I tried going without a car once (in the US), and it turned into a much bigger problem because the times you’d most like to use the car (holidays, vacation times if you’re going on a trip) also tend to be when other people want to do the same thing, and it’s very difficult to get the rental you want.

Also, there were a couple times I showed up to pick up what I’d reserved, and all the sudden it wasn’t available - and that completely screwed me over.

And that isn’t even counting emergencies.