Can I afford a car?

BeenThroughItAll

racing_blue wrote: »

Let me put it another way. If you need a car, this will likely be the most affordable route. As long as you don't buy a wreck- however Ka's are simple little cars. If it drives OK, and hasn't a lot of rust, and has MOT, that sounds fair for £800.

The pre 2006 Ford Ka was a lovely little motorised box on wheels. The 1.3 Luxury has a special place in my heart with its leather seats and brooding she-gangster menace.

Say you run it for 3 years. The depreciation would cost £25 per month, less whatever you could scrap if for at the end.

You can fill her up for £35 and drive for 350 miles. So your fuel cost is based around that.

Tax - £185 for 12 months, pay this up front for best price. It works out at £16 per month.

Servicing, MOT, repairs- an unknown. If you are not doing huge miles, and are looking after it, and it has a simple life- then you may get lucky. I'd budget another £800 over the next 3 years - £25 per month.

Insurance, painful, but you'll have to pay it if you want a car. They don't come much cheaper to insure than a Ka. £65 per month you say. And of course you will be building no claim history for future discount, so lets call it £50 per month over 3 years.

Back of a packet of sanitary towels, that adds up to about £150 per month all-in.

You say you are currently spending £110 per month on transport. So it maybe comes down to whether having a car will increase your productivity by £40 per month, or make your life £40 per month better in some other way?

Chances of finding many rust-free or even relatively rust-free Kas for £800 are increasingly slim as the numbers dissolving increase... especially finding one that will last for three years.

racing_blue

Scrounger wrote: »

Ka 1.3 Tax is £145 for 12 months - £12/month equiv.

Scrounger

Varies Scrounger. The 1.3i LuxuryKa I mentioned puts out 157g CO2/km, VED band G, £185

Splitting hairs I suppose. You are right about some models

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/road-tax-guide/ford/ka/hatchback-1996/19839/

s_b

the ka is dead
long rust its soul
unless the vicar is selling his

Scrounger

racing_blue wrote: »

Varies Scrounger. The 1.3i LuxuryKa I mentioned puts out 157g CO2/km, VED band G, £185

Splitting hairs I suppose. You are right about some models

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/road-tax-guide/ford/ka/hatchback-1996/19839/

As the OP is looking to keep costs to a down I assumed that a basic 1.3 Duratec (147g CO2 £145) would be more suitable than a 'Luxury' model (with higher associated costs).

Scrounger

racing_blue

6 CD autochanger
leather seats
electric sunroof

well worth a look for the extra £40 per year IMHO

Scrounger

racing_blue wrote: »

6 CD autochanger
leather seats
electric sunroof

well worth a look for the extra £40 per year IMHO

Plus a higher price tag to go with it (for same year, condition etc) :eek:
Scrounger

note3

To add to what others have said, I'm pleased and relieved to see you're approaching this sensibly and not just getting what you want without thinking it through. I so wish I had done this back in the day as it would have saved me thousands (of which I'm still paying back 15 yrs later...!)