Ownership of a 4x4

[barrychas]

So I spotted this very nice Freelander Sport new @£31000 and I decided to talk to the rep about the car....what was the service charges £600 and up (gulp ) ..insurance..tax band etc. and I thought it would be a good idea to ask this forum about the costs of ownership of the various towcars that are featured within. I know that we all boast about the best vehicle for towing ...but an ever increasing cost is the ownership figure each year ..which a lot of us can find out later when the bills come in...so I look forward to some interesting figures being published, which I hope will help me make up my mind for my next tug.
Barry

 

[RogerL]

Have a look at the What Car, comparison tool - you can select the exact model of 3 cars and compare most things, including mpg, total running cost, annual insurance, servicing over 3 years.

 

[barrychas]

Cheers ..thanks for that ...didn't know that existed. I wonder if any members have had any unexpected large bills or if there is any insider knowledge about what to look for when buying preloved certain vehices.

 

[Damian]

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/freelander-faults-poll-54179.html

Have a look and read through the 26 pages going back a while to present date and you will see what kind of thing is happening.

 

[barrychas]

Cripes...started reading your reccommended site and now I amd bricking it........Is anything working out there ?

 

[emmerson]

This post has made me think, as I always run old cars. So I've added up some figures from my records for my current 1994 Range Rover Classic, over the two years and 24,000miles I've had it.
Purchase price: £2200
Road tax for 2 years: £430
Air suspension service: £350
Insurance 2 years: £700
Mot x2 : £110
Oil Changes (4): £250
6 monthly inspections x 4: £80
4 tyres; £220
brake pads (2 sets) £50
1,714 gallons LPG: £5399
Depreciation £0000
Subtotal: £9789
Appreciation: £300 (I was offered £2500 for it last week, but turned it down)
Total cost for two years, 24,000 miles of luxury motoring/towing £9489.
And I've still got the car, which is fit for a further 3 or four years life with decent maintainance.
I accept that I'm fortunate to be able to do a lot of the basic repairs at home, but as you'll note from the list, I do pay a local Independent Land Rover repairer to carry out twice yearly inspections.Also note that the air suspension service was only neccesary because it had been poorly serviced before my purchase. That should be a one-off.
And still people tell me that Land Rovers are unreliable!

Oh, there are two items I forgot - I years membership of ADAC, £79, and a repair to a brake pipe in Dresden £180 (this has been the car's only involuntary stop), which brings the total up to £9738, or £93.60 per week, or 40p per mile..This is considerably less than my pal pays in installments for his car.

 

[MichaelE]

My last 4 x 4 i chose on the basis of the emmissions were not to exceed 225 grms ie the £445 a year road fund tax.
I begrudge paying such a high amount ie nearly £10 a week.I pay £210 a year now emissions 185.I do about 10k miles a year.
I got a service pack thrown in for 3 years. Tyres are my only real worry.
Insurance is around the £450 marks but im relying heavily on my NCD.
I must admit my company has helped me out when we move offices 2 years ago, i was made a home worker so only go into the office twice a week , total miles 200 a week, but i can claim 45p a mile.
I use my wifes 107 and get 60 mpg.
This has helped my 4 x 4 running costs , without this it would be tough!

 

[xtrailman]

This post has made me think, as I always run old cars. So I've added up some figures from my records for my current 1994 Range Rover Classic, over the two years and 24,000miles I've had it.
Purchase price: £2200
Road tax for 2 years: £430
Air suspension service: £350
Insurance 2 years: £700
Mot x2 : £110
Oil Changes (4): £250
6 monthly inspections x 4: £80
4 tyres; £220
brake pads (2 sets) £50
1,714 gallons LPG: £5399
Depreciation £0000
Subtotal: £9789
Appreciation: £300 (I was offered £2500 for it last week, but turned it down)
Total cost for two years, 24,000 miles of luxury motoring/towing £9489.
And I've still got the car, which is fit for a further 3 or four years life with decent maintainance.
I accept that I'm fortunate to be able to do a lot of the basic repairs at home, but as you'll note from the list, I do pay a local Independent Land Rover repairer to carry out twice yearly inspections.Also note that the air suspension service was only neccesary because it had been poorly serviced before my purchase. That should be a one-off.
And still people tell me that Land Rovers are unreliable!

