just got my chinese license and is looking to get an inexpensive yet safe car with decent quality that won't cost an arm and leg, also what is the insurance like in china and will it be easier to rent a car for the time being？ where is the best place for a car rental, that is cheap and hassle free? thanks for the help.

Strongly advise you not to buy a car, or to rent one either - we've got way more than we need here.

Driving in the city does complicate things, as you probably do need a licence (which you have), registration and insurance. Once the hassle of these requirements are dealt with, then you have Kunming's traffic to fight your way though.

I'm about 20mins from Yuxi and bought a cheap VW Santana a little while ago (found it on 58.com in Chuxiong), and haven't looked back.

A car is essential in the countryside, but after driving through Kunming on the way home from Chuxiong, it seems there are few benefits for city dwellers to own a car - especially with the pending subway system.

@650cc: Not sure why it's essential in the countryside - I'd imagine it depends on what is meant by 'the countryside' and what one has to do there, and how often - but it's certainly not essential in either Kunming or in any of the other towns in Yunnan that I've been to.

@Allen: There seems to be a mutual consensus on the opinion that a car is not essential for town living.

The 'countryside' could be used to describe an area that is not part of a developed township. If one is living there, then you can imagine how one needs food to eat, and how often that means leaving the house and going to town.

Going to E'shan, a 30min bike ride past all the canola is very pleasant on a sunny day, but when a truck rumbles past leaving a taste of dust and diesel, or especially when it's an early morning ride in winter to the hot springs, a 5min drive with a heater and no dust seems to be a much better option.

When the in-laws (who can't drive) used to catch the bus to Yuxi, they bemoaned the ever increasing traffic and horns in town. Still not wanting to drive themselves, the car has certainly been given the thumbs up.

I have a new SUV but seldom use it, less 4,000km last year since brought it, what a waste!
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@675cc, if the inlaws bemoan ever increasing traffic in towns, how does that mean that the car gets the thumbs up? Seems to me its the problem, at least in town. To put yet another car on the road just to avoid 5 minutes without a heater and with some dust, just to go to a hot springs, seems counterproductive, to say the least.

ok, to clear things up, I do not plan to drive it in the city at all, as I have an ebike for that, I need it for out of town travelling and country side visiting, to places such as luo ping, da li, and it makes things much easier with the whole family and the baby, the question is should I trust buying a second hand car in China? (no budget for a brand new) or is it easier to just rent, maybe less hassle?

'Need' is an interesting word.

I bought a car 2 years ago. Haven't looked back since. The suzuki alto starts at $50,000 inc tax and its much safer than nearly all Chinese designed cars.

Insurance about 2500 -3000 per year but the maximum indemnity is only about $80,000 which is not much.