http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/mike-rutherford/9412681/RAC-cost-of-motoring-figures-dont-add-up.html

Including depreciation, I estimate that my Fab saloon costs me 52.5ppm and tbat's elevated because I only do a third of average mileage now.

Nick

I totted up my numbers the other day, my car will be 6 years old in a couple of weeks. It's done 78,000 miles and cost about £30,000 to get here. And my idea of about is reasonably accurate.

I make that £5000 per year for 13,000 miles at 38.5ppm for a reasonably basic, reasonably economical petrol, small family car that cost £12,300 new in 2006. About as average in the sense of plain and ordinary as you're likely to get.

I can believe that running a new car will "average" 55ppm, quite easily. Less so at the used end of the scale but motoring costs are not getting any cheaper in nominal terms.

My figure would probably come down to late 30's if it weren't for replacement of cam and aux belt and console bushes and ARB bushes (Again ! Replaced at 23,000 for the first time) at 50,000 miles, and the re-sealing of the waterproof seal on the rear doors.

I think Skoda has a way to go in the reducing costs of ownership stakes as regards reliability and life of parts.

For instance, my front windscreen washer motor has just broken @ 53,000 (9 year old car), That's a disgrace. like the cam belts. One would have thought, to be competitive in the car market both items should have lasted at least the average length of car ownership (7 years) x the average annual mileage (10,000 miles a year) or 70,000 miles in total.

My base model 1981 Golf Mk 1 had a fully operational original washer motor and the original cam belt (Which had a plastic cover) @ 75,000 when i got rid of it.

Nick

Edited 22 July, 201213 yr by Clunkclick

35ppm for me - that's everything in - fuel, servicing, tyre, insurance, lease costs etc etc.

No separate depreciation cost as the car is leased.

How on earth to they get to 7K, or is that also accounting for depreciation? In which case I'd say it cant be far off.

Insurance, fuel and road tax wont be far away from £2k. Factor in maintenance costs of say £1700 (a service, maybe MOT, tyre wear/replacement of middle range brand) and we're already over 1/2 way.

So I'm assuming the remaining £3300 is depreciation rather than running costs.

If you were paying HP or a loan at £50 a week for 5 years and doing 10,000 miles a year.

52 x £50 = £2600

10,000 miles @ 40 mpg (250 gallon) @ £6.20 a gallon = £1550

Insurance £300

Road tax £135

service £250

MOT in 3rd year £200

extras £50

£5085 without any Parking charges paid,

10,000 miles for £5100 is 51 pence a mile.ish

Thats an average of 27 miles a day at the cost of £14.00 ish every day of the year.

*If you bought a car with a 7 year warranty, and the loan is paid in 5 years but you run it for 2 years more,

thats 2 years without the £2600 finance., (so if other costs have not risen its down to 30 pence a miles)

& the car at 7 years old might still sell for a grand or 2 or stays with you.

Start again or not.

Obviously forget all that with a Range Rover Sport or BMW X5 or what ever they believe Ordinary peoples Family cars are.

george

Edited 22 July, 201213 yr by sk4gw

In London, the minimum bus fare is £1.35 - and that is the discounted fare using a Oyster card. So that when I used the bus back in February to do the 1 mile jlourney each wY (3-stops, equivalent to an old "Fare stage") to and fro from the Skoda dealers, my Oyster card was debited £2.70.

Car still beats bus hands down.

Postscript

I just realised how horrendous the public transport charges are for short journeys.

Lets assume that the bus company makes 30 % profit on the total fare and that the worst case for bus running costs per passenger applies, so that buses cost one and a half times a car to run, that would leave about 20 pence per passenger per mile for staff costs and overheads. Lets also assume that the bus runs on average at 40% capacity on 40 person full load (Double decker). So for the three and a half to four minutes it takes to do a mile in Outer London, then the fare revenue contribution to meeting staff costs would be £3.20 or £48.20 hour. If overheads are 30%, then that leaves £34,54 per hour. If average staff wages are £17 an hour (£35,000 pa) then that means each passenger pays for two whole time equivalents staff members per journey. What ?

Nick

Edited 23 July, 201213 yr by Clunkclick