You are literally asking for personal financial advice here, you’ve said it yourself above: “my post is about…the hassle and COST of owning a car here” (emphasis mine). It’s weird to ask about that while disregarding the idea of a cheaper car. If you rent zip cars, what do you think you’re going to get? Not the kind of car you have now. So if you’re considering a using a cheaper car via something like zipcar, you should also compare that with owning a cheaper car. Of course it’s ultimately your choice, but it’s strange you think this is odd.