Contents
Assumptions
- Driving about 10,000 km per year
- Average consumption is 9.0L/100km
- Petrol is about $1.40/L but can vary a fair bit
- Meaning it's about $12.60/100km, and $1260/yr
Spending record
This is bigger ticket stuff, not regular consumables like petrol and tolls.
2016-12-16 |
Major service |
$1845 |
Platinum Automotive Care |
included 5-yearly timing belt change, about a $700-800 job |
2017-02-26 |
GIO comprehensive |
$1328 |
GIO |
covered for $19,500 with $850 excess |
2017-03-22 |
NRMA Classic Care |
$110 |
NRMA |
roadside assistance |
2017-05-21 |
New battery |
$250 |
Supercheap/Repco |
replaces original Alfa battery |
2017-05-21 |
New H7 headlight bulbs |
$95 |
Supercheap/Repco |
price is for a pair, one blew, wanted to ensure matching brightness and colour temp |
2017-08-18 |
2x new rear tyres |
$528 |
Tuffy |
rear left was unacceptably worn, replaced both sides for evenness, cost covers Pirelli P1 225/40/18, fitting, balancing, disposal |
2017-08-18 |
Replace front brakes |
$344.30 |
Tuffy |
third-party Brembo set, basically the same as OEM but without Alfa branding, cost covers parts and fitting |
2017-08-18 |
Brake disc machining |
$66 |
Tuffy |
discs machined to even the surface and eliminate squealing |
2018-04-28 |
NRMA Classic Care |
$110 |
NRMA |
roadside assistance |
2018-05-06 |
H7 headlight bulbs |
$120 |
Supercheap/Repco |
Only comes as a pair, replaced both so I could try the 4300K Whitevision bulbs, now I have one spare of the old type |
2018-08-18 |
Rego check (failed) |
$41 |
Epping Motors |
failed because rear tyres too worn. I bought those Pirelli P1 Cinturatos last year for my rego check so... ouch XD |
2018-08-20 |
Rego check (passed) |
$40 |
Jax Tyres Castle Hill |
they said the rear tyres are borderline passable |
2018-10-04 |
Routine service |
$652 |
Platinum Automotive Care |
all routine stuff thankfully |
2019-02-13 |
GIO comprehensive |
$1171 |
GIO |
covered for $13,000 with $895 excess (allows $9,150 to $15,860 coverage) |
2019-06-07 |
Boot release repair |
$302.50 |
Platinum Automotive Care |
Dodgy wire in the boot cable loom, fixed up at Platinum Auto Care |
2019-06-13 |
4x new tyres |
$882 |
Jax Tyres Castle Hill |
Rear tyres were known bad from rego check last August, did all four of them with a decent promo offer on Pirelli Dragon Sports |
2019-08-14 |
Rego check |
$40 |
Jax Tyres Castle Hill |
no problems |
2019-11-26 |
GIO policy add Kat |
$55.24 |
GIO |
Adding Kat as an additional driver, this should cover the exactly 3 months remaining of the policy, rcpt. 003640948 |
2020-02-20 |
NRMA comprehensive |
$990.30 |
NRMA |
New policy for comprehensive |
2020-08-04 |
Standard number plates |
$47 |
Service NSW Castle Hill |
So quick and easy, done on the spot |
2020-08-06 |
Rego check |
$42 |
Jax Tyres Castle Hill |
no problems |
2020-09-27 |
H7 headlight bulbs |
$99 |
Supercheap |
Got a pair of warmer but longer range bulbs, guess I now have a spare 4300K Whitevision bulb |
2020-12-17 |
Major service |
$1905 |
Platinum Automotive Care |
Re-gas aircon, replace rear brake pads and rotors, replace with AGM battery, replace brake fluid |
2021-02-26 |
NRMA comprehensive |
$927.14 |
NRMA |
Renewal, agreed value $8900 with $850 excess |
2021-08-10 |
Rego check |
$42 |
Rouse Hill Tyrepower |
no problems |
2021-12-16 |
Major service |
$3375 |
Platinum Automotive Care |
Timing belt, replace front brake pads and rotors, front control arms and bushings, RH engine mount, it's a dream now! |
2022-01-30 |
NRMA comprehensive |
$884.69 |
NRMA |
Renewal, agreed value $8500 with $850 excess, plus windscreen cover |
2022-08-11 |
Rego check + alignment |
$142 |
Rouse Hill Tyrepower |
no problems. $43 for check, $99 for alignment |
2022-08-24 |
Major service |
$1250 |
Platinum Automotive Care |
Routine stuff, brake flush, replace vacuum pump o-ring, wiring repair taillights |
On-road costs
2017-08-18 |
CTP with GIO |
$603.71 |
- |
2017-08-18 |
Rego and number plate |
$815.57 |
- |
2018-08-20 |
CTP with GIO |
$481.70 |
- |
2018-08-20 |
Rego and number plate |
$832.65 |
- |
2019-08-14 |
CTP with GIO |
$456.25 |
- |
2019-08-14 |
Rego and number plate |
$657.88 |
655.00 + 2.88 card fee, $186 discount on the rego+weight tax component |
2020-08-05 |
CTP with AAMI |
$437.29 |
Continuing with same CTP or picking anyone else would've cost ~$543.23! |
2020-08-07 |
Rego, no plates |
$378.66 |
377.00 + 1.66 card fee |
2021-07-12 |
CTP with AAMI |
$545.98 |
It's gone up by more than 100 bucks but it's still the cheapest option |
2021-08-10 |
Rego, no plates |
$191.34 |
$190.50 + $0.84 card fee, half price rego because of toll usage |
2022-07-18 |
CTP with NRMA |
$449.02 |
Jump to NRMA because AAMI are being stupid |
2022-08-11 |
Rego, no plates |
$389.71 |
$70 + $318 weight tax + $1.71 card fee |
Running cost estimates
Numbers are rounded a bit for niceness.
