Car running costs vary by state

Queensland is the most expensive state for motorists ($5433) mainly due to fuel costing about 4c more a litre than other states, according to a new survey by Bingle Car Insurance. 

NSW motorists pay the highest for maintenance, insurance and registration but have the lowest overall cost of motoring ($5273) thanks to lower fines, tolls and parking costs. 

Bingle's Cost of Motoring Index examines the costs of servicing and maintenance, rego, insurance, parking, tolls, fines and petrol. It differs from the auto clubs' surveys mainly by including tolls and fines. 

The Bingle survey of 1200 owner drivers conducted last September shows that Victorians pay twice as much in fines as NSW. Bingle spokesperson Melanie Vine said understanding the cost of motoring can help motorists keep costs down.

"It's no surprise that petrol is the largest overall cost, representing 52 per cent," said Ms Vine. Registration and insurance is the next most significant cost at 23 percent, followed by servicing and maintenance (19 per cent), parking and tolls (3 per cent) and fines (2 per cent). 

"By driving in a more measured way to conserve petrol, looking for better-value insurance and obeying the road rules to avoid fines, consumers can make real savings." Vine said. Sydney office worker Brad Yee, 34, walks or catches the bus to work in the city and only drives on the weekends.

"I was even thinking of selling our 1997 Camry and getting one of those share cars, but my girlfriend quashed that idea," he says. "We live close to the city but our friends live out in the suburbs so we do still drive a fair bit on the weekends. 

"I haven't budgeted a weekly cost of running the Camry, but it hasn't given us any grief." Melbourne office worker Neval Ferman, 33, drives to the city to work every day and finds the cost of tolls a "killer". "School holidays are my best friends," she says. "At other times, the tollways are a carpark and I begrudge paying tolls to sit in the traffic.

"I start early to miss the heavy stuff, but it's $20 a day if I take tollways all the way to the city from Frankston. "I'm actually moving to Brunswick in two weeks because of the tolls. I'll end up saving money by paying higher rent and catching a tram to
work, with no parking fees, petrol costs or tolls." 

Brisbane primary school teacher Steph Daigle, 25, has a short drive to work in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic, but still counts the pennies at the fuel pump. 

"I don't travel too far to work, but my family live a fair way out of town and I visit them once a week," she says. "I bought a 2007 Corolla because of its fuel economy, safety and reliability record because maintenance is a big cost." "But the biggest cost by far is petrol."

COSTS OF MOTORING