Car runnings costs: how does yours compare?
The Hyundai Getz has topped the list as the cheapest car to own and operate for the second year in a row, according to the RAC’s latest vehicle operating costs survey.
The Getz is the cheapest light car and the cheapest car across all categories, however its cost, $120* a week to maintain, has increased since last year by about $11.
The Hyundai i30 was cheapest in the small car category, the Holden Epica, at $197 a week, came first for medium sized cars, while the Ford Falcon XT LPG was the cheapest large car to run at $224 a week.
New RAC figures reveal that motorists are now spending up to $50* a week more to keep their car on the road than they did last year.
The growing costs can be attributed to a 25 per cent rise in fuel prices in the past year and the increasing price of servicing and repairs.
The RAC’s Executive Manager Member Advocacy David Moir said fuel was now second only to vehicle depreciation in the total costs of running a car.
“On average, fuel now makes up 20 per cent of the total cost; depreciation counts for between 30 and 50 per cent,” Mr Moir said.
4WD owners are the hardest hit with some likely to pay $2,400 more to own and operate their vehicle this year than last, but the owners of smaller cars are also paying at least $430 a year more.
Fuel costs will continue to be a dominant issue for motorists according to Mr Moir, making fuel efficiency even more important for car buyers. However this should be balanced with a consideration for vehicle safety.
“The RAC recommends that people purchase vehicles with a four or five star safety rating. Some of the cheaper vehicles like the Hyundai i30, which costs its owner $152 a week on average to run, also have a four or five star safety rating,” he said.
Check the running costs of popular cars
*Please note: All figures are rounded to the nearest dollar.
For each vehicle in the following guide, average costs are based on private vehicle ownership over five years from new, with an average annual distance travelled of 15,000 kilometres and a cumulative average of 75,000 kilometres. The vehicles selected are the major sellers in each class.
