How much does it cost to run a small car?

[trabuquera]

Parking costs may also be an issue depending were you live and how keen your borough is on emissions-based parking costs & where you'll park at work each day. Residential parking permits in Lambeth range from £150 to £500+ pa depending on size of the car and daily parking costs can be HUGE if your workplace doesn't have reserved spaces.

 

[toblerone3]

Within this discussion, for those who live in towns with car clubs at least, it would also be interesting to know the usage threshold at which owning a car becomes more expensive than using pay-as-you-go car clubs & traditional hire cars for proper weekends when required.

In my particular case, it’s far cheaper to use hire and club cars, but then I use my bike for most commuting and social needs so it’s a no brainer. But I wonder what would be cheaper for someone doing 2k miles a year…

Research suggeststhat when insurance, tax, fuel, MOT and parking costs aretaken into account, Londoners who drive less than 2,000miles a year (roughly four hours a week) would be betteroff using a car club than owning a car, before one evenconsiders the cost of the vehicle itself. 63

 

[newme]

Think all in we are paying about £200 a month or something on an old Yaris including everything. Worked this out before for some reason. Mainly petrol but there is absolutely no transport here so what else to do.

 

[weltweit]

My small car experience is about £250 per month, including everything except the price of the car itself.[1]


1. But includes the cost of very expensive MOT repairs

 

[Chz]

Our big one over the years has been tyres. There's always a construction site somewhere around here, and we've lost about 6 tyres to screws over the course of the 12 years we've had the car.
Other than that, I've had zero repair items on a 2011 Nissan Note in the 11 years of ownership, bar a new battery that was just this year (yes, a battery that went 12 years!). Not counting the usual service bits and bobs, like filters. It's about £200 for full service+MOT every year, £140 for the VED, insurance went up a lot this year to £400, but it was previously quite a bit less. (no idea why) We only do 3k miles a year, so petrol isn't all that much spread across the year and it gets over 40mpg.

Had a 2005 Micra before that, which also had nothing wrong with it bar a new battery. Someone is very unlucky with their Micra.
I also once owned a BMW 6-series that was dead reliable, but that was from back when they still hand-assembled them in Bavaria and BMW would have things on a regular maintenance schedule that would these days be considered lifetime parts. (BMW: Yes, a water pump is a consumable item. We dare you to not replace it every 50k.)

 

[weltweit]

Our big one over the years has been tyres. There's always a construction site somewhere around here, and we've lost about 6 tyres to screws over the course of the 12 years we've had the car.
..

I have lost a tyre to a wood screw, what moron spills screws onto the road? A cretin, I hope their own tyres are flat as a result.

 

[girasol]

It's not cheap having a car, more so in London, but we are very lucky to get free parking within the estate (some estates actually charge for permits).

It's a luxury that I'm happy to pay for - I can drive safely at night instead of having to go on public transport and potentially getting hassled etc or on a bike - which I used to go on a lot but as I got older I felt less safe cycling, not to mention the weather.

It also cuts all my regular journey times by a lot - and if we quantify time, it's saving me money in that sense too. I look after granddaughter regularly - and getting to her school via public transport = 40 minutes. By car? 15 minutes.

oh, also I love driving, always have, since I was a teenager.

 

[girasol]

I have noticed a huge increase in 4x4s around here though, especially in the last year or so. The roads are narrow and I don't understand why people thing it's a good idea in London? I just don't get it. There's lots of Mexican standoffs because of them - and yes I do feel smug when I squeeze the car into small spaces they can't get into (we have a Polo).

Is it a "I'm bigger than you get the fuck out of my way?" thing?

 

[hash tag]

Is it a "I'm bigger than you get the fuck out of my way?" thing?

Just arrogance probably

 

[weltweit]

I think people just think they are safer themselves in one.

And sod the rest of us...

Might be more complicated than that ...

 

[Riklet]

Theyre in fashion and being heavily marketed as the profits on them are higher than with other cars.

So more of them are being pushed at dealerships and much more being sold. God bless the free market.

 

[hash tag]

TBF I think the RR's etc. are seen as a bit of a status symbol. I want to flaunt my wealth, I want to show people I have what it takes but I dont
want my nanny driving around in a Rolls or Bentley.

 

[Riklet]

"Im rich enough to afford the Jaguar Landrover repair bills. But im not a total show off."

 

[Chz]

Theyre in fashion and being heavily marketed as the profits on them are higher than with other cars.

So more of them are being pushed at dealerships and much more being sold. God bless the free market.

Oh bully bollocks. No one walks into the stealership wanting a Polo and walking out with a... whatever VW calls their biggest piece of crap. The industry is happy to encourage it, but people want these things.

 

[Riklet]

Oh bully bollocks. No one walks into the stealership wanting a Polo and walking out with a... whatever VW calls their biggest piece of crap. The industry is happy to encourage it, but people want these things.

Walk out with a compact SUV? "it's only a big bigger than the Polo". Sure they do don't be daft. It's not all customer-led is it.

 

[hash tag]

. whatever VW calls their biggest piece of crap

The toerag.

 

[Chz]

Walk out with a compact SUV? "it's only a big bigger than the Polo". Sure they do don't be daft. It's not all customer-led is it.

People aren't so concerned about the size, no. But the extra £7k surely figures into it. Anyways, we've argued it to death in the other thread. It's both. Car companies love selling them, and consumers love buying them.

 

[girasol]

I do wonder if one of their main selling points is the ability to go over humps without having to slow down... I do see a lot of mums in them on school runs going over humps without braking.

Sorry about derail

 

[Chz]

I'm usually braking behind a giant RR taking bumps at 2mph that I can take at 20 in my hatchback.

 

[geminisnake]

I have a Golf, I get it serviced at least once a year (sometimes twice) that costs about £150 a go , insurance is about £650 a year, MOTs cost about £30 a year , Tax is £160 ? I think. Petrol will depend on how much you drive , a full tank in my car is about £65 , and that would probably cover me for about 300 miles driving. I pay for street parking , which is about £150 a year. Occasionally pay for parking elsewhere , maybe £2-3 an hour .

Eta , AA membership of about £150 a year.

what size is your engine and tank? I got from Dundee to Cardiff on a full tank in a 1.8 diesel Golf!
If you can get a wee Hyundai I believe they are pretty good and economical, my pal swears by hers.

 

[Chz]

Hyundai and Kia make a good car, but their dealers and parts chain can be utterly diabolical if something does break.

 

[Riklet]

Toyota are much better value for money than the Korean cars. Or if you want something cheap and fairly cheerful get a Ford.