your city?

The co op sounds ok, but how many people are sharing how many cars? Do you get a guarenteed # of hours/month? It seems as though you could end up paying and then never having a car available.

For reference, the carshare programs around here are $45/year plus $8-9/hour which includes gas, insurance, etc.

[querelle]

3. No Zipcar or Flexcar Here.........

..... that I know of. This is a private co-op with 3 mini-vans. The co-ordinator told me that even though a 24 hour notice period is requested, a vehicle is usually available on demand. There are 18 members in this particular co-op. The $100 a month is a flat fee with no hourly charge. You only have to fill the tank when you are done with the vehicle.

Q

[Crazy Dave]

4. If the $100 covers all the insurance and maintenance....

...that wouldn't be too bad. It would be about the same as you'd pay if you used a taxi couple of times a week. I'd avoid any type of contract that would require an automatic bank or credit card draft in case it doesn't work out or lets you down often.