Before buying a car, could car sharing save you money? Official rates and a use-count comparison

Start with three occasions when you need a car

Weekend shopping, carrying bulky things or an outing beyond the station: write down three situations where a car would help. These are examples for planning, not the author’s experiences.

Separate daily commuting from a few uses each month. For occasional use, accessing a car only when needed may suit you. A valid licence, the ability to drive and an available car nearby are prerequisites.

Include the walk to the station, availability on your preferred days and the return deadline. A low calculation is little help if it cannot meet your transport needs. Not buying a car is not the right answer for everyone.

Notice the differences between three major services

The table below was checked against official pages on October 30, 2026 (Japan time). It covers the stated standard individual plans and classes, excluding student, corporate and joining-campaign offers. Time units and coverage differ, so this is not a cheapest-first ranking.

Pay particular attention to distance charges. Times CAR charges for kilometres beyond 20km even on a short time-based rental. The listed Mitsui and ORIX plans charge no distance fee when both the booking and actual use stay within six hours. A longer reservation or extension changes the treatment; a short actual drive alone does not prove it is free of distance fees.

The ORIX figures are for its new service. Do not mix them with monthly fees or credits on old-member pages. Check which terms apply to your contract and booking. Other plans and vehicle classes have different rates.

Two hours and 30km: what goes into the bill?

Now use the published Times CAR rates in an example with assumed usage conditions. In an ordinary month, an Individual-plan member books Basic class for two hours and 30km each time, returns to the same station, uses no night pack, discounts or overrun, and adds the optional protection service every time. Availability and journey feasibility are not guaranteed.

Time is JPY 220 × 8 = JPY 1,760. Distance is (30 − 20)km × JPY 20 = JPY 200. The JPY 1,960 time/distance amount plus optional protection at JPY 550 gives JPY 2,510 for a use. The two hours include stops and errands until return, not just driving.

Separating membership and credit gives a monthly formula: JPY 880 + max(JPY 1,960 × uses − JPY 880, JPY 0) + JPY 550 × uses. With at least one use under these assumptions, the monthly fee and usage credit offset, giving JPY 10,040 for four uses. A no-use month still costs JPY 880. Usage credit cannot pay for the optional protection.

The model assumes refuelling with the dedicated in-car card under official instructions, rather than adding private-car petrol costs again. Initial costs are separate: eligible cardless joining methods have no card-issue fee, while an individual physical card costs JPY 1,650 each. First-month and campaign conditions are not mixed into this ordinary-month example.

Ownership is a hypothetical model; sharing uses published rates

For buying, assume JPY 1.5 million including the vehicle and one-off registration costs, and a resale value of JPY 300,000 after six years. (JPY 1,500,000 − JPY 300,000) ÷ 6 years gives JPY 200,000 annualised purchase cost. The purchase price is not added again every year, and the resale value is not guaranteed. The assumed purchase amount excludes insurance, tax and inspection costs listed separately below.

Assume the private car achieves 15km/L and petrol costs JPY 150/L: 30km then costs JPY 300 in fuel. These are modelling assumptions, not current survey figures. Compare both options meeting the same number of two-hour, 30km journeys below.

Under these conditions, sharing is JPY 31,160 lower at four uses, while ownership is JPY 13,040 lower at twenty-four. These are not the author’s results or savings everyone can achieve. No parking cost, longer trips or longer bookings can change the answer.

Add relevant loan interest, extra purchase costs, destination parking, tolls and other excluded spending to each option. Hypothetical private insurance and provider cover are not equivalent contracts; price the protection you need. Existing owners should consider future upkeep, current sale proceeds and remaining loans, rather than repeat the past purchase price.

Insurance included does not mean no extra liability

Each service includes basic insurance or cover, but NOC (a charge for loss of use), dirt, lost items and breaches of terms do not simply disappear. The optional services in the table have different charging units and exemption scopes too.

Times charges JPY 550 per use, Mitsui JPY 550 per 24 booked hours, and the new ORIX service JPY 660 per 24 hours. Check official conditions and exclusions, including accident reporting, registered drivers, returns and extensions. An optional service does not cover everything.

Where to return, a backup when extension is unavailable, and suitable equipment or luggage space matter alongside the price. Consider whether life will still work on days when the car you want is unavailable.

Before buying, put a week’s plans on paper

Start with a week’s errands and note the time and return-trip distance needed. Count shopping and waiting as well as driving: how long from departure until returning the car? Do not inflate or shrink unconfirmed plans to get a preferred answer.

For a few uses a month, with nearby availability and manageable booking/return arrangements, car sharing is worth considering before purchase. Daily school runs, urgent commuting or limited local cars can make having your own vehicle valuable. You need not force your life into the cheapest-looking option.

I would compare using only what is needed before rushing to buy. Seeing the use count and full payment can make both saving without ownership and choosing a necessary car more deliberate decisions.

Prefer travelling without driving? Read the taxi article →