Total cost of car ownership in UK??

[Andrew*Debbie]

We are considering an oportunity to relocate to Wales. I'm wondering how much it really costs to own a car in the UK. We would NOT have a company car.

Is there a good reference website that explains the details of car ownership in the UK? Need to know about purchase, leasing, financing, insurance, other taxes like the CO2 tax....

I've taken a quick look at the bmwuk website and the 'on the road' prices are higher than the equivelent 'out the door' USA price for a car similar to our 325i. Are discounts common, difficult, or unheard of?

Trying to figure out what quality of life trades we would have to make.

[wingspan]

Andrew*Debbie - :hi: there are several expats on the board...and several Brits as well.

I lived in Portsmouth from 93 to 98. Then I worked in and out of the UK over the next five years in the Warminster area. Presently I am in a new IT job where I commute to the UK regularly in the Andover area.

I would suggest the next trip you make, you try and get some of the UK car magazines (CAR, Top Gear.) Also the WHICH? series of magazines/books (e.g. WHICH CAR?) is a great reference for info.

These should list car leasing companies which you can ring for details of on the road prices for car leasing, by the month or by the year. IIRC it is pretty complicated as there are some serious tax consequences as well.

Obviously petrol is quite expensive; many of my peers seem to have diesel estate cars (i.e. Station Wagons, viz: 320dT) that are great if you need one family car. Lots of room, plenty of grunt, and good fuel mileage. If I were to live in the UK and only could get one car it'd definetly be a diesel wagon.

A colleague of mine is just in the process of moving over, I'll ask if he has any sources and I'll pass them on if he's had any luck.

Good luck!

Rich


PS

Obligatory Brit joke:

Q - How do you get to Wales in a Mini?

A - Easy, one in the front and one in the back!












:rofl: It will make more sense when you get here :)

[swchang]

Obligatory Brit joke:

Q - How do you get to Wales in a Mini?

A - Easy, one in the front and one in the back!












:rofl: It will make more sense when you get here :)

I don't get it. :confused:

A diesel wagon sounds phat, though. :thumbup: I'd take a diesel M3 wagon.

[andy_thomas]

We are considering an oportunity to relocate to Wales. I'm wondering how much it really costs to own a car in the UK. We would NOT have a company car.

The list purchase price of a new car is an on-the-road price, including taxes, registration and the first year's road fund. You are free to negotiate, of course; BMW discounts run at 5-8% depending on model; Citroens, Ford/GM, some Japanese cars will be 10% minimum. Car supermarkets or fleet companies are the best places to buy new cars if you're not fussed about spec; you can get 25-30% off the price of a new car this way.

The road func licence is max £165 this year. The less polluting the engine, the cheaper it is.

Petrol is pricey, which is why diesels make up nearly half the new-car market. I am still not convinced of their relative cleanliness, but fuel economy is often 50% better than the equivalent petrol. Cars in general have smaller engines, of course, so the amount of fuel you buy will be lower anyway.

Is there a good reference website that explains the details of car ownership in the UK? Need to know about purchase, leasing, financing, insurance, other taxes like the CO2 tax....

Emissions-related tax only applies if you run the car as a company perk. (C02 emissions do vary the road fund licence, though, as I mentioned).

Try dvla.gov.uk for licencing info. I don't know of any sites that describe the car****ing process, but it's pretty much the same as anywhere else. There is no "invoice price", only a "sticker price" (list price).

I've taken a quick look at the bmwuk website and the 'on the road' prices are higher than the equivelent 'out the door' USA price for a car similar to our 325i. Are discounts common, difficult, or unheard of?

Common, and quite generous now. Expect 6-7% off a mid-range (318i, 320d, 520i, 525i) model without trying. If you choose to go via a bulk importer, and again are less bothered by colour, options etc., expect at least 8% off.

