Simple ways to cut your motoring costs

Perceived wisdom says that motoring is expensive, but it doesn't have to be if you're switched on.

Just ask Autocar's James Ruppert, who has driven bangers for years, saving a fortune in the process. If low running costs are key you don't buy a new car – or sign up to one on some type of finance such as a PCP.

You'll buy used, even if it's a delivery-mileage ex-demo, to save a packet. As a result these tips are based around buying and running a used car rather than a new one and while some of these tips might seem a bit OTT, they're all worthy of consideration. And, let’s face it, with the country struggling to recover from the pandemic crisis, saving money is more important than ever. Because as grandma used to say, just look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves:

New or used?

All mainstream cars lose value, some at a greater rate than others. While taking delivery of a new car is a nice thing to do, it's expensive and only for those who can really afford it. The biggest chunk of value is lost in the car's early life and as it ages the rate at which it depreciates slows down, usually at the three-year-old mark. That's why buying a car that's just a few months old (such as an ex-demo) can make a lot of sense depending on your needs and your budget.

It's not unusual for a car to lose 30-40% of its value after a year, 40-50% after two years and 50-60% after three years, which is why depreciation is often the biggest cost of running a car.

Buy carefully

When buying a used car, scrutinise every aspect including the paperwork – the most expensive car is a cheap one with lots of costly faults. Check the MoT history online to see if it's been run on a shoestring, give it a thorough test drive and check that everything works. Expect the asking price of the car to be reduced to cover the cost of fixing any faults that you identify – or find another car to buy.

Petrol or diesel?

Diesel cars have fallen out of favour among new car buyers, but the demand is as strong as ever on the used market, especially in parts of the country well away from urban low-emissions zones. As a result used values haven't fallen despite what received wisdom would have you believe.

Diesels tend to be more frugal but they can cost more to buy and to run because of larger maintenance bills; you need to look at the bigger picture because depending on your needs, either fuel could suit you best.

Clean Air Zones

Following on from the previous tip, Clean Air Zones (CAZs) are starting to crop up all over the place and entering one with a car that's deemed too dirty could land you a hefty fine – or you'll be charged to enter it. If you live in an urban environment and there's a danger of CAZ arriving on your door step, don't buy a car that'll fall foul of the rules or it could cost you a fortune. Diesels bought from 2015 tend not to be penalised – but that of course could change on the whim of a city mayor at any time.

Avoid fancy headlights

Xenon or LED headlights are far more complicated than the halogen alternatives, although in return you normally get better light – but not always. While fresh xenon bulbs can often be purchased for around £100 apiece, a self-levelling system and washer jets are both mandatory and replacing these can cost as much as an old banger is worth. So when buying a used car opt for one with halogen lights as you just replace the bulbs and away you go…

Keep it simple

Following on from the previous tip, if you're buying a car with a view to keeping it for a long time, avoid ultra-high spec models packed with kit that's likely to go wrong. If those heated seats stop working or the sunroof won't open it's not going to be the end of the world, but if something (such as those headlights previously mentioned) go on the blink, you have to fix them to keep the car legal.

Get cheaper insurance

When you're buying your insurance cover don't accept the first price that you see. Compare providers, especially at renewal time; you could end up saving a lot more than you think. Insurers have a habit of failing to reward customer loyalty; instead they often penalise you for staying with them. It's the same with breakdown cover; haggling can often see hefty price reductions.

If you have more than one car, look at multi-car policies, as that can lead to savings, often because insurers know that you can’t drive all your cars at the same time.

Get the right insurance cover

The minimum level of insurance cover that you need to stay legal is third party, although nobody offers this on its own; fire and theft protection is automatically lumped in. However, people who opt for third party cover only are more likely to claim than those opting for the comprehensive alternative, which is why the latter is often cheaper.

Also, don't nominate a higher annual mileage than you actually cover and adding a partner to your policy can reduce the premium, even if that extra person never drives the car (although they do need to have a driving licence).

Parking

Private companies and local authorities rake in vast sums of money each year through parking charges and penalties. Many parking tickets are given out unfairly, so appeal if you're in this position. You can reduce the chances of getting a ticket if you use one of the many apps that allow you to book a space in advance, often on someone's drive or in a hotel car park – where your car may also be more secure.

Avoid damage

Don't park near the door of that store you want to enter – everyone else will do the same, squeezing into spaces then bashing the cars around them with misjudged manoeuvres or when opening the doors. Park further away where there's less competition for spaces, which could make the difference between your car remaining unmarked or suffering from panel or paint damage. But don't park like this…

Maintain it

It's easy to think you're saving cash by not getting the oil and filter changed each year, or renewing the fuel filter or spark plugs when they're due. But if some of the components in your car are past their best, the rest of the parts have to work that much harder to keep everything working – and you're also increasing the likelihood of mechanical failure which could leave you stranded.

