Car running costs?

[Ian]

I'm finally taking some driving lessons (20 now, so a few years late!) and I'm thinking about getting a car. I wouldn't even consider getting one till after I've passed, and even then its still a slim chance

How expensive can cars be to run? I've been looking at something like an older Ford Ka - as they are cheap to run, small, cheap to insure and parts are... cheap!

I've got a funny feeling that I won't end up getting one once I realise how much they cost, but I thought I'd at least look in to the possibility!

 

[Quadophile]

Need not worry, I too got my Licence at the age of 20 and have been driving around for 25 years now. As far as costing and bits, Flops would be the ideal person to get some idea from. I will come up with some tips for you later based on my experience. However, for now all I can say to you is that "prevention is better than cure" and it applies to any automobile. In the long run it really pays off as long as you attend to smaller problems rather than being lazy and turn them into bigger problems. For instance, if your wipers are making a sound, it is wise to immediately get them replaced since if you don#t it might cost you an arm and a leg to replace the windscreen due to scratches. The best way to know your cars condition is to keep track of the fuel consumption, this single aspect will give you an idea of what could be wrong with your car. The possible cause could be low tire pressure, spark plugs being dirty/short, etc etc. Anyway, allow me some time and will get back to you. I always keep an eye on the consumption and 10% difference will ring an alam bell for me.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Oh Boy, where to start

When you buy the car, the general condition of the paintwork and interior will be a reflection on the rest of the car's condition. Don't be taken in by 'It may be a bit scruffy, but mechanically she's solid as a rock guv' in my experience, that is not so.

If you don't know anybody who's good with cars who can look at a prospective purchase for you, and if you can afford it, get an AA or RAC inspection of the vehicle.

Note the mileage. Anything over 60K and you may be looking at major repairs shortly down the line.

NEVER buy a vehicle without a registration document.

A service history with bills to prove is desirable but not really a determining factor.

Running costs:

Insurance
Road fund licence (Tax)
Servicing
Fuel

At age 20, Insurance is going to be a right royal pain. Get the most you can afford, but at least third party fire & theft.

Road tax: The Ka is a good choice here, as it's in one of the lower price brackets. Also good for insurance, come to think of it. I like the Ka myself, though some absolutely hate them. All a matter of personal preference, I suppose.

Servicing. I have one full service a year, costs about £250.00 and they cover everything. All fluids are changed, engine tuned, filters replaced, brakes checked, etc. etc. If any minor repairs are needed, that's extra. I've been lucky enough to find a local family run garage that I can trust. Best recommendation is word of mouth.

And I have the oil and oil filter changed halfway between services. Costs about £25.00 at Halfords, for instance.

Check everything yourself every couple of weeks or so, water level, oil level, tyre pressures etc.

The Ka should be economical, I usually fill up, note the mileage, then when I fill up again , convert the cost of fuel into gallons (about £4.00 a gallon) then divide the mileage by the amount of gallons. This gives me mpg. As Quad said, if it varies too wildly, alarm bells should start ringing.

And then there's other costs/servicing, new tyres etc. Again, the Ka is a good choice.

Security. I've personally found audible alarms not to be much of a deterent, I would advise investing in one of those steering wheel bar locks, they're pricey, about £30.00 - £50.00, the stronger the better, but I think they put thieves off.

If you have a CD player or tape player in there, get one with a removable fascia. And take it with you when you leave the car parked.

What does the Ka do, mpg wise? About 40? That should be good, my big old Merc does 20mpg round town and about 28mpg on Motorways (it has cruise control).

Anyways, that's all I can think of for now - Happy Motoring

PS: I passed my motor cycle test aged 16, first time, and my car test three weeks after my 17th birthday, again, first time. 10 lessons with BSM. Ner ner

 

[Ian]

Thanks for the info Anis, I'll have to remember the MPG tip! Looking forward to the tips

PS: I passed my motor cycle test aged 16, first time, and my car test three weeks after my 17th birthday, again, first time. 10 lessons with BSM. Ner ner

Wow, that was quick I'm "aiming" for around 24 lessons (as it is cheap to block in 12 lessons at a time).

I must admit, I wasn't too keen on the Ka a few years ago, but now I quite like them Small, cheap, stylish! An ideal first car

I didn't realise a car service was so expensive - I'll have to factor that in too. Insurance seems to be around £800-1000 for me, although I'll have to see how other factors effect it. There is secure parking behind a gate and CCTV where I live, although it is in Longsight, Manchester so that may bump the price up!

The Ka does around 43.5mpg apparently, which is pretty good! The Toyota Yarris does quite a bit more, but thats around £1000 more second hand!

I'm aiming to get something with around 40,000 miles on it - as I will only have it for a few years, by which time it should just about reach the point where things will need replacing (I hope!).

The driving tests now have an engine check, hazard perception and theory test now - which is probably a good idea, but a pain!

