It's not parked in my garage, equipped with racks set up exactly as I need, next to all my outdoor equipment ready to go. I drive a 16 year old car that has be

It's not parked in my garage, equipped with racks set up exactly as I need, next to all my outdoor equipment ready to go. I drive a 16 year old car that has been paid off for many years. Insurance is <$1k/yr. Average maintenance & repair is pretty low since I don't drive a heck of a lot (1-2x trips/week typically). Is it strictly cheaper than rentals? Maybe, maybe not. But it's cheap enough to not matter, and instead optimize on convenience rather than cost. I'm even considering buying a new or very lightly used car in the nearish future, which would cost considerably more in the short term, but I would hang on to it for a long time barring unexpected circumstances. Cost (within reason) is not even a top 3 factor compared to convenience, comfort, and safety.