Britain’s high motoring costs

Press, 11 October 1979, Page 18

Britain’s high motoring costs

By KEN COATES in London It now costs almost £4 a day to own and run even the cheapest car in Britain, and for an “executive saloon” the cost is up to £l6 a day. The Consumers’ Association magazine, “Motoring Which,” says a typical small-to-medium family saloon costs between £35 and £4O a week, and in the luxury class, a Jaguar J 6 costs the owner £ll2 a week to keep on the road. The association bases these figures on a survey of more than 20,000 members. The guide to car buying covers 68 popular cars,

and says the cheapest to own and run at $26 a week are the Fiat 126 from Italy and the Citroen 2CV from France. “The accolade in this class goes to the Volkswagen Polo (Golf in New Zealand) which has a total owning-running cost of £3O a week, with fewer faults and breakdowns,” the report says. The Ford Fiesta at £28.50 with average faults and breakdowns, and the Vauxhall Chevette at £32.50 are described as “close runners-up.” At the wealthier end of the scale the Jaguar XJ models “stand out as expensive to own and run,” the survey says.