A Foolhardy Pursuit? The Price Of Four-Wheeled Freedom

Owning a car in Hong Kong is expensive, frustrating and entirely illogical - but it might just be the best decision you ever make. Andrew J.C. Spires reports

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Andrew J.C. Spires

Having a car in Hong Kong is a bit like having a dog. They're expensive, you don't need one and they create extra work, but they make life exponentially better. Here is a quick guide to finding the best car, the best place to park it, and the exuberant costs and paperwork needed to live the petrolhead dream.

Parking is the number one issue for car owners in Hong Kong, and especially DBers who aren't allowed private vehicles anywhere near their homes. Discovery Bay residents have two options - Sunny Bay and Tung Chung. Whilst Sunny Bay is the closest option with a HK$2,500 monthly fee and a regular bus service, Tung Chung is also a viable option. There are a smattering of parking spaces rented out by the owners of village houses on Tung Chung Road, with prices starting from just HK$1,500 a month. Consider jumping on a Hello Bike to make getting to the car quicker whilst adding in a little exercise!

Once you've found the perfect parking spot, you then have to consider the car. Will you choose comfort over speed, fuel economy over fun, two or seven seats? Second-hand cars are incredibly cheap in Hong Kong and are definitely the best option. Take a look on Facebook Marketplace, 28 car.com (the website looks like it's been made by a partially sighted chimp, but it has a lot of vehicles) or carro.co/hk which provides warranties, a five-day money-back guarantee and peace of mind with cars that have undergone inspection.

Whilst Facebook can offer up some incredible deals, I recommend getting an independent mechanic to look over any car before you hand over the money. Don't be put off by high mileage - if the car has been regularly serviced, anything that can go wrong probably already has and will have been fixed.

If you're buying a car over seven years old, you'll need to factor in the yearly M.O.T. The inspection costs HK$585 and you can get this done yourself at one of the 20 Transport Department Designated Testing Centres dotted all over Hong Kong. If you think your car won't pass, you can request a garage to carry out a pre-inspection, and also give the car a service, which is always a good idea. The mechanic will also take your car for the M.O.T. inspection. Prices for this hover at around HK$2,500 to HK$3,000.

Next up, once you take possession of the car, you have 72 hours to put it in your name. Before you do this, you'll need a Certificate of Insurance. There are lots of brokerages in Hong Kong to help you with this, or you can go directly to the insurer. Make sure you bring a copy of the Certificate of Insurance with you to the Transport Department Download form TD25 and get the existing owner to fill in their bit, you fill out yours, then you can simply walk into the governmental office (the big one is on Queensway but there are others) and pay the HK$1,000. The Transport Department says you both need to attend, but that's not the case. They will give you the new vehicle registration certificate there and then.

As well as the M.O.T., you also have to pay annual vehicle road tax. The price for this varies on engine capacity. Anything lower than a 1.5 litre engine pays HK$5,074, rising to HK$7,498 for an engine up to 2.5 litres. Over that and fees can climb up to a whopping HK$14,694 per year. Electric cars don't escape the tax but are charged at a much lower rate, the highest of which is HK$5,114 for the biggest, beefiest battery.

So now you own the car and are fully up to date with all the paperwork. You've paid the fees and you can start to enjoy yourself. Not quite...

Hong Kong leads the world in having the priciest petrol at the pump. Gas currently sits at a staggering HK$31 to HK$33 per litre. A neat hack to lower these costs centres on aggressive competition among fuel retailers such as Shell, Caltex, Sinopec and PetroChina. Download their loyalty apps to receive substantial instant discounts at the pump. Just show the QR code screen when filling up. To give you an idea of how fuel costs can add up, my Mini Cooper S, with a little 44-litre fuel tank, costs HK$1,400 to fill up. | had to change my underwear the first time I saw the numbers climbing.

If you plan to drive any great distances, you'll need to pay toll fees for the tunnels. The easiest way to do this is to apply online for the HKeToll sticker, which, once registered to your vehicle, can autopay any tolls linked to your credit card. This also carries a cost, albeit a small HK$50. Tolls in Hong Kong range from HK$20 to HK$60 depending on what time you use them.

You're probably asking yourself why anyone would want to pay all that money, just to dodge dangerous taxi drivers and sit in traffic. If you're anything like me, driving is one of life's great joys. Get yourself a fun little car and you'll put a smile on your face and a skip in your step.

If you've lived in Hong Kong for a decent amount of time, it can start to feel quite small but having a car can open up the city like a blossoming flower. We now take day trips to Kadoorie Farm, Tai Lam Chung Reservoir and beaches all over Hong Kong. There is no greater feeling than climbing back into your own car after a long day exploring, getting the aircon cranked up and knowing you, not the bus captain, are the master of your route and ETA!

We have a dog, and previously needed to take a taxi if we wanted to take him anywhere exciting A trip to Kam Tin Country Club by a pet-friendly Uber runs to HK$600 for a return trip. Even without a pup in tow, taking public transport to beautiful spots like Sai Kung easily takes an hour-and-a-half and involves changing transportation. With your own wheels, you can be there in 50 minutes and have fun in the process - get the tunes turned up, the roof down and enjoy the ride.

Sometimes, life isn't about being sensible. A sensible person wouldn't spend upwards of

HK$40K a year just to go for an evening drive with the kids and dog. Car ownership in Hong Kong, and especially DB, is a foolhardy pursuit akin to boat ownership. But then so is owning a dog. You struggle to go on holiday, you can't leave them alone for extended periods, groomers are expensive, they need endless walks, high vet bills. The list is endless. But l adore my dog, and l wouldn't change him for the world. I also love my car, I just wish I could park it a bit closer to home.