Recent study....
https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto...245980055.html
Recent study....
https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto...245980055.html
Yes and there was another study that showed BMW drivers are most likely to be jerks. But I hope you realize you should take such studies with a laugh. BMW sold 2 and a half million cars last year after all, most of those buyers I suspect are not psychopaths.
And at least in the case of HK, BMW drivers really aren't more assholish than most other drivers. Because BMWs are so common in HK, it doesn't really attract only pricks like certain other places.
Last edited by Coolboy; 08-01-2022 at 07:15 PM.
irrelevant question but in the process of buying a car; when am I supposed to look for a parking space? There’s a few decent parking spaces right now but I’m not sure how long the car purchase will take so is there a typical protocol when it comes to this? I’m worried when I finally do buy a car all the good spaces would be leased out already :/
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Driving most cars in HK is a luxury by default because of the taxation on cars (it cost twice as much to buy a new car in HK than in most Western countries). There are some exceptions, like if you live in a New Territories village without easy access to public transport, then a car is required. Or if you live in those NT "suburban gated community" like Fairview Park and you work somewhere in Kowloon or HK Island, then a car is often required. But otherwise, in most cases, the average HKer don't really need a car for commuting purposes.
That being said, there are advantages to owning a car. Even though public transport in HK is cheap, efficient and accessible, there are still certain corners of the city that is not-so-easy to get to without a car. Especially for a weekend trip, I can understand why the OP wants a car.
The question posed was not whether having a car was worthwhile. If people think it is it is for them. The pro-car policies (relative to before) over the last 25 years has seen a boon of car ownership. The question was why there are so many BMWesque drivers (I would include Audi, sporty Lexus and some Tesla drivers)
The median income in HK is $18K I would suggest 75% of the population are too poor to own a car but car ownership rates for those that can afford to are probably not too dissimilar to other cities that have better policies to reduce gini-coefficients. Someone else suggested it was the great public transport we have. That is a factor but I suggest no where as big as working poverty in HK. If people can afford a car they tend to have one (exceptions for midlevels dwellers and Newbies to HK etc)
If you can afford a car they it makes living in HK a much better experience.
Actually the the topic of this thread was recommendation on a cheap no frills car. But you decided to talk about why there so many luxury cars are in HK. That's ok.
I also don't quite agree on your suggestion HK has a "pro-car" policy relative to before when there is in effect a double taxation on cars (as I already said, it cost twice as much to own car in HK than in most places in the West). When the HK government actively limit the number of parking spaces in this city to discourage car buyers, when the government took away the tax break for Tesla buyers in 2017 to limit car growth, when it hiked the vehicle registration fee a few years ago, etc.
P.S-Hahaha, you got a beef with BMW drivers? Well like I said in HK, most BMW drivers aren't a-holes, and I won't apologize for owning a second-hand one.
Last edited by Coolboy; 09-01-2022 at 11:24 AM.