[nmeofthestate]

"The cost of cars accounts for as much as 85 percent of personal transportation spending, according to Hietanen, even though the average car is used only 4 percent of the time."

This figure is a bit silly - you don't drive your car while you're sleeping, or indeed when you're already where you want to be. Doesn't mean it's not a useful thing to own.

[alistairSH]

4% of 24 hours is about 58 minutes.

So, 6% of the 16 hours/day you're awake. 9% of the 11 hours/day you aren't sleeping or working.

Sure, owning a car is useful. But, private car ownership is highly inefficient.

[ghaff]

The vast, vast bulk of things that people own they use a small percentage of the time. To be sure, cars are expensive, their storage may be expensive in some locations, and at least some people are fine with just renting a generic car. But just observing that something isn't in use a high percentage of the time doesn't really tell you anything about whether it makes sense to own vs. short-term rent.