Recently, www.drivethedeal.com had leather, metallic 320d SE estates (5-door) for over £3k off list. This is probably the most versatile car in the entire range; £3k off is around a 12% discount.

Don't bother comparing prices over the pond. You won't even get into a base 316ti for the price of a 325i in the US. The low dollar contrives to make UK-market cars look cripplingly expensive, until you consider that the disparity also affects relative earnings levels. Look at your motoring costs as a percentage of your salary.

Trying to figure out what quality of life trades we would have to make.
If you use motoring costs as a barometer of your quality of life, don't come anywhere near here! :)

[Andrew*Debbie]

If you use motoring costs as a barometer of your quality of life, don't come anywhere near here!




Thank you for all the very helpfull information :thumbup:


We are considering our overall quality of life. Living on Anglesey island is a huge plus.
We may have to trade down from our 325i + 535i. The 535 is not the best for fuel usage. A 320d Estate would be fine, if we could afford it. Maybe a 318Ti or a 1er.... Or maybe a Mini Cooper and a very used Ford Ranger. Debbie wants horses :) Being able to have horses again is another huge plus.

[Andrew*Debbie]

I would suggest the next trip you make, you try and get some of the UK car magazines (CAR, Top Gear.) Also the WHICH? series of magazines/books (e.g. WHICH CAR?) is a great reference for info.
)


Thanks! Now I'll have something to read on the long plane ride back to ATL.

[andy_thomas]

Thank you for all the very helpfull information :thumbup:


We are considering our overall quality of life. Living on Anglesey island is a huge plus.

There is also a very nice road circuit there, with few wide boys in their M3s lining up to have a go :).

We may have to trade down from our 325i + 535i. The 535 is not the best for fuel usage. A 320d Estate would be fine, if we could afford it. Maybe a 318Ti or a 1er.... Or maybe a Mini Cooper and a very used Ford Ranger. Debbie wants horses :) Being able to have horses again is another huge plus.
You can bring your car(s) over, of course, but LHD will be problem for overtaking, even with relatively fast cars like 325i and 535i.

One good thing about BMW GB's oversupply of recent years is that pre-owned values are quite low, particularly for unloved colours. If you are unfussed about colour, any ex-company white BMW coming up for auction goes for thousands less than your typical silvers and metallic blues. (White BMWs are non-existent here.) A 15,000 mile, 12-month-old, white 325i with grey cloth came up at an Essex auction house not so long ago, and went for barely £13k (price new: £24k). That's £3k less than a typical auction price.

[Andrew*Debbie]

A 15,000 mile, 12-month-old, white 325i with grey cloth came up at an Essex auction house not so long ago, and went for barely £13k (price new: £24k). That's £3k less than a typical auction price.

WOW. £13k is a year-old Mini Cooper over here. Debbie would consider a white BMW with cloth seats a huge minus. I think she would rather stay in Atlanta then drive a white car :) BMW doesn't even try to sell cloth here. Still, that is nowhere near the very high resale used BMWs get here. Hmmmm maybe we can own a BMW after all.

Bringing our cars over isn't an option. The 325i is leased and BMWNA won't let us take it out of the states. The 535i is worth less than it would cost to ship it. Besides, I'm not even sure if I can manage a roundabout in a RHD car.

[wingspan]

I don't get it. :confused:

A diesel wagon sounds phat, though. :thumbup: I'd take a diesel M3 wagon.

Its a pun. A Mini is a small British car (see my sig for example.) Wales is an area of the UK. Whales are large aquatic creatures. Geddit?

Well, ok, it was funnier in rehearsal. :(

[wingspan]

You can bring your car(s) over, of course, but LHD will be problem for overtaking, even with relatively fast cars like 325i and 535i.



This is not really as bad as you might think. We had our 92 Accord EX LHD for five years in Porstmouth and never really had a problem overtaking. Ok, sure, on a B road you have to be careful sometimes but with traffic the way it usually is the days of virtually deserted B roads are pretty much over with.