Oh, there are two items I forgot - I years membership of ADAC, £79, and a repair to a brake pipe in Dresden £180 (this has been the car's only involuntary stop), which brings the total up to £9738, or £93.60 per week, or 40p per mile..This is considerably less than my pal pays in installments for his car.

We can all play that game.
Payed £17K new on the road Feb 2009. Around £8K discount
Now worth £14K plus coming up to 3 years later.

 

[emmerson]

Ray, I'm not "playing a game". The OP asked for running costs for a 4x4. I listed mine.
What "game" are you suggesting I'm playing?

 

[xtrailman]

Ray, I'm not "playing a game". The OP asked for running costs for a 4x4. I listed mine.
What "game" are you suggesting I'm playing?

Don't be so touchy.
I've listed my depreciation costs over three years?

 

[emmerson]

Sorry, I didn't intend it to sound "touchy".
I do find it difficult to believe that a car costing £17,000 is still worth £14,000 three years later, though.On what do you base this figure?
Afterr all, if you bought at huge discount, then others probably did the same, therefore that model generally would have been devalued.
My appreciation is factual: the man wants my car, and is prepared to pay for it.
The point of my post was that a whole heap of money can be saved by running old vehicles as compared to the huge losses with new ones. Even on your figures, you still need to add at least £20 per week to your running costs, which you have not given us.I suspect, though obviously I don't know, that your annual servicing cost is considerably greater than mine, to keep up with your warranty!

 

[Surfer]

Sorry, I didn't intend it to sound "touchy".
I do find it difficult to believe that a car costing £17,000 is still worth £14,000 three years later, though.On what do you base this figure?
Afterr all, if you bought at huge discount, then others probably did the same, therefore that model generally would have been devalued.
My appreciation is factual: the man wants my car, and is prepared to pay for it.
The point of my post was that a whole heap of money can be saved by running old vehicles as compared to the huge losses with new ones. Even on your figures, you still need to add at least £20 per week to your running costs, which you have not given us.I suspect, though obviously I don't know, that your annual servicing cost is considerably greater than mine, to keep up with your warranty!

I agree with you as both new and old do the same job. Our 1996 Toyota HiLux Surf 3.o auto costs us £4000. Road tax about £220. Service between £120 & £180. Interim servcies about £70 (6000 miles). It has all the comfort and luxury to us of a modern car and towingh a twin axle about 22mpg. Insurance is about £280 per annum.

 

[RogerL]

I do find it difficult to believe that a car costing £17,000 is still worth £14,000 three years later, though.On what do you base this figure?
Afterr all, if you bought at huge discount, then others probably did the same, therefore that model generally would have been devalued.

It's quite easy to believe that a car listed at £25,000 in Feb 2009 is worth £14,000 now, 2+ years later.
Inflation and the increase in VAT has probably pushed the current list price up to around £28-29,000.
The low depreciation comes from the excellent discount on new price.
Used prices for cars are determined by supply and demand, they genuinely reflect the value of a car - new prices, even discounted, reflect the price premium paid for buying "brand new" - that premium depends on the perceived prestige of the brand and model.

 

[MichaelE]

Used car prices are based on the price as sold not todays new prices.
Heavily discounted new cars are hit in their used values down the line.
31% off list price is pretty impressive,Nissans dealers only have a 8% margin.
Most cars will only retain 40% of their list price after 3 years,very very few make even 50%.
I believe that Ray has a Nissan X-Trail the top model will trade more around 12-13k after 3 years according to Glass, so 50% of original value is pretty good

 

[RogerL]

31% off list price is pretty impressive,Nissans dealers only have a 8% margin.

