Except maybe to get out of the city on the weekends.

i actually shipped a car over here to use when i came and sold it 90 days later, i was worried about getting real authentic body parts to fix the constant damage that was sure to come, best decision i ever made, the buyer still calls me trying to find parts, he finally sold it again to someone else. the toyota solaro convertible was only made in kentucky and parts, well its complicated.

Because FACE!!! Just like virtually everything in China. Also the cars are huge for such a crowded country which makes the whole thing even more inconvenient to park or even drive around, though they are willing to put up with the hassle because the bigger the car the more face. But surely you all know what we say about those men who like big cars 

In a lot of cases maybe it is silly and face driven, but many car-owner types here going to live in a complex with a nice underground garage and work in an office building with a nice underground garage. Parking on the street might be a pain but if you're just doing a normal commute between home/work and maybe a nice mall that also has a garage so parking isn't ever an issue.

Don't get me wrong I don't have a car...but I don't do public transport commutes during rush hour either. I live two blocks from my office tower so I just walk. But lets be honest with ourselves public transport during rush hour can be a f*cking nightmare here.

Traffic might be bad too but theres a huge difference between waiting in traffic in a nice comfy air conditioned car and trying to shove your way onto a bus or train with a bunch of pushy dickheads trying to cut ahead of you in sweltering heat or miserable cold. It's not as though there isn't a compelling reason to want to avoid that

Is it a fun place to drive? no definitely not but it's not a fun place to take the bus either.

Two reasons:

Leisure at weekends. I drive all over Guangdong with my wife visiting places. 

Work. I visit lots of factories in Guangdong and getting to most of them on pubic transport is a headache and you're stuck with farmers on local shifty buses. 

Around Guangzhou itself I use the metro system or taxis as driving downtown is a pain in the arse. 

Because you can't just turn in front of a bunch of cyclists if you're on a bike too, they'd bawl you out, but in a car, pff, you've got the radio on, you're on your phone, you can ride the f*** right over them, who gives a shit, it's great!

I can answer that question, first, you're stupid, next when you have kids and schedule like mine you need a car, I get more sleep and save time and money.. How? A school bus for my sons school is 4000 a semester, now thats Y8000 a year, now Y8000 x 6 years of primary school = Y48,000, no way will I pay a bus fee like that.so we bought a BYD SUV for Y97,000 and it was the greatest investment that we ever made in China, we drive to where we want and save time and energy...  PINGAN car insurance is Y3800 for 1 year, fantastic. Back in the states it would cost us much more. I love having a car in China. If anyone needs info on the whole buy a car or how to get a license I'm happy to help with all the know how.

Long ago the myth makers realized that the human mind would make concessions for the sake of fairytale..."If you loved me, you would"....Buying a house in china, buying a car in china, pollution, xenophobia, taxation, racism, cheat, fakes, n. korean alliances, etc.......The story you concede to just might be "Eat shit and die in china"...I don't care much for such a story. A mind is a terrible thing to waste unless you are telling the myth in china.

Personally, if I was single. a car would be absolutely out of the question (and I'm a car guy). But if you have acquired a family in China, as the years go by the need will be more pervasive. But it really depends on where you are. In Shanghai, I wouldn't. mass transportation is too.... mass and taxis are easy to find and the roads are already too clogged with vehicles. But in other cities, I can see many situations where driving makes things so much easier. Not to mention the wife's need to have face in front of her peers.

well actually it depends where you live,, for example in shanghai, if you are in the city center it is plain useless having a car. however if you are located in the suburbs ( pudong, baoshan etc. ) a car is important, especially in the winter. everything is far away and a car is easier. However as said above, a car is more like a FACE. but buying big cars is plain dumb, unless you live in the real outskirts like Fengxian or jinshan. The city is horrible to park or drive a big car. I traded my ford focus for a bigger BMW and its the worst mistake ever.. Having a car is fun, can drive on weekends or weeknights...romantic drives etc. but best get a small hatchback, insurance is cheap, fuel is cheap and trust me, romantic spontaneous drives are way cheaper than 5 star dinners..

well actually it depends where you live,, for example in shanghai, if you are in the city center it is plain useless having a car. however if you are located in the suburbs ( pudong, baoshan etc. ) a car is important, especially in the winter. everything is far away and a car is easier. However as said above, a car is more like a FACE. but buying big cars is plain dumb, unless you live in the real outskirts like Fengxian or jinshan. The city is horrible to park or drive a big car. I traded my ford focus for a bigger BMW and its the worst mistake ever.. Having a car is fun, can drive on weekends or weeknights...romantic drives etc. but best get a small hatchback, insurance is cheap, fuel is cheap and trust me, romantic spontaneous drives are way cheaper than 5 star dinners..

oh and did i mention the parking issue at home....my biggest concern f going it is someone will steal  my parking spot at home, so i have to put my motorcycle in the spot to take the car out. best to have an apartment with underground or reserved parking spaces, or else your screwed with probable 16  scratches within the 1st week.