Community
17 November, 2022
RACQ crowns most cost-effective family cars
RACQ-LED research has revealed the cheapest family-sized vehicles to own and run in 2022 with the Subaru Outback being named the best in the large SUV category.
Principal Technical Researcher Andrew Kirk said the most affordable electric vehicle (EV) to suit a smaller family was the MG ZS EV.
“We calculated the running costs of 86 vehicles currently on the Australian market to find the cheapest cars to own and operate,” Mr Kirk said.
“We considered vehicle costs including fuel, registration, insurance, tyres, service fees and the purchase price fully financed over a five-year loan.
“The cheapest large SUV was the MY23 Subaru Outback 2.5 AWD costing $1,318 per month.
“The most cost-effective EV was a small SUV, the MG ZS EV, which came in at $1,060 per month. For more adventurous families, the most affordable 4X4 Ute was the GWM Cannon 2.0 T/ dsl dual cab with a monthly expense of $1,263.
“With cost-of-living pressures challenging many of us right now, saving wherever you can is important and we want to make sure Australians are informed when buying a new car,”he said.
Mr Kirk said the research, done in partnership with interstate motoring clubs RACV and RAC (WA), revealed a huge spike in fuel costs from the previous year.
“One of the biggest increases to operating costs was fuel prices, which spiked this year due to international factors such as the war in Ukraine, he said.
“To fuel a Subaru Outback last year would have cost you around $120 per month. This year you’ll pay $174 per month.
“Running a vehicle is expensive but if you do your research, you can save tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.”
For the full report on Vehicle Operating Costs visit www.racq.com.au.
