Australian Car Running Costs Up 40% Over The Last 5 Years, Says Latest NRMA Report

[JoeT]

Operating Costs Of Popular Cars

NRMA Motoring & Services
June 2007
www.mynrma.com.au

For the 2007 Private Operating Costs Survey NRMA has expanded the number of vehicles covered to over 500 new vehicles.

We believe our Members want to know the comparative costs between the cheapest cars to operate and the better equipped variants within the same model group as well as those available from other manufacturers that may include additional safety features like:

- ABS brakes and stability control
- Offer better occupant/pedestrian safety ratings
- Have lower harmful emission ratings.

Using the Private Operating Costs with information from the ANCAP crash test program and pollution ratings from the Australian Greenhouse Office our Members can make better informed decisions.

In this year´s survey the results clearly show that the least expensive cars to operate are assembled in Korea - making up 6 of the 8 class winners.

A direct impact on operating costs between 2006 and 2007 on the Holden Viva manual sedan, the least expensive to operate small car in both years, shows that although fuel prices have stabilised, insurance, interest and maintenance costs have increased making it $5.00 per week more expensive in 2007 to own over the five year period than the corresponding period in 2006.

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Cost Of Running A Car Skyrockets

News Limited
14 June 2007
www.news.com.au

The cost of running a family-sized sedan has risen by 40 per cent to equal a quarter of the average weekly wage, figures released in The NRMA's 2007 Vehicle Running Costs report show.

The report broke down the weekly running costs of 500 models on the local market. As expected, relatively cheap to buy Korean-made cars with lower capacity engines were generally the least expensive to run.

The report also revealed that the average weekly cost of running popular family sedans - such as the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and Toyota Aurion - was $265.97. This represented an increase of $73.28 per week on the 2002 equivalent models.

Depreciation and petrol costs

Of the big Aussie sixes, the cheapest to live with was Mitsubishi's 380. NRMA motoring president Alan Evans said the cost of depreciation (49 per cent) and petrol prices (17 per cent) meant that the financial strain on motorists had never been higher.

"The cost of keeping the family car on the road today is now almost one-quarter the average weekly wage in Australia,'' Mr Evans said.

Nor was the increase in running costs confined to bigger, locally manufactured cars. The average cost of running a small car increased by 33 per cent to $174.60.

Fuel-thirsty SUVs experienced the smallest percentage cost increase, an average of 27 per cent.

But the least expensive of them, the Nissan Patrol manual, would still set its owner back by $260.97 every seven days.

Cheapest vehicle to run

The NRMA found the cheapest vehicle to run was the Hyundai Getz. At $119.53, it was almost four times cheaper than the most expensive vehicle listed, Toyota's Landcruiser Sahara SUV at $413.86.

Mr Evans said that fuel economy was a more important consideration then ever among new car buyers, reflected in the sale of hybrid vehicles over the past 12 months.

"As a percentage, hybrids and other fuel efficient vehicles tend to have higher capital costs and depreciate more, so any savings at the bowser may get eaten up in these other costs.''

The best-known of these, Toyota's petrol-electric Prius, was ascertained to cost $235.60 per week, making it the most expensive entrant in the light car category.



NRMA Study Under Fire

Richard Blackburn
15 June 2007
www.smh.com.au

The credibility of the NRMA's annual running costs survey has come under fire.

Toyota has questioned the validity of the latest findings after its Prius petrol-electric hybrid, pictured, was branded the most expensive to run in its class, despite having the lowest published fuel consumption of any car on the market.

This year's NRMA survey controversially shifted the Prius from the small-car class to the light-car class, where it was compared with cars about half its price and size.

Toyota says the comparison is not fair, because the Prius's higher purchase price means it will always have a higher depreciation cost than cheaper cars, no matter how the two cars hold their value. The NRMA says depreciation accounts for half the cost of running a car.

Vic Johnstone, Toyota's Prius specialist, questions the NRMA findings. "We benchmark the Prius against medium cars. Its size and performance are similar to the Mazda6 and Honda Accord," he says.

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data puts the Prius in a different category than the NRMA has done.

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[Havasavana]

Originally Posted by JoeT

The NRMA found the cheapest vehicle to run was the Hyundai Getz. At $119.53, it was almost four times cheaper than the most expensive vehicle listed, Toyota's Landcruiser Sahara SUV at $413.86.

Four times cheaper. English grammar was never one of my strong points, but man. Four times younger, twice as light; guess the AU educational system is about like ours. Did the writer or editor get through college producing stuff like this?

[russtrapp]

"Prius was compared to cars half its size" by being place in the light category?

What car is half the size of a Prius? Sounds like journalistic bias or someone's spin to me.

On the other side, Toyota compares it to the Accord. I think the truth is somwhere in between, and that the study probably accurately rated the Prius by size.

[AusCalais]

Originally Posted by Havasavana

Four times cheaper. English grammar was never one of my strong points, but man. Four times younger, twice as light; guess the AU educational system is about like ours. Did the writer or editor get through college producing stuff like this?

Give'm a break! Oz motoring journalists are absolutely expert at re-writing the manufacturers' press releases...however individual thought may be a little taxing and should be avoided at all cost.

[samkung]

Lucky i m driving a tiny compact car cost me 55 bucks to fill up the tank......but still more expensive than a weekly metcard.........hate taking train in the morning

[asim]

Wow...thats a lot, 40% in just 5 years? I wonder if more people are gonna start reverting back to public transportation or cheaper cars after news about this. I can't even imagine the running car cost in America going up 40% over the past 5 years. Actually...now I wonder what it really was. lol