In the current economic climate we’re all having to cut our cloths accordingly and motorists are no different. However maintaining, running and buying a car doesn’t have to be financially crippling. There are plenty of recession-busting tricks to help keep your car costs down while still allowing you to live life in the fast lane.
If you’re in the market for a new vehicle then think about a second hand purchase – straight off the forecourt new cars lose over half their value in three years. Therefore a well looked after three to five year old car may represent better value for money. If you’re set on a brand new car then be sure to study each model’s colour coded fuel efficiency rating – low CO2 emissions equal lower tax and consequently more economical running costs. Also, when it comes to saving your hard earned cash, smaller cars certainly prove that size isn’t everything. Compact vehicles are cheaper to service, repair and tax. If you’re looking to reduce your motoring costs then only drive a bigger car if it’s absolutely essential to do so.
When you’re forking out for a new or second hand car remember that cost wise you’re only at the very beginning – nothing empties a motorist’s pockets quicker than an undependable, erratic vehicle. If you want to spend more time on the open road than in your local mechanics then check out yearly reliability surveys by JD Power or AutoExpress before you make your purchase. For example, Japanese cars such as Honda cars or Toyota cars generally tend to score highly on reliability and lead to minimal repair costs. Shopping around for petrol is another easy way to keep your running costs down. Prices can range by as much as 25p depending where you fill up but the main tip is to avoid buying your petrol on the motorway – more often than not service stations charge more than your local petrol station.
When you’re behind the wheel, knowing how to adapt your vehicle management to be more fuel efficient is a key factor in cutting your motoring costs. Making the effort to turn your engine off in a traffic jam (if the engine’s running for more than two minutes then it costs more than turning it on and off again), use the air con (only if you have to but better than opening the window) if you’re driving fast and opening the window (rather than using the air con) if you’re going slowly are well-known cost cutting methods.
However, taking responsibility for your own driving style is perhaps the most important cost effective measure to take. Firstly, Cut Your Speed! Not only do speeding tickets add fifteen percent to your insurance premiums but cars consume considerably more fuel at 70mph than 50mph. Swap flashy harsh acceleration and show boating sudden breaking for gradual acceleration and steady slowing down and you’ll use up much less power and again the resulting fuel consumption will be considerably lower.
