Motoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

Cheaper than public transport?
By Shahzad Sheikh

17 Feb – 5 March 2012

At the end of the long-term test with the Toyota Yaris, I was more sorry to see it go than I thought I would be. It’s proved an able and dependable companion, surprisingly fun to drive and, some would say most importantly, pleasantly thrifty. But cheaper than public transport?

The Yaris is one affordable little car, we know that. So how does it compare with using, say, the Dubai Metro system?

That’s a hard one to call as it depends on your commute and the sort of journeys you do. For example how do you get to and from the Metro station at each end, how far do you travel on the train.

Let’s say you have to pay the maximum of AED5.80 ticket for a trip – make that 11.60 for a return trip. Five days a week for four weeks, that’s AED232. Say you have to use a bus at each end, occasionally a taxi, and let’s throw in some more taxi and metro use for the weekends. I’d make a rough estimate of around AED650 over a month spent on public transport.

Now with our Yaris – at a purchase price of (not including any haggling) AED51,000, you’d have to find and put down a deposit of AED10,200. Assuming you have that, your monthly payments over two years on the Toyota Choices programme, would be AED627.

So at first glance the car wins on monthly costs, but then you factor in about AED40 petrol a week, plus parking, maintenance and insurance and you’re looking at closer to a grand a month for the pleasure of car ownership – less though if you go for a longer-term finance plan.

But that ‘pleasure’ aspect is not to be underplayed, so let’s not be too hasty to dismiss the car. The car is door-to-door, and that hypothetical commute could take up to an hour and half by public transport, but around 40 minutes by car. And there’s got to be a value on saved time.

You’ll arrive fresh, cool and hydrated in your air-conditioned car (much moreso when it comes to the summer months). And it’s far easier to get up and go anywhere in the evenings and weekends, without having to work out and plan complicated transfers between buses, trains and metro, and being limited to where you can go. A picnic in the desert for example is probably off-limits – I have seen bus stops up near Bab Al-Shams, though I pity the poor soul that waits out there for a bus!

And let’s not even get into the smells, sounds and transferable viruses often prevalent on communal transport systems, plus the standing room only scenario at rush hour (and I do speak from experience having spent a year using the Metro – although I travelled Gold Class to try to ensure a seat most times).

So I’m sorry, as worthy, clean and efficient as the public transport system is, I’d still rather use a Yaris. And that’s not to belittle this little car. If you read back through our previous reports you’ll find we really grew to like its zesty, spirited nature, and it’s only a manual gearbox and a bit more oomph short of being an astonishingly fun little thing to blast around a city in.

Part 1 – week 1
Part 2 – week 2
Part 3 – week 3
Part 4 – week 4
Part 5 – week 5-6
Final Part 6 – week 7-8

Do you have a new Yaris? Let us know of your experience with the car in the Comments section below!