RAC’s Vehicle Operating Costs survey calculates the costs of running a car in Western Australia over a five year period from new, based on driving 15,000 kilometres a year.
RAC Manager Vehicles and Fuels Alex Forrest said across the 125 vehicles surveyed this year, the average cost of running and owning a new car was $207.86 a week, down from the 2015 average of $214.35 a week.
“Purchase price and fuel costs are the most commonly considered expenses when buying a new car, but costs like depreciation, interest and servicing are not ,” he said.
“The single biggest cost was depreciation which, on average, makes up 40 per cent of the cost of running a new car over five years,” Mr Forrest said.
“The next biggest expense for motorists is the standing on-road costs, such as stamp duty and registration, including Compulsory Third Party insurance and private insurance.
“If you get a loan for the full cost of the car, interest will be the third biggest expense, while fuel is in fact the fourth biggest cost factor, on average.”
The Suzuki Celerio was found to be the overall cheapest car to run again this year, having also taking out top spot in 2015.
“This year, the Celerio went below $100 per week, costing $96 per week to own and run,” Mr Forrest said.
“Having on-road costs such as stamp duty and dealer delivery included in the $12,990 purchase price was a big factor in the Celerio’s win, as was its economical fuel consumption and cheap servicing.
“The low purchase price also helped minimise flow-on costs such as depreciation, interest and insurance.”
At the other end of the scale was the Toyota Landcruiser GXL, which costs $364.27 per week.
The Nissan Leaf was the cheapest electric car overall, however the electric BMWi3 was found to be cheapest car to power, costing just $7.65 in electricity per week.
RAC also encourages motorists to check the ANCAP Star safety rating when purchasing a vehicle.
CATEGORY WINNERS
| MICRO CARS: | Suzuki Celerio |
| LIGHT CARS: |
Mazda2 Neo |
| SMALL CARS: |
Kia Cerato S |
| MEDIUM CARS: |
Skoda Octavia 110TSI Ambition |
| LARGE CARS: |
Holden Commodore Evoke VF II |
| PEOPLE MOVER: |
Honda Odyssey VTi |
| SUV SMALL: |
Mazda CX-3 Neo |
| SUV MEDIUM: |
Mazda CX-5 Maxx |
| SUV LARGE: |
Subaru Outback 2.0D |
| SUV ALL TERRAIN: |
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX |
| 2WD UTE: |
Holden Ute VF II |
| 4WD UTE: |
Mitsubishi Triton GLX |
| ELECTRIC: |
Nissan Leaf |
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