Running a car is expensive

[Rawwr]

Ok, so not exactly a newsflash but I've just been adding the shed to My Garage and apparently I've fed nigh on £3,500 of fuel into my £500 workslag in the last 16 months.

I feel somehow violated.

[ewenm]

Which I why I prefer the ostrich approach - don't add up the costs!

[Dog Star]

I've spent nearly 5 brand on my car this year alone, not including fuel. Oh and I'm now 2K overdue for a service it's telling me.

That's Merc parts prices for you!

[Rawwr]

ewenm said:

Which I why I prefer the ostrich approach - don't add up the costs!

I couldn't help noticing as PH calculates it all for you

[ludicrous speed]

I have been considering a diesel


Think i'll probably just carry on blindly spending too much on petrol though

[lowdrag]

Now add in depreciation to your calculations and...................

Which is why I run an old shed; 38mpg, £250 servicing about every 18 months, tyres at under £300 the four when necessary, and glacial depreciation. I reckon she costs me about £100 per 1,000 miles.

[Rawwr]

lowdrag said:

Now add in depreciation to your calculations

The car cost me £500

[mk1matt]

I deliberately don't reset my trip computer or look at the MPG reading. I also try not to pay attention to the numbers at the pump or when I pay. Just fill up and look the other way.

I used to pay attention to how much my Audi S2 cost me to run (@ ~18mpg). It took the fun out it and I sold the car. I'm not making that mistake again.

[frosted]

I have run brand new cars, and I can tell you that
1 . Not going to buy a brand new car ever again
2. Always buy a diesel
3. Never spend more that 12k on any car
4. Always buy a common car ( no BMW , mercs)
5. No sport suspension
6. No silly wheels

[BRMMA]

frosted said:

I have run brand new cars, and I can tell you that
1 . Not going to buy a brand new car ever again
2. Always buy a diesel
3. Never spend more that 12k on any car
4. Always buy a common car ( no BMW , mercs)
5. No sport suspension
6. No silly wheels

That doesn't sound much fun, i'd personally rather spend the extra money and drive something i like and that's an enjoyable place to spend my time

agree on not buying new though, i'd need to be seriously rich before i'd consider buying new

[mnkiboy]

This is why i'm in a constant cycle of:

10 "This car's too expensive to run"
20 "Buy cheap to run car"
30 "This car's dull as dishwater"
40 "Buy fast car"
50 Goto 10

Christ i'm stupid.

[Rawwr]

frosted said:

I have run brand new cars, and I can tell you that
1 . Not going to buy a brand new car ever again
2. Always buy a diesel
3. Never spend more that 12k on any car
4. Always buy a common car ( no BMW , mercs)
5. No sport suspension
6. No silly wheels

I'm not sure about that. If the car is an everyday tool, I'll be the cheapest, most comfortable lump of turd I can find and then run it into the ground.

If I'm getting a proper, drivers car to actually enjoy, I'll disregard the costs and just get on with enjoying it. It's the logic which leads to the Mondeo being replaced by a 996 GT2

[Pugland53]

frosted said:

I have run brand new cars, and I can tell you that
1 . Not going to buy a brand new car ever again
2. Always buy a diesel
3. Never spend more that 12k on any car
4. Always buy a common car ( no BMW , mercs)
5. No sport suspension
6. No silly wheels

4. Always buy a common car (BMW's included as they are everywhere)

[B.J.W]

BRMMA said:

frosted said:

I have run brand new cars, and I can tell you that
1 . Not going to buy a brand new car ever again
2. Always buy a diesel
3. Never spend more that 12k on any car
4. Always buy a common car ( no BMW , mercs)
5. No sport suspension
6. No silly wheels

That doesn't sound much fun, i'd personally rather spend the extra money and drive something i like and that's an enjoyable place to spend my time

agree on not buying new though, i'd need to be seriously rich before i'd consider buying new

Always buy a common car - no BMW's!

And there was me hankering after one of those uber rare 318D's

[lowdrag]

Slightly O/T, but should we even consider buying a diesel these days? Everything I seem to read indicates the particulate filter is a problem and that the high pressure common rail injection systems are problematical (and expensive) as the mileage builds up. I was comparing the C class diesels to the petrol equivalents and there isn't much difference in running - especially fuel - costs. I guess if you do intergalactic mileages OK, but for most of us I ask the question again, is diesel a practical choice nowadays?

[frosted]

Diesels are not bad cars , and BMWs have never been my thing . What i wrote is depressing , however for me to work harder and longer to keep a expensive car on the road makes no sense(anymore) . I tried the 2 car thing ,doesn't turn out that much cheaper and I do need to have creature comforts in my car

[HellDiver]

There was a thread last week asking the same thing - is diesel a dead end?

Personally I wouldn't have another diesel near me unless it's in one of Solihull's finest.

[Rawwr]

lowdrag said:

Slightly O/T, but should we even consider buying a diesel these days?

My workhorses and total slags and typically bought with intergalactic miles on the odometer. I feel infinitely more comfortable with a common petrol engine than I would with a diesel, mostly due to horror stories about part costs.

Combine that with the fact younger diesels are typically more expensive to buy and I can't see me ever owning a diesel.

YMMV.

[Ozzie Osmond]

I've put over £25,000 of fuel in my car!

[frosted]

Diesel works for me , I can honestly say that a passat tdi is twice as cheap to run than all my previous cars bar the rx400 which was 600 a month in hp payments alone