Pine Cone

OK, so there are lots and lots of threads, bemoaning the cost of car insurance. But what about all the other associate costs? I've found the cost of annual car registration, MOT equivalent and servicing requirements to vary wildly from one country to the next.

What required costs do you need to budget for car ownership in Ontario in addition to insurance and ball-park costs? We have a large family and would require a 7 seater vehicle. And vehicle recommendations that won't cost the earth to insure?

How often do you buy new tyres etc? We've gone through 3 sets in 10 years with our existing car but the roads here are not that bad and we don't go off driving in the outback and also avoided unsealed gravel roads in NZ too.

dbd33

I drive 30,000 miles a year, about a third on gravel roads. That's two tanks of petrol per week at $50, a service every two months at $150 ($500 when I had a VW), $150/year (I think) for the registration sticker. Insurance is lots but doesn't vary significantly with the vehicle (excepting exotics and RHD vehicles).

In the country one has two sets of tyres. They last me four seasons. In Toronto I didn't bother with winter tyres, drove less and got three years out of them. Swapping the tyres is $100 twice a year.

Parking would be another cost if you drive in Toronto, I suppose my spot is worth $30 or so per day.

not2old

we drive a 2004, 6 cyl 3 litre SUV, seats 5 adults comfortable, room in the back for all sorts, serves us well. It has just on 300,000km, we drive it an average 1200km/mth, we have 3rd party only insurance (just renewed it) - cost $766.32/yr.

Add, that maintenance/repairs/oil changes, yearly license plate sticker all extra

..

Novocastrian

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

TrishP

The main 7-seaters on the road are:
Dodge Grand Caravan
Chrysler Town & Country
Mazda CX9
Toyota Sienna

There are more makes/models out there, choice will depend upon whether you're in the city or rural.

We live in rural Ottawa, 2 cars (his and mine) - Mazda 3 hatch and VW Jetta tdi, both have winter tyres installed for the colder months, but, as we're really only doing highway mileage (we're 2km off the 417), our tyres are changed every 2 years(ish). Other than the usual basic servicing costs and petrol/diesel and the aforementioned costs by dbd33 re licence plate sticker and insurance, that's about it. Insurance is high, but if you shop around, you may get a better deal. Insurance costs can vary a lot according to how much you want to top-up your accident benefits when you purchase or renew. I highly recommend topping up, especially the income replacement in the event of an accident - I used to work in the sector, $1M for treatment of a catastrophic injury sounds like a lot, but it disappears very very quickly!

Collie

It's also worthwhile checking how much cars cost to service - I found there are HUGE differences... for example, Ford = very cheap, Subaru = very expensive

magnumpi

Ontario

No MOT, emissions every 2 years $33, tag (car tax) approx 90$ a year. That's it!

The rest is how much u spend on gas and the cost of your car.

Mechanic fees are 90$ an hour if you are not mechanically minded.

Otherwise some thing like pads and rotors will run you 40$ a rotor and 40$ set of pads. Although I have just fitted a front set of rotors and pads off of eBay for $72 :@) Pontiac brand, sent from Ottawa free post

Oh yeh and whatever insurance u can get :@(

Pine Cone

Really, why is that do you think?

Pine Cone

What about breakdown cover? In both the UK we had AA cover for a very similar annual fee. Here is Australia there is no AA equivalent. We have NRMA cover, which is more pricey and nowhere near as comprehensive. We had to upgrade from standard to premium cover just be covered for towing Sydney-wide, and you have to pay $$ mileage for outside the city, plus they'll only cover alternative transport for 4 passengers which is no use whatsoever for people driving a 7 seater full of passengers.

dbd33

The CAA offers break down coverage. My ex got a flat tyre on the minivan somewhere north of Maine, they put the van on a flat bed and drove it, and her, and our children and that child who was left on the porch and lived with them for years, five in total, to Mississauga. The strategy seemed odd but they weren't left stranded.

otoh, snow fell in Ontario and a chap who went to Queen's got his car stuck outside our house. He called the CAA, we took him in for the night, in the morning a neighbor towed him out. He went on his way without the CAA having yet arrived.

In short, CAA, Better Than Nothing.

Novocastrian

http://www.azquotes.com/picture-quot...n-20-56-54.jpg

sharkus

What does your current car cost you where you currently are? convert that to CAD$ and see how much it equates to.

For anyone coming to Canada I think insurance is going to be the biggest cost, bar purchasing the car.

On that note, are you buying outright, or finance / leasing a car? that's obviously an additional cost.

Pine Cone

Current car in Aussie is a 9 year old 7-seater Mitsubishi. Just renewed insurance and it was $1350 for both the green slip (compulsory 3rd party insurance) and regular fully comp insurance combined. Plus another $500 for rego, $200 for NRMA breakdown cover and will be about another $50 plus anything that needs tweeking when we get the WOF done later this week. So basically, it costs $2100pa for the priviledge of owning a car plus maintenance and purchase price/annual depreciation. AU$ and pretty equivalent to CAD$. Do you think this is comparable to Canada?

The intention would always be to buy a 3-5 year old family car outright, even if we have to get an even older vehcile to begin with and save up for a better car. I would never lease a car (other than on a holiday) and would have to be pretty desperate to finance a car again at this stage in life. We did finance a small new car each when we first left Uni years ago, but only because we had no other means of getting to work (an hours drive each in opposite directions) and at the time it was a less scary prospect than buying an older car and being hit with unexpected maintenance costs when we were already loaded with student debt that we were trying to repay asap. But knowing we were forking out a hefty sum each month for 3 whole years on depreciating assets is kind of depressing really, isn't it.

Pine Cone

I would counter that with the old saying that if you look after the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves. Sooo, basically you absolutely should question the cost of Every. Single. Thing.

Novocastrian

That's up to you. I prefer the aphorism which goes Don't. Sweat. The. Details.