COE prices insane, should I buy a car now or just keep taking Grab?

From my experience, buying a car in Singapore is a lifestyle purchase, not a money-saving one, so be honest about that. When I ran the full numbers, COE, downpayment, loan interest, road tax, insurance, petrol, parking and maintenance, a car easily costs well over a thousand a month all-in. If you're a young family doing frequent grocery runs, kids' activities and visiting relatives, the convenience is genuinely worth it and Grab surge pricing on weekends adds up fast. But if you mostly commute on routes the MRT covers well, the car will drain your savings. My advice: track how much you actually spend on Grab and taxis for three months, then compare honestly. Also consider a car-sharing service for occasional heavy trips before committing to ownership at these COE levels.

We held off buying because of COE and instead use a mix of public transport, Grab and car-sharing, and it works for us. With two kids I understand the pain, but even at high Grab costs we still spend far less than full car ownership when I did the sums. What tipped it for us was that we live near an MRT and most weekday needs are covered. For the big weekend grocery haul we use a car-sharing app which is way cheaper than owning a depreciating COE asset. That said, if you have a baby needing a car seat daily, or elderly parents to ferry, ownership convenience can justify the cost. Decide based on your real weekly routine, not the fantasy of weekend drives. And if you do buy, get a sensible car, not one that stretches your loan to the max.