Fuel economy, road tax and running costs by manufacturer
There are several areas of consideration that are usually key indicators of the likely expenditure that a given car will place upon ownership. Generally these can be broken down into Miles Per Gallon (MPG), Vehicle Excise Duty (Car Tax to you and me), and cost per mile over a common distance when comparing fuel costs vs. economy vs. vehicle purchase price.
Below you can access official economy figures that have been approved by the British Government, VED costs for vehicles manufactured prior to and post March 2001 and there are also Government approved running costs that will indicate the ongoing cost of ownership.
Fuel Economy
If your perspective new car is not brand new then you can download an annual report with the car of your choice where you can find the fuel ecomony details. However, please note these downloads only go back as far as the year 2000, so if your car is older than that you will either need try and obtain older sales literature, speak to a main dealer, or try and contact the owners club - if one exists. To download the annual report, click on the link below.
Annual report
Vehicle Excise Duty (Car Tax) calculator
Once you purchase your new vehicle and have the V5 log book updated, and purchase your first car tax you will be sent a reminder prior to the expiration. Either way, you can apply for your car tax online using the link below.
If you do not intend to renew your car tax, i.e. keep it in storage off of the public highway, you must notify the DVLA or you will be assessed a penalty charge. To declare your vehicle off the road - or SORN as it is referred, please use the linke below. Please also be sure to read the terms and conditions of this type of declaration.
Apply for Car Tax or declare my car off the road
For details of the UK Government approved running costs, which are the figures that manufacturers must quote on their advertisements, just use the linke below.
Running Costs by Manufacturer
Find cheaper petrol and your local MOT centre
To search for the cheapest petrol in your area quickly and, if you choose, receive regular e-mail alerts so you will always be the first to know when the prices change. Use the link below.
Petrolprices.com have petrol prices for over 10,000 stations and receive approximately 8,000 daily updates, ensuring their data is accurate and up to date. By using petrolprices.com to check the price of petrol across stations in your local area, you could make substantial savings on your motoring.
Searching for petrol prices in your local area or across the UK is completely free of charge. Once signed up, you will have 20 petrol price searches to use each week, helping you cut your motoring costs.
www.petrolprices.com
Every year you will need to ensure your car has a valid MOT certificate. Now if your new to your current home, or simply want to change your MOT centre, please use the link below to search for all the MOT centres in your area.
Find my local MOT centre
The other primary cost of motoring is insurance. With the advent of comparison web sites and their many variations, it is possible to get all the quotations you need in one single search. However, beware, not all insurance companies are aligned to all the comparison sites.
Therefore, the key thing to remember here is to always get as many quotations as possible, from as many comparison sites and individual companies as your time will allow. Your sure to find a quote that falls within your budget, but always be prepared to play one company off against the other - they will do a deal. Good luck!
