What annual expense surprised you the most after buying your car?

[Kelly001]

I hope to be at the right place to ask this.

I read a lot about it. Most people think about fuel or insurance, but I've heard that things like road tax, maintenance, and depreciation can be unexpected too.

I don't actually own a car in my name yet. I currently use my partner's car, and I don't really deal with any of the running costs. I'm planning to buy my own soon.

I'll admit I'm a bit of a planner. I like to know what I'm getting into and prepare in advance. My partner has already given me some advice, but I'd love to hear from people with firsthand experience.

So, what annual expense surprised you the most after buying your car? Was it something you hadn't considered beforehand?

[mickthemaverick]

Hi Kelly, I have moved your post into the Off Topic Chat Lounge (OTCL) as you are not 'wanting or selling' anything in this post. This area is for anything that does not sit well in the other areas so hopefully you'll get more input here.

[PaulC5]

All cars cost a fortune to own. Insurance, servicing. tax, fuel, MOT test, breakdown service like Green Flag, component failure/wear, depreciation as they lose a lot of value each year, if bought with a loan that costs a lot. If you do not need a car taxis can work out cheaper unless used frequently or long trips are needed. Car parks cost a lot. As a first time owner your insurance will be high but if you add your partner to the policy it can be cheaper even though you are the main driver.

In Bristol I think they have a clean air zone charge so you will want to have a newer car to keep the cost down. Diesels have a lot of emission systems that can go wrong, especially if you do short trips so petrol would be better.

[Huskyxantia]

Paying for repairs caused by pot holes

[Kelly001]

Ah, I'm glad I asked. I guess there's no point in owning a car just for the sake of owning one. I'll wait until my partner and I are ready to start our family before buying one. Once there are three of us, it'll definitely become a necessity. Besides, I've always dreamed of paying for my car outright rather than taking out a loan.
Thanks for your reply. I especially hadn't realized how expensive insurance and parking could be. I've done a bit of looking into it now. Looking into all of this a bit, I also came across a calculator to estimate the Vehicle Registration Tax based on the registration on vrt-calculator-by-reg. I’m not sure if anyone here uses it, but I found it quite useful for getting an idea of the costs. Thanks for the tips. I really appreciate them and I'll definitely keep them in mind.

[Kelly001]

Paying for repairs caused by pot holes

Ah yes, the famous pothole maintenance package… welcome to the UK

[Huskyxantia]

Or lack of