how much does your car cost you?

[NutellaLawson]

excluding petrol costs. I mean tax, insurance, repairs, mot.

I ask because we got rid of our car 8 years ago, opting to get about by bike or public transport.

However we now have two children so visiting rellies on the train means a great faff even without the two car seats we need to carry if we are to get a lift from the station or want to go on day trips in their car.

Since e have no car of our own we are looking to buy six car seats!!. (2 for here, 2 at paternal gp and 2 at my parents. That still leaves us short if we visit 1 aunt or 2 uncles who are a train ride away. 12 car seats is just mad).

Also a bus journey into town for us (though kids go free at their age) leaves us pennies change from a tenner.

so I'm thinking a car may be cheaper in the long run and expands the range of places tk go (day trips out. ds2 has not been more than 3 miles from home since birth).

so how much does your car cost you, excluding petrol?

and do you think you could manage without it where you live?

[Lanabelle]

couldn't cope without a car where I live or work, what about one of those rental schemes where warranty and things is all inclusive for 3 years so no MOT and tax is minimal on something small and 'eco'. You pay a fixed amount for the car - there are terms and conditions but if you don't use a car a lot then it seems to work out ok and most repair is covered under warranty.
Would recommend avoiding anything French ie fiat (Fix It Again Tomorrow) or Renault or Peugeot because I spend my life towing these after breakdown and diesels are usually far cheaper to run than petrols.
These schemes seem to be good for people who don't do many miles and don't need a specific type of vehicle or need to use it for work but here goes mine

I have a 13 year old 2.2 turbo diesel 4x4 which spends its life towing over two tonnes daily and running around on a farm so my running costs are already more than average but

Tax: £145 for 6 months
MOT: last one was £500+
repairs:

Suspension coil: £140
Two tyres: £310 (huge all terrains)
Tow bar replacement: £30
Diesel filter: £60
Exhaust: £30
Welding: £40
Brake pads: £40

hope that was helpful

[NickyEds]

I've just done a thread like this- wanting to know what it costs all in, learning, getting license, buying small car, MOT, tax, petrol, repairs etc. MNers kindly responded with "an absolute bloody fortune"-I think I posted it in Money. The general consensus seemed to be around £2-3K- excluding getting license and buying car. How old are you DCs? I'm already wondering how we'll manage with regard to car seats when DS (21weeks) grows out of his maxi cosi which is so convenient, being able to use it as buggy when needed.

[Charlieboo30]

My DP and I have a car each (we both work in opposite directions and public transport is rubbish). Costs us a fortune but it's something we have to budget for.

DP has an 07 reg car he bought with a loan so it roughly costs:

£140 loan
£170 a year tax
£300 (MOT - just had it in April)
£140 service
£40 a week on petrol

I have a 14 reg car that I got on finance and costs me:

£150 finance
£22 service plan
£0 tax
£40 a week petrol

FWIW, DP's car has NEVER gone in for its MOT and not needed work and his car goes to a garage run by a friend of the family. How I long to hear the words, that'll be £40 please!

[Charlieboo30]

Forgot to add, we pay £55 a month for both of us for insurance. DP has been passed his test 12 years with no claims and I have been passed 10 months. We are with admiral and on a multi car policy.

[deepinthewoods]

Monthly my car costs:

Insurance £8
Tax £18
MOT and repairs £18 approx.

So £44 a month excluding petrol.

My car is 8 years old and I bought it 4 years ago for £700 cash.

[AliceInGallifrey]

120 tax every 6 months
60 (I think ?) mot every 12 months
I put £10 a week away to cover repairs if needed. ( any extras I have to find the money)

I do 450 miles a week just for work, so after school runs and Shopping and day trips I spend around £80-£100 a week in petrol

I drive a y reg Picasso that I bought for £700 if that makes a difference, I looked at the deals mentioned above where everything's included but my mileage is far to high so there no good for me unfortunately

[AliceInGallifrey]

O and insurance is around £110 a month

[500smiles]

Me (needed for work)
Finance: £160 lease per month, includes tax, repairs, breakdown etc
Insurance: £130 per year
Fuel: £100 a month (about 800 miles)

DH
Bought a 6 year old car £2500
Insurance: £360 per year
Fuel: £500 per month (2400 miles - long commute)
MOT: £50 for the test then whatever it costs in repairs
Tyres: £600 per year (he goes through a set a year with his mileage)
Tax: £240 per year
Repairs: How long is a piece of string??? He can service it himself but a couple of weeks ago the turbo blew so that was £750 to repair, and yesterday it had a puncture...
Breakdown: £70 per year

[poocatcherchampion]

£300 insurance
££200 service and mot
£250 tax


and about £150 month on petrol.

bought it outright and it is a Vauxhall insignia - a large estate.

we also have a Skoda fabia which is cheaper to run and insure but has needed much more work.

I think you should do it. get a cheap run around like a ford focus from somewhere reliable.

[WytebordMarker]

We have a supermini, the costs are very low compared to other people here.
Tax: £20/yr
Insurance in London: 500
Petrol: 50/month
(car is 60mpg)
Maintenance: £300/yr
We bought it second hand, car age at purchase is 3yr.

