Re: Switzerland - car leasing vs train
Post 11
It is difficult to answer that question because it really depends on:
- Where do you like to go
- How many kms do you like to drive
- What kind of car are you talking about
- What kind of fuel (regular fuel or diesel)?
- What is your lifestyle?
- Whether you don't mind depending on train schedules.
and a lot of other variables.
I'm sorry to hear you live in Geneva, but the cost of a lease will depend mainly on the purchase price of the car, and the interest rate you are getting (which is not disclosed in CH). The purchase price you can negotiate or you can find through your job if there are lease / purchase incentives. Now you also need to take into account the number of Kms you drive as you are restricted with a lease. Some companies allow 20,000kms per year, and some others allow up to 30,000kms per year. Every km on top of that has an extra cost per km. The insurance on a lease has to be full coverage, and depending on what car you get and what insurer you use, could be from 1,500 chf per year or more. If you lease a car, get one with an energy rating of A, because that would mean you won't pay registration taxes for the first 2 years of the lease. If you plan to drive long distances, you should get a diesel. My car gets me 1000 kms per tank, compared to 300 kms on regular fuel.... but again, that depends on what car you get... if its a 4, 5, 6, or god forbid...8+ cylinders.
Anyway, there are so many variables to consider and I think it all boils down to personal choice. I personally hate driving in Geneva, and I hear parking is horrible if you live there. But then there's nothing more awesome than the freedom of being able to go anywhere you want whenever you want (and not when SBB wants). So there are also some non-financial variables to consider. On a personal note, I chose to lease my car, and I'm happy I did. You would have to pry the keys out of my dead cold hands!!
By the way, I recently read that SBB plans to increase rail ticket prices by 3% at the end of 2014. So the train option is quite expensive as well.