 

[ChristopherP]

Haha well done flops, I'm 17 in a month and six days.

Looking into cars and insurance already.

Personally, i wouldnt go near a Ka. Ugly things. I want a Peugeot 306, 5 door 1996 or 1997 model 1.4. They come with immobilisers so you cant start engine until you know the code, good feature i think. Little bit of power in there too.

Cost you £1500 the card and £1400 a year insurance, third party.

If you can, take the pass plus. Costs you £150 and has been known to knock in excess of £750 off insurance one some cars, but at least the same as a years no claims discount.

 

[Techy]

insurance will be a killer ian.

i'm 20 with 1yrs no claims, just insured my vauxhall corsa 1.2l SXI

COST ME £800!!!!! (that was the cheapest quote, the dearest was £1300 !!!!)

only £50 cheaper for third party!

if i were you i would walk! it's cheaper and healthier and you don't kill cyclists!

 

[floppybootstomp]

if i were you i would walk! it's cheaper and healthier and you don't kill cyclists!

True. Only prob is, it would take you six to twelve hours walking to reach a place that would take you one hour by car.

And public transport has no freedom.

With wheels, you can see places you'd never ever discover on foot or by British Rail.

Not that many drivers take advantage of this fact however, but it still be true.

Best combination, of course, is drive, then walk. It's actually quite amazing what's off the beaten path on this fair isle.

 

[ChristopherP]

Agree with flops.

 

[Ian]

I'd love to be able to walk places Techy, or use a bus/train - but for my uni placement I'm not sure where I'll end up - probably 40 miles away somewhere! £800 is quite a bit!!! Who did you learn with?

I walk/bus/train/coach everywhere at the moment, but it does have its limits

 

[KGB-911]

Chris, what upgrades are you planning on doing to that car to make it better?

Extra couple of Gig of Fuel drive, or maybe couple of GHz of tire pressure?

 

[ChristopherP]

KGB

I'm not THAT sad...

I probably even wont do anything to it.

I'm NOT the kind of person that would stick a HUGE exhaust system on it, shove neons under it, replace the back seats with 4 foot subwoofers and fit a stereo thats worth twice as much as the car, then cruise around aimlessly in my spare time with a 12 year old girlfriend trying to drag race volvo estates from traffic lights on a dual carriageway...

I'll use a car to get from A-B and take myself and friends to college... I'll only "Upgrade" it if it would benefit me in any way or save me money.

Chris

 

[Ian]

First Driving lesson today! Apparently 40 hours are "planned" from the AA course - sounds like quite a bit!

Think I did pretty well, got into 3rd gear and drove around some normal roads with a few roundabouts, traffic lights and junctions! It was pretty fun, but I don't like having to wait so long for each lesson!

 

[KGB-911]

No crashes Ian?

(sorry)

Chris, you have upgraded your PC often enough! - Did that benefit you?

KGB

 

[Ian]

No crashes Ian?

Thankfully not Although I did stall once at a roundabout

 

[KGB-911]

No whiplash either?

 

[ChristopherP]

Don't compare a car to a computer

 

[KGB-911]

I'm not, just you like to upgrade stuff, i just thought you would like to upgrade a car!

I saw a nice car driving past about a week ago (don't know what make) but it had one HUGE speaker in the back (2 seater, between the seets)

What a waste of money!

 

[Quadophile]

I love music and most of you know that, but in my car, I do not have even a half way decent stereo. Once I almost rammed into a 40 foot trailer head on some 15 years ago while trying to search for a song on the tape deck. I escaped a major accident and had wowed to myself that I will never ever concentrate on the stereo in the car. After that incident I always made a compilation so that I never have to skip anything and it just plays softly in the background.

I do all my listening at home if I have to, besides I do not use the car for long drives so it really does not matter now.

Beware, if you are engrossed in the music too much in the car, even trying to tune to a station looking for interesting things to listen to you should always be very careful and not loose concentration on the road, particularly at very high speeds, since things can change in matter of split seconds.

Drive carefully!

 

[floppybootstomp]

Ah, now, that's where the joy of having presets for radio stations comes in I've memorised what all the buttons do on me stereo, I can change stuff without my eyes leaving the road. And I love this mp3 capability, 8 albums or so on one CD, love it.

And Ian, I ws thinking about the cost of a service. I mentioned £250.00. Well, that's for a Merc. The parts are expensive and things like ignition leads, air filter, spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor arm and petrol filter are replaced. For a Ka it shouldn't be quite so expensive.

I replaced the coil myself recently, damned thing had cracked at the top and was arcing to the bodywork.

 

[Ian]

And Ian, I ws thinking about the cost of a service. I mentioned £250.00. Well, that's for a Merc. The parts are expensive and things like ignition leads, air filter, spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor arm and petrol filter are replaced. For a Ka it shouldn't be quite so expensive.

Hehe, showoff

I'll have to get browsing on the net and see how much stuff is for a Ka!