CAR COSTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 149, 26 June 1934, Page 16

CAR COSTS.

WIDE VARIATION. QUESTION OF DEPRECIATION. No topic connected with motoring is of more moment to the newcomer than cost. He or she can quickly discover what expenditure tho purchase of the car will involve, and tax and insurance are known factors; but what of the running charges? It is a matter of no small difficulty to give precise data, for, according to the general condition of a car if it is already second-hand, and, to some slight extent, according to luck if it is a new one, the annual charges can vary appreciably. Also, the owner who treats his car sensibly and gives it the routine attention necessary can effect considerable economies. An 8 h.p. car will do about 35 miles to a gallon of petrol, or sometimes more, and it should cover 1000 miles at least on a gallon of oil, so that on the basis of the anticipated mileage a good idea of actual running costs can be formed. A car of 10 h.p. should cover at least 30 to 32 miles on a gallon of petrol, and one of 12 h.p. probably 26 to 30 miles; actual oil consumption does not necessarily show an increase as the size of the ear goes up. Garaging charges can range from 10/ a week or. more for a private lock-up, to a negligible sum if the owner lias n garage alongside his house. Possible repairs and replacements can scarcely be assessed. You may well not need any worth speaking of in a whole year's motoring; on the other hand, you may not bo quite so fortunate. Depreciation' is another point. Many owners account it to. their cars' running costs per annum, deducting the resale value of the car at any given time from the price paid to arrive at the figure. There is a not altogether justified ten- , deney to consider cars from a totally different aspect in these matters from that applying to household effects or clothes, for instance. Should the expenditure involved on a car be set down as entirely outgoing? Roughly, as seems to be suggested by data from many sources, an ordinary car of about 8 or 10 h.p..can be kept and run for something like a pound a week.