- CTP: $440
- Rego: $380 ($372 - toll discount)
- Comprehensive insurance: $1000
- Servicing: $700
- Big-ticket servicing amortised yearly: $200 (battery and timing belt every 5yr)
- NRMA roadside assistance (renew in mid-April): $110
- Tolls: $600
- Fuel: $1260 (guess)
- Smaller maintenance (eg. tyres, etc): $500
- Payment towards next car for replacement (aka. depreciation): $1000
Call it $6200 per year.
If you want to talk just on-road costs and ignore some surprises like consumable replacements, it's $2650 (rego+insurance+servicing+roadside) plus tolls and petrol.
Breakdown to monthly costs
PAYG
- Tolls: $50
- Fuel: $115
- Smaller maintenance: $42
Pay $207 each month.
Big hits
- CTP: $38.33
- Rego: $55.00
- Comprehensive insurance: $83.00
- Servicing: $58.33
- NRMA membership: $9.17
- Depreciation: $84
Put aside $330 each month.
Service record
First major service 2016-12-16
Quotation and notes from Platinum Auto Service
- Air filters, oil filters, brake fluid flush, all every 2yrs
- Replace front wiper blades and rear refill, every 2-3 yrs
- Timing belt every 4yrs
- Water pump replacement
- Change coolants
- Tires need replacing
- Oil leak on PCB valve on top of motor, see if replacement available. Would call it seepage, look at it next service
- Brake pads okay but could be better fitted
Quoted for $1840
Next interval would be minor, probably rectify the pcv seepage at that time. Next service after 1 year or 10,000km.
Second service 2018-10-04
Its been uh... 28,000km and 22 months since the last service. Thankfully everything was okay!
- Oil change and oil filter replaced
- Flush brake fluid and replace
- Aircon cabin filter replaced
- Coolant bottle replaced, was leaking
Noted that rear tyres need replacing, I should get around to that soon.
Unaddressed issues:
- Engine cover clip is broken, should be a non-issue
- PCV valve seepage is still present, Jason never suggested needing to do anything about this though
- The driver-side engine mount is sagging and should be replaced, I opted to skip it this time because it'll be $330 for the replacement part
Next service in 10,000km or 1 year, whichever comes first.
Third service 2020-12-17
Been a while, again >_>
- Oil change and oil filter replaced
- Flush brake fluid and replace
- Aircon cabin filter replaced
- Aircon re-gas because I've asked for it
- Rear brakes pads and rotors need replacing
- Replaced battery with proper AGM start-stop capable one (yeah I chose this one myself and honestly I dunno how I stuffed it up, probably didn't notice the significance of AGM and saw that the non-AGM was $100 cheaper or something)
$1905 all up.
Fourth service 2021-12-16
Actually on time this year lol.
- Engine mount
- Front brake discs and pads
- Front wheel control arms and bushing
- And the usual stuff
$3375 all up, it's a lot of work but she drives like a dream now. SO QUIET!!
Fifth service 2022-08-24
On time again \o/
- Routine servicing and replacement of parts
- Brake flush (every 2yrs I guess?)
- Replace vacuum pump o-ring and gasket, thankfully didn't need to replace the whole vacuum pump, which would've been another $400 or so
- Diagnose and repair broken wire in tailgate hinge, this fixes the right-side inner taillights. This is the second such repair now, if more wires break in future they'll need to replace the tailgate wiring loom
- Wiper blade refills ($104 for front and back)
$1250 all up, a little high but it was gonna be more. $245 to fix up the vacuum pump, $210 to repair the tailgate wiring