Should You Just Drive It Yourself?

Sometimes driving it yourself is cheaper and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Here is how the numbers actually fall.

What driving actually costs

People compare a transport quote against fuel and conclude that driving wins. Fuel is about half of it.

Where driving genuinely wins

• Short corridors. Sydney to Canberra, Melbourne to Geelong, Brisbane to the Gold Coast. Just drive it.
• You were making the trip anyway. If you are driving to the new city regardless, the marginal cost of the car being under you is close to zero.
• Low-value vehicles on short runs, where transport is a meaningful fraction of what the car is worth.
• You actually want the drive. Some people do, and that is a legitimate reason.

Where transport wins clearly

• Anything crossing the Nullarbor. Sydney or Melbourne to Perth is not a drive most people should do once, let alone by choice.
• Two vehicles, one household. Either you make the trip twice or someone drives alone for four days.
• The vehicle is valuable, classic, or has fresh paint.
• You are flying anyway and the car is the only thing that needs to move.
• Anyone who would rather not do a remote outback drive solo. Sections of the Nullarbor and the Stuart Highway have very long gaps between services and patchy reception.