I was car free for several years, then I bought a car. Initially, I drove it everywhere, but quickly remembered that I absolutely hate driving, and went back to riding almost everywhere within a few weeks. I kept the car for emergencies, but the emergencies became rarer and rarer, and finally got rid of the car last spring when I realized that every car trip was costing me $40 just for insurance.

I should add, though, that I'm not orthodox in my car-free-ness. I don't attach much moral significance to being car-free, and I do subscribe to a car-sharing plan, which I use about once every 2-3 months. As I'm sure everyone here knows, you don't always, or even usually, need a car, and financially it's kind of silly to own one if you live in a city, but when you do need a car, it's nice to have access to one.