[LumionaMoonsplash]

Annual car costs:
Tax £20
Insurance £230 - 3yr ncd
Service/ MOT £190

I don't think its that bad but I only have a little 1l Aygo

[GemmaTeller]

Paid cash for my Punto about six years ago.

Insurance £250 per year (fully comp)
Road Tax £180 per year
MOT /service £180 this last twelve months

[LumionaMoonsplash]

I couldn't get to work easily without it, probably 2/3 buses. Not to mention the difficulty of going shopping, going to grandparents, also things like taking the kids to parties etc.

[Charlieboo30]

Lumiona - I too have an aygo and love it! So cheap to run and fuel economy is brilliant. My nana has one and my mum. My mums is a 60 reg and wasn't pleased when I told her mine is tax free and she still has to pay £20 a year! I'm like, it's only £20!

[QuiteQuietly]

We don't have a car, and manage the car seat situation by sending luggage & car seats by courier (usually £5-8) to arrive the day before we do. It also makes travelling by train alone with (3) kids easier - just one small backpack for the journey.

We hire a car occasionally (maybe every other year for a weekend) usually for an awkward wedding etc. and once we have it, we absolutely cane the life out of it and go mad with trips to the rubbish dump/diy store or days out to normally inaccesible places. Last time we paid £61 (plus some petrol) for three days to coincide with our housemove.

I don't miss finding parking spaces and fiddling with coins, or taking it to the garage to get it fixed/serviced or breaking down on motorways with a screaming child in the back. I find myself agreeing with Ivan Illyich that a car doesn't make it easier to get to places, it just widens your sphere of operation so you end up going further. Not having a car limits us, and I quite enjoy that.

[poocatcherchampion]

I like that idea quiet. sounds fun as well!

[NickyEds]

I like that idea too Quiet- I'd never thought of a courier service. People really are acting like we're mad to have a baby and no car, which is what made me look into it.

[NutellaLawson]

what a great idea. I'll look into it. To travel without luggage sounds great. Last time we caught the train (3 hours with 3 changes) it was a toddler, a buggy, two large rucksacks and i was 8 months pregnant.
just ensuring everyone and everything got on and off each train was stress enough.

[YoureBeingASillyBilly]

I have an 11 year old seat toledo and i am 27.

Bought for £1200 in september
Insurance is £42 per month
Tax is £130 per year
MOT is £30.50 per year
I had to replace tyres for MOT last month at £50 each (£200 for all four)
Also my dad had to replace window seals (he didnt charge me anything but a garage would)
I also replaced wiper blades at £20 each

Only bought this car in sept after same aged mazda 6 developed a hole in the radiator and had to be scrapped.

Older cars tend to have more maintenance costs

[HolidayCriminal]

Hmmm, I keep track of every penny spent on our cars. I have one fairly small & new (Fiat 500) & one quite huge & old (7 seater Kia).

Fiat annual costs: tax = £35
insurance = £195
repairs = about 10p/mile.
fuel = 10p/mile
service = £200ish.
mot = standard charge same for all vehicles, no? I count any repairs required by MOT in the repairs budget, not as a separate for MOT.

Big car annual costs, tax = £300, insurance = £295, fuel = 20p/mile, repairs = 25p/mile, service only every 10k miles but costs £400. MOT same as any other private car.

[QuiteQuietly]

Nutella If you travel with a buggy on an intercity-type service, try and book a seat in carriage D, as this is usually where the wheelchair spaces are. Then, if they are not in use, you can slot your buggy in there with child in situ, which is one less escapee and easier if they fall asleep. Plus you are nearer the big disabled toilets which is easier to fit an entire family in.

Also, get a radar key so you can use disabled/baby changing at main stations without having to track down the duty manager. They were £4 for not-disabled-people from the radar website last time I looked.

[AntoinetteCosway]

Skoda fabia estate. We bought it outright and second hand for £5k. It's now about 7 years old.

Tax is £185
MOT and service we budget £600 a year but don't expect to spend it all
Petrol we budget £1200 a year.

[DragonMamma]

Oh god, far too much!

Finance is 250 a month.
Tax is 220 a year.
Tyres are 70 each and are usually 2 at a time plus 15 for balancing and tracking each time. Usually a set a year.
MOT is 40 a year but only had one with this car since we've had it and it needed tyres. It's due it's second this month but all it should need is wiper blades.
Petrol is 30 a week but I only work 6 miles from home. It's really economical on motorway journeys and we can do 150 miles on a quarter of a tank if there's no traffic.

We could probably get away with no car but the cost of public transport here is ridiculous. My 12 mile round trip to work would cost 7!

[rodgette]

get a seat arosa! Excellent little family car, cheap to run, even my weightlifting son fits in it!! [lol]
Great little car, cheap on petrol and insurance, cheap to get second hand.

HTH and good luck, I have twins i get the car seat at all the rellies...

Yes it is certifiable :)

[rodgette]

pps
paid 1500 for it 2 years ago, it is 13 years old
had 2 Mot passed for 195.00 in total
love it :)