Fix things early

Once your car needs some TLC it'll let you know. You'll hear it making strange noises or emitting weird smells, it could feel different to drive – or there might simply be warning lights on the dashboard. Don't ignore these things hoping they’ll just go away; get things checked ASAP. Leave a small problem and the chances are that it'll turn into a big one – that's much more costly to fix.

Practise DIY

It's easy to be fazed by the complexity of modern cars but there's still plenty that you can do on them yourself, even if you've got only a basic tool set. Invest in a workshop manual, join some online forums and check out some of the online how-to guides that proliferate, often in useful video form now. You'll be amazed at how much you can do yourself – and how much cash you can save in the process, as the biggest part of many garage bills is for the labour rather than the parts.

Be choosy about brands

Many car components are outsourced to third-party brands, which is why you can often buy the same part in OEM or aftermarket boxes – at wildly different prices. Scouring owner forums – especially where older cars are concerned – can help you establish which brands to aim for which can help you save cash.

Don't skimp

Conversely, sometimes only OEM parts are worth fitting as some pattern bits are made to a lower standard so you'll be replacing parts sooner, which will prove to be a false economy. Once again, owners' forums can help you avoid the rubbish but if you get on well with your local motor factor you could get a decent insight into what to buy and what to avoid.

Use independents

Many drivers think they have to stick with the official dealer network for servicing, if their car's warranty is to be retained intact. But this isn't the case, as long as you adhere to the manufacturer's servicing schedule and fit OEM-quality parts. As a result you could save plenty by using independent specialists, although franchised dealers usually offer discounted maintenance from a car's third birthday, allowing them to be that much more competitive.

Pre-MoT checks

When you take your car for its annual roadworthiness inspection, all sorts of things will be checked. While specialist equipment is needed for many of these checks you can do some of it yourself at home, such as the tyres and electrics. So before you get your car MoT’d make sure that everything works as it should because if it doesn't, your car is guaranteed to fail the test and you'll be squandering the cost of it as a result.

Get breakdown cover

Transporting cars costs a lot of money, so if yours conks out and you then have to get it taken somewhere, you'd better have breakdown cover. If you don't have any in place it'll cost you plenty – especially if you break down miles from home or if it's on the motorway.

Fuel

It's amazing how many people assume that fuel costs much the same wherever you buy it. But that's not so; rival garages just a few hundred yards from each other can charge different prices and it's no secret that motorway service stations often charge 15-20p more per litre than equivalent fuel stations in nearby towns. So don't fill up on the motorway; plan ahead by filling up before you join these arterial routes.

Car share

One of the reasons why many people drive rather than use public transport is to enjoy some personal space – and recent events have done little to change that belief. It's easy to see this appeal but if you're going to the same place (or at least in the same direction) as someone else at much the same time, sharing your car and hence your costs could make a lot of sense. Just check their music tastes first…

Use those vouchers

Supermarkets often run promotions that allow you to save 5-10p per litre of fuel, when they're usually already the cheapest petrol and diesel suppliers anyway. If you're shopping in a supermarket take the voucher and use it – why wouldn't you grab the chance to claim some free cash with both hands? And you can also use things like the Tesco Club Card to rack up points on your fuel spend, which yields quarterly vouchers which can be used for a variety of things including fuel.

Check those pressures

Get in the habit of checking your tyre pressures every week or two, because as they go soft your car's engine has to work harder to keep things moving – and your tyres will wear out faster too. Most car tyres should be pumped up to around 30psi but it's not unusual for them to drop to 10-15psi if they haven't been checked for months. That results in extra fuel being burned on every drive – potentially a lot of extra fuel.

Keep your distance

Drive too close to the car in front and you could end up rear-ending them. But even if that doesn't happen, your car's nose will be peppered by stone chips and your windscreen is in danger of being chipped and cracked. Someone has to pay for this damage to be fixed – and that'll be you.

Don't crash

If you drive carelessly not only could you end up losing your no-claims bonus but you might end up being prosecuted and fined. When buying insurance those things will remain on your record for several years (typically five) and those extra costs will add up over that time. If you're already paying hundreds of pounds each year for insurance and you've got a decent no-claims bonus, lose that bonus and you could pay hundreds (or even thousands) of pounds extra over the next five years in increased premiums.

Don't smoke

You're not allowed to smoke if you're using your car for work or carrying children under the age of 18, but regardless of that, when you come to sell your car it'll be worth significantly less if it smells like an ashtray. Even the most talented valeter will struggle to rid your car of the stench of ingrained tobacco. Speaking of which…

Clean up

When you come to sell your car, investing in a professional deep clean should pay for itself several times over. Getting the interior and paintwork valeted can boost your car's worth by far more than you might expect – and certainly more than the cost of the cleaning. Similarly if your alloy wheels have been badly curbed, you’d be amazed at how modern repair treatments can get them to look as good as new, from around £70-per-wheel.

