This is really a sibling or expansion to the furinkan/CarFuelConsumption page. This is long term thinking, about how much ownership will cost you over a few years.

Assumptions

• Five year calculation
• Driving 10,000km per year
• Getting car serviced every 12 months

• A full set of tyres, plus a spare-replacement every 45,000km (going by RACQ working), equating to one set in this 5yr period

• You need to pay for 4.5yrs of rego (assume you buy it with a bit left)
• You need to pay for 4.5yrs of CTP (assume you buy it with a bit left)

Guesstimating fuel costs

We want to turn a litres-per-100km figure into a dollar value.

• Assume you're driving 10,000km per year, and we're calculating 5 years of fuel costs
• That means you're driving 500x 100km increments, hence 500x the litres-per-100km figure
• Multiply that by your cost-per-litre of fuel

• Then multiply that by an arbitrary scaling factor, because cars never do as well as the quoted consumption figures. I found I tended to achieve 1.22x the quoted figure in the C200, and maybe 1.4x in the Giulietta.

• For the Merc with 98RON fuel at $1.42, that makes a multiplier of 867.77 (500 x 1.42 x 1.22)
• For the Giulietta with 95RON fuel at $1.26, that makes a multiplier of 882 (500 x 1.26 x 1.4)

From this it's interesting to see that the Giulietta multiplier is a little higher, but it's only ever going to be applied to vehicles with much lower consumption figures anyway, so you still end up ahead.

Specimens

• C200 (not the one used in my analysis below)

  • Very clean 2007 W204 model (new body shape): http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/_/OAG-AD-12322969

  • Fully loaded sporty 2006 W203 model (old body shape): http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/_/SSE-AD-3779782

• Swift Sport: http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/_/OAG-AD-12154782 (2013 model, 20,000km)

• CLK500 coupe: http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/_/SSE-AD-2826100 (2004 model, mechanic would prefer newer, kinda high mileage, far away on northern beaches, sporty wheels and suspension)

• CLK350 coupe: http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Mercedes-Benz-CLK350-2005/AGC-AD-18238605/ (2005 model, high-ish mileage, looks like great condition, spent most of life up near Newcastle according to serving records)

• Mazda3

  • What to know about Mazda3 secondhand: http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/mazda-3-used-review-2004-2015-37371

  • Go for a BL model, 2008-2013
  • $20,000 should get a high value SP23 (after 2009?), or a lower value SP25 (2014 or earlier?)

  • The 2011-2012 SP20 sounds alright: http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/mazda3-sp20-review-11273

  • First owner? Second owner? 22,000km in 4 months == 255km per workday: http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mazda-3-2012/SSE-AD-3692315/

  • Lesser models:

    • Too far: http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mazda-3-2013/SSE-AD-3551415/?Cr=27

    • Suspiciously cheap, expect $21,800, how 'bout them back seats? http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mazda-3-2013/SSE-AD-3779676/?Cr=26

    • Dealer model, also a 2013 Maxx Sport. It's fine: http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Mazda-3-2013/OAG-AD-12277773/

• CLS350: http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mercedes-Benz-CLS350-2005/SSE-AD-3789749/ (2005 model, decent mileage, nice price)

Comparison

Notes on C200

The values above are for my first C200, more of a post-mortem of the projected running costs. What it really shows, to my mind, is that the purchase price was outstanding value. I could get another one today for $16-17,000 and end up on an even footing with the Swift Sport.

I had a quick chat with Adan at Maag & Stucki and he advises that the updated C200 (W204 model, which started in 2007) would be a solid buy as well, basically wouldn't go wrong with a late W203 or early W204.

"Make sure that it hasn't been modified since it rolled out of the factory. You do not want it Habib'd in any way whatsoever."

I asked about expected servicing costs and he advised putting away about $3000-3500 a year for the C200 (from memory this is what he'd said previously). I still think this sounded a bit high, I was a bit too rushed to get clarification on whether those are running costs, or purely servicing costs. He did mention that it'd be inclusive of tyres and servicing, but not whether it'd include include rego and insurance, which are killers to my mind. If it includes those, then 3000-3500 sounds plausible (to my uneducated mind).

I asked how the CLK compares, he said add another $1000/yr to that figure.

Notes on servicing

You don't need to stick to a strict A and B regimen if your shop services what's necessary, rather than ticking boxes (which MB Sydney had apparently been doing, thank you very much).

This thread mentions rough expected A and B costs from an indie mechanic in Melbourne, for what that's worth: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1991306 (notes are a few years old now)

They're talking about a C200K, which should be an average example. Up to $460 and $830 for A and B respectively. That sounds fair enough to me. Even $1000/yr would be "okay" for servicing.

WIP read later

• http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1991306

• http://cars.old.com.au/view.php/used_cars/2005_Mercedes-Benz_CLK350_C209_MY06_Elegance_Zircon_Silver_7_Speed_Sports_Automatic_Coupe/9945477/

  • also here: http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Mercedes-Benz-CLK350-2005/AGC-AD-18238605/

• http://cars.old.com.au/view.php/used_cars/2007_Mercedes-Benz_C200_Kompressor_W204_Elegance_Charcoal_5_Speed_Sports_Automatic_Sedan/10741230/

• CLS shape is very nice: http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mercedes-Benz-CLS350-2005/SSE-AD-3789749/ (2005 CLS350 for $21,000, 107,000km on clock)

Mazda3 notes

A 2013 Maxx Sport is $948 for comprehensive GIO insurance per year.

With a tare weight of 1275kg, it's a Large vehicle, costing $352/yr for rego

Rego fees

This is the table of fees that you need: http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/registration/fees/registration-costs.html

Day to day costs

What'll you actually feel when you fill up every week, or do rego+insurance?