The true cost of motoring – horrific

[srebbe64]

I was musing over some figures in my head on the way home from work today, and I reckon it would be significantly cheaper to go everywhere by taxi (or even by limmo) than own cars. I’m not that unusual on PH in that I’ve got a business car, the wife’s got an MPV, plus I’ve got the “fun” (weekend) car. So, on the back of a fag packet, my overall costs must be about:

£5k X 3 depreciation = £15k
30,000 miles of petrol (average 30 mpg is 1000 gallons) = £4000
Insurance = £1500
Tax = £500
Servicing & maintenance £1000
Other £1000

Total cost is about £23k. Now to have £23k to spend, one would need to earn about £40k before the Government have got the snouts in the trough (Tax and NI + Employers NI, etc). Now £40k is a hell of a lot of money (800 quid a week).

However, Tax aside (because that’s a fact of life whatever you do), for £22k (over 400 quid a week) I, and my family, could go absolutely everywhere by taxi and still be quids in – it sure as hell makes you think!


To make matters worse, the above are “direct” costs of owning and running a car. However, there are indirect costs. For example, I need a double garage – so I need a bigger house! Honestly, it’s horrific if you start to add up all the bits and bobs.

[parrot of doom]

If you buy a nice car though, you can enjoy it.

Haven't been in a taxi in this country that I enjoyed, ever.

[thebluemonkey]

I think your depreciation figures are a little over blown and screwing the whole thing.

[2 Smokin Barrels]

You reckon you could do 30,000 miles in a b.o. infested Nissan Bluebird?

(And I doubt you could do it for the money..but you could drink a lot more beer I suppose! )

[srebbe64]

thebluemonkey said:

I think your depreciation figures are a little over blown and screwing the whole thing.

Possibly, but I haven't included the indirect costs so it would cancel that out.

[yertis]

srebbe64 said:

I was musing over some figures in my head on the way home from work today, and I reckon it would be significantly cheaper to go everywhere by taxi (or even by limmo) than own cars. I’m not that unusual on PH in that I’ve got a business car, the wife’s got an MPV, plus I’ve got the “fun” (weekend) car. So, on the back of a fag packet, my overall costs must be about: £5k X 3 depreciation = £15k 30,000 miles of petrol (average 30 mpg is 1000 gallons) = £4000 Insurance = £1500 Tax = £500 Servicing & maintenance £1000 Other £1000 Total cost is about £23k. Now to have £23k to spend, one would need to earn about £40k before the Government have got the snouts in the trough (Tax and NI + Employers NI, etc). Now £40k is a hell of a lot of money (800 quid a week). However, Tax aside (because that’s a fact of life whatever you do), for £22k (over 400 quid a week) I, and my family, could go absolutely everywhere by taxi and still be quids in – it sure as hell makes you think! To make matters worse, the above are “direct” costs of owning and running a car. However, there are indirect costs. For example, I need a double garage – so I need a bigger house! Honestly, it’s horrific if you start to add up all the bits and bobs.

I've done those same sums and come to the same conclusion.

[55jnj]

thebluemonkey said:

I think your depreciation figures are a little over blown and screwing the whole thing.

Apart from the Griff, how do you know what else is owned & therefore its value/depreciation ? I'd say Steve is fairly near the mark at £5k p.a. on a 1999 Griff - OK probably closer to £3.5/£4K p.a. etc but the point he's making is still valid.

Best not to do the sums really. Then you're none the wiser & don't fret about such things.

[mutt k]

Think yourself lucky you don't have to add the cost of a parking permit for a parking space that isn't guaranteed or Red Kenny's congestion charging to the bill, at which point on top of depreciation, insurance, road fund tax etc etc there is no point in time at which the pleasure of owning a car is not costing you money

[Tank Slapper]

What is worse, is when you work out how much of that Grabber Gordon gets, and how little of it is invested back into transport.

[Pigeon]

The obvious answer is to run classics. No depreciation, no tax, insurance is cheaper, parts are cheaper and it's easy to replace them yourself...

[2 Smokin Barrels]

I've often mused how much I've spent on Lager & Lager related japes. Makes the car thing seem insignificant!

[4WD]

Bring on the electric car, designed for high speed with no transmission wear! Where do I sign...

[Nuggs]

And won't someone please think of the children?....

[yertis]

I wonder if there would be a demand for a taxi service which employed highly trained drivers and used Porsches or Audi S4s, instead of opium-crazed maniacs from afghanisatn driving shagged-out Toyota Corrollas

[2 Smokin Barrels]

yertis said:

I wonder if there would be a demand for a taxi service which employed highly trained drivers and used Porsches or Audi S4s, instead of opium-crazed maniacs from afghanisatn driving shagged-out Toyota Corrollas

You never see a highly trained driver in a Porche

[yertis]

2 Smokin Barrels said:

yertis said: I wonder if there would be a demand for a taxi service which employed highly trained drivers and used Porsches or Audi S4s, instead of opium-crazed maniacs from afghanistan driving shagged-out Toyota Corrollas You never see a highly trained driver in a Porche

[brent] Ooh! Controversial... [/brent]

To be fair I've only ever had one opium-crazed maniac from afghanistan drive me in a Corolla, and even then some of the "facts" are conjecture on my part. I've no evidence of opium use, or nationality. But he was a maniac, the car was a wreck, and he was stopped by the Police. Enough that I've rarely used minicabs since, except in extremis. The trouble is, you call the company, but have no idea what kind of driver/car combination you're going to get until they roll up half an hour after they said they would.