Declutter

The bigger your car the easier it is to fill the space with stuff that you don't need to carry. While a few small bits and pieces won't make much difference, if you just let bulky stuff accumulate in your car you're just carting it about, which adds to fuel use and it could even speed up the wearing of your suspension and brakes.

Driver training

We all like to think we're good drivers, but there's always room for improvement. A decent driver training course isn't about cutting lap times – it's about driving with mechanical sympathy and planning ahead to reduce wear on your car. A really good driver will reduce wear on their car's suspension, brakes and tyres to a minimum.

Save fuel

By planning ahead and using your car's controls correctly you can also reduce your fuel bills. Braking late and hard, or accelerating harshly will increase your car's fuel consumption. So will lots of short journeys with the engine hardly ever getting warm – when walking might be a better option.

Stop/start

In a bid to reduce CO2 emissions, stop/start is common on new cars, but it can cause more problems than it solves. Obviously the constant restarting of the engine puts more load on the starter motor but typically, unless you're stopped for at least eight seconds, you'll use more fuel by stopping and starting than by just leaving the engine running. So think about switching it off if it's costing you money rather than saving it.

Use water repellent

This might seem like a step too far, but if you use a water repellent on your windscreen you won't need to use your wipers at cruising speeds; the rain just skates across the screen. At lower speeds you'll need to use your wipers, but overall you can potentially increase the lifespan of your wiper blades significantly. And water repellent is a lot cheaper than wiper blades…

Keep it clean

Keeping your car clean will help to reduce damage to the paintwork as well as the interior trim. But don't pay someone else to do it, even if a fiver seems like a bargain. Do it yourself to save even more cash, and while you're cleaning your car you can check that there's no damage to the paintwork, wheels and tyres or panels.

Fit decent tyres

It's easy to think that fitting cheap rubber is a good idea, but it's easy to spend three-quarters of the cost of a decent set of tyres which then wear out in half the distance. Not only that, but cheap tyres often provide less grip than quality alternatives, so if you have to brake in a hurry, especially if it's wet, those cheap tyres will suddenly seem like a seriously bad investment.

Garage your car

Keeping your car out of the rain and bright sunshine can make a big difference to how long some components last, so invest in a garden shed or a trip to the tip so your car can go inside. Wiper blades and tyres degrade in the sun, and paint can fade too, while corrosion is more likely, especially if your car is left out in the winter. And once corrosion strikes it will cost plenty trying to eradicate it. Also, garaging your car makes it less likely to be stolen which will protect your no-claims bonus.

Renew your licence

The photocard driving licences issued to UK drivers from 1998 are valid for 10 years. Then you have to renew or risk a £1000 fine for driving with an expired licence. You can renew online, through the post or in a Post Office and while none of these is free, renewing on time could be a lot cheaper than not bothering at all.

Pay your vehicle tax

Since the tax disc was scrapped in 2014, the number of untaxed cars has soared. This is partly because of people trying to beat the system but in some cases car owners will simply have forgotten to renew. Don't be one of them because this could lead to your car being seized, a fine of up to £1000 for you, plus daily charges until you cough up. The cheapest way to pay car tax is annually, rather than on a monthly or six-monthly basis.

Keep it official

The Government has invested in high-tech websites to allow car owners to do a huge array of things online, such as taxing a car or renewing a driving licence. The problem is that several companies have sprung up with official-looking websites that do the same job, but charge a hefty commission. Make sure you use only the official websites (typically with web addresses ending in gov.uk) to avoid these unnecessary charges.

Buy a classic

Classic cars over 40 years old don't attract any vehicle tax, plus you can get insurance significantly more cheaply on a specialist policy (subject to a few caveats). With DIY maintenance much easier and parts often (but not always) as cheap as chips, running a classic can make a lot of sense – especially as values can go up rather than down. However, older cars tend to need more frequent maintenance, they lack many of the creature comforts of a modern car, plus they're often less economical.

Walk instead

Fixed costs aside (such as road tax, insurance, depreciation), your car generally costs you money only when it's being used. So if you're travelling locally just walk instead; you'll save money on fuel, wear and tear and probably parking too. And depending on a multitude of variables, your journey on foot might not take you much longer than by car – it might actually be quicker door-to-door.

Ditch your car

Running your own car leads to all sorts of fixed costs, plus other bills will crop up as a result of using it. If you're a very low-mileage driver it might be cheaper to join a car club instead, where you can pay by the hour. You'll need to read the terms and conditions very carefully because sometimes you'll have to pay a membership fee, mileage charges and other costs, but it can still make sense if you live in a city rather than the middle of nowhere.