8% is the standard dealer margin across most brands - but equally most brands have extra discounts which can be applied - I've always got better than 8%.
I only got 16% last time because I was in a hurry as I'd written off my previous car - if I'd had time to be patient I'd have expected around 30% - it wouldn't have been a Nissan though

 

[MichaelE]

Wow what are you buying, i have friends and family in the trade and the max i have ever got is 22.5% off a new Ford,

 

[RogerL]

Wow what are you buying, i have friends and family in the trade and the max i have ever got is 22.5% off a new Ford,

My wife's parents both worked at Austin-Rover and brother-in-law worked at Rover, Land-Rover and Ford so I was eligible for the family affinity discount through them - but for the past 30 years I've bought Vauxhall, Subaru and Hyundai on better deals than the affinity discount.
Have a look a UK Car Discount http://www.uk-car-discount.co.uk/index.php and then haggle down from there.

 

[MichaelE]

I have seen this site before and most discounts = around the 10 -15% mark .
My cars have always been ordered and can take up 6 months to be delivered, discounts only available of stock cars and now the stock is normally built to order 4-6 weeks, long gone are the days they stock pile cars.

 

[xtrailman]

I do find it difficult to believe that a car costing £17,000 is still worth £14,000 three years later, though.On what do you base this figure?
Afterr all, if you bought at huge discount, then others probably did the same, therefore that model generally would have been devalued.

It's quite easy to believe that a car listed at £25,000 in Feb 2009 is worth £14,000 now, 2+ years later.
Inflation and the increase in VAT has probably pushed the current list price up to around £28-29,000.
The low depreciation comes from the excellent discount on new price.
Used prices for cars are determined by supply and demand, they genuinely reflect the value of a car - new prices, even discounted, reflect the price premium paid for buying "brand new" - that premium depends on the perceived prestige of the brand and model.

You've got it spot on Roger.
My valuation was by searching Autotrader, i was surprised at the current high values.
As a replacement for my equivalent model the "target price" is £27,360 plus metallic paint at £495.
Some what over priced i think for a Nissan.
I would be looking for a substantial discount on any car i buy, as i find the prices of cars generally to be excessive.
Unfortunately I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to cars, i estimate i could be £150K richer if i had stuck to bangers, but i just get drawn to the latest offerings.
Claims about costs over a 3 year period are pretty meaning less really, if you intend to progress to another new car.
I fancy a car with a 5 year or more warranty next. As i would like to keep them a few years longer.

 

[xtrailman]

Used car prices are based on the price as sold not todays new prices.
Heavily discounted new cars are hit in their used values down the line.
31% off list price is pretty impressive,Nissans dealers only have a 8% margin.
Most cars will only retain 40% of their list price after 3 years,very very few make even 50%.
I believe that Ray has a Nissan X-Trail the top model will trade more around 12-13k after 3 years according to Glass, so 50% of original value is pretty good

I bought the car through Nissan's friends and families scheme, i got the Aventura Exployer, the Aventura was offered at £15500 on the road, but i opted for the satnav, revering camera, and better lights.

 

[MichaelE]

Thats an amazing friends and family discount, my wifes Uncle worked for Nissan Uk for 17 years and the best he could get was 18 - 20%
Wouldnt rely on Autotrader for used prices, Glasses is the dealer bible.
Its ironic now that you get more success selling through Ebay than Autotrader

 

[xtrailman]

Thats an amazing friends and family discount, my wifes Uncle worked for Nissan Uk for 17 years and the best he could get was 18 - 20%
Wouldnt rely on Autotrader for used prices, Glasses is the dealer bible.
Its ironic now that you get more success selling through Ebay than Autotrader

There was an internal email with the Nissan offer prices, other models were on offer, so your uncle should have seen the listing.
Considering the xtrail was face lifted in 2010, goes some way to explain the discount, along with large stock piles!.
I also got a good deal on a new preregistered (zero miles) Audi listed at £27K, for £23K, back in 2000.
This i sold private through autotrader for £10.5K after 4 years.

 

[emmerson]

Ray, good on you!

 

[RogerL]

Manufacturer's internal discounts will vary hugely depending where a model is in it's production life cycle and whether demand from fleet and retail customers is high or low.

 

[MichaelE]

Maybe he seemed very vague about it,then again his were company cars so wasnt worried about buying for himself.
Seems strange regarding stock piles of cars as this was after the economic slow down in 2009 but its was during the scrappage scheme so obviously some companies had some cars left?