There are some countries where getting around without a car is practically impossible.
In a place where the public transport system is unreliable at best, folks have to find other ways to go from A to B and this is not always easy.
In this article we will attempt to outline the options a person in this kind of predicament might have when trying to get to and from work or to the supermarket, for example, and how cheap cars can help.
First of all, a person could hire a private taxi but this is extremely expensive as they are metered.
If you have not taken a private taxi before you may be shocked to find how quickly the kilometres add up.
Hence it is preferable to take a private taxi only when you absolutely have to like an emergency or when you can travel with someone else and split the bill.
The more folk that travel in a personal taxi the better because the cheaper it will be, although a private taxi, being an ordinary sedan is unlikely to accommodate more than four passengers at most.
A private taxi is useful when you and a few friends are going to a place where you plan on imbibing alcohol and none of you want to be the designated driver.
However, this is one of the few instances where private taxis trump cheap cars as a viable mode of transport.
If the city you live in has an extensive minibus taxi system then you might choose this as an alternative to public transport.
In South Africa, for instance, many people use minibus taxis to get around because they cannot afford a car of their own.
The minibus taxi network in South Africa is reliable, cheap and easy to use; a person merely raises a finger in the air, pointing in the direction they want to go, and very soon a minibus taxi will stop for them to climb aboard.
On the other hand, if these folks could afford cars many of them would most likely wish to have their own personal vehicle because many of the minibus taxis are heavily used and not properly maintained.
Aside from being packed into a minibus taxi like a sardine there is always the chance of being involved in a serious vehicle collision whilst riding in one.
This leaves cheap cars as the only other viable alternative in places where the public transport system is unreliable.
Fortunately, it is entirely possible to acquire a small economy model of vehicle these days that is both reliable and cheap to run.
Cheap cars, which are often referred to as 'economy' vehicles, are generally quite economic in their use of petrol and routine services are often relatively inexpensive as well.
Insurance on cheap cars can also be fairly cheap as opposed to cover on a more expensive vehicle provided that you park your cheap car in a secure place.
And last but not least, most makes of economy vehicles nowadays possess some extra features over and above the basics that make them a pleasure to drive, much like their more costly counterparts.