Running Costs

2012 Vehicle Running Costs.

With the increasing cost of living, there’s some good news for motorists, as the cost of owning and operating a car has fallen slightly despite increasing fuel prices.

RAA’s 2012 Cost of Vehicle Ownership survey has found that the average cost of owning and running a vehicle has dropped by 0.4 per cent from last year’s survey.

The survey found that fixed price service programs, which have been introduced by manufactures, are helping to reduce the running costs for vehicle owners. Servicing costs account for around nine per cent of the total cost of owning and operating a vehicle, with the average motorist paying around $5,000 in servicing over five years.

Although fuel prices have been rising, better fuel economy in some vehicles has helped to reduce the impact. The VW Golf Bluemotion provided real fuel savings, returning a fuel cost of 5.65 cents per kilometre. Owners of the new versions of the Subaru Impreza, Ford Focus, Toyota Camry and Mitsubishi Lancer also saved money on fuel costs.

In the light car category, the Suzuki Alto GL was once again the cheapest car per week to own and run, costing owners $121.46, with the Holden Barina Spark CD placing second, costing $125.00.

Results in the small car class were again the closest, with the Hyundai i30 SX costing $169.37 per week, narrowly ahead of the Kia Cerato S at $169.52. The Honda Civic Hybrid was the most costly car to run in the category at $231.26 per week.

The Toyota LandCruiser and Prado were again the most expensive vehicles to run, with the Toyota LandCruiser GXL diesel the dearest, costing $426.94 per week.

Of the popular Australian manufactured cars in the large car category, the Ford Falcon XT series cost owners between $246.74 - $266.51, depending on the model. The Toyota Aurion AT-X cost $258.77, with the Holden Commodore Omega series costing $260.65 - $269.52 to run each week.

This year RAA introduced the Mitsubishi i-MiEV in a new category for electric vehicles as it’s anticipated that more will be arriving in Australia over the next 12 months. While the i-MiEV’s low ‘fuel’ costs are a significant advantage, the high purchase price heavily impacts the cost of owning an electric vehicle.

A vehicle’s depreciation or ongoing decrease in value is around 38 per cent of the total cost of owning a vehicle, which is by far the biggest expense. While depreciation does not affect car owners on a weekly basis, when they are looking to sell or trade their car in five years time is when the depreciation costs kick in.

When looking to buy a vehicle, it is also important to look beyond just the price of the car and think about the hidden costs that are more expensive in the long run.

Buyers should take into account the cost of having the car serviced, how much it costs to fill the fuel tank, replace tyres, insure and register the car, as well as interest, stamp duty, drivers’ licence and RAA membership costs. It is also important to think about the costs of spare parts such as windscreens and batteries. These factors are all considered when compiling our survey.

RAA calculations for the 2012 Cost of Vehicle Ownership survey are based on private ownership of a vehicle for a five-year period and driving an average of 15,000km each year. The data was collected in the period leading up to June 2012.

How it Works

• The study covers vehicles which are mainly the best selling vehicles for each category along with some chosen for special interest.
• All the costs of owning and operating a vehicle are including the financing costs of the whole price on the vehicle, depreciation, registration, licensing and insurance as well as ongoing costs such as fuel, tyres, servicing and usual repairs.
• We have based the calculations on an annual distance travelled of 15,000km over a 5 year ownership period.
• The servicing costs follow manufacturer’s schedule, and include the usual replacement parts and service times.
• Fuel prices are an average of the last 12 months of prices around Adelaide.
• All of the data was collected and compiled through April and May of 2012.

Predicted trade in values have been provided by Glass’s Guide Future Values, the industry recognised standard.