How much does it co...
 

[Closed] How much does it cost to drive a car for 5 miles?

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 Aus
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A mini debate going on here. We have a 10 yr old BMW 530D, big heavy beast. Gets 40mpg on a run, and typically averages just under 30mpg with mixed driving. But seems less when engine's cold.

So if you drive 5 miles, what's the diesel cost (excl. wear and tear etc)? Anyone know ... and presumably wear and tear's tough on the first few miles?

Just out of interest/fuel the argument!

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 11:15 am
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PDF from AA giving full details;

[url= http://www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/motoring-advice/running-costs/diesel2012.pdf ]http://www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/motoring-advice/running-costs/diesel2012.pdf[/url]

but in summary, as much as £2.52/mile for a flash car with a big engine.

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 11:19 am
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Well... if you take your average as 30mpg, then 5 miles = 1/6th of a gallon.

But confusing fuel is sold in litres, so 1/6th (UK Imperial) gallon = 0.7577 litres

According to http://www.petrolprices.com/ the current average price for diesel is 144.01p per litre

So that makes it about £1.09 by my calculations, for fuel alone.

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 11:30 am
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Eh?

Well, diesel costs about £1.44 a litre or £6.54 a gallon.

So 40mpg means 5 miles will cost you (£6.54/40mpg*5miles) = £0.82
30mpg costs £1.08
20mpg costs £1.64

in terms of diesel cost alone. The more miles you do, the less significant all the other costs become to the overall cost/mile.

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 11:37 am
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Our Focus does 40.25mpg (Petrol, average consumption worked out over 32,746 miles)
That's 15p/mile in fuel according to my Road Trip app, over all that time, with varying fuel prices
5 miles is 75p in fuel alone

Tax is £165-ish a tear
Insurance £320
Servicing/repairs/MOT about £500
Tyres £300 a set for 26,000 miles

We do about 13,000 a year so we use half that set of tyres

150+500+320+165=£1135
1135/13000=8.7p/mile

5x8.7=43.5

43.5p+75p= 118.5p for 5 miles.

EDIT
5 miles costs 5.7p in tyres alone.

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 11:38 am
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My Smart CDi has averaged 71mpg over it's lifetime and at current pump prices is costing 9p per mile for fuel, (yes it's very sad but I have a spreadsheet to keep track of it ) 😳

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 11:41 am
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yes it's very sad but I have a spreadsheet to keep track of it

😳 😳 😳 😳

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_atkin/8029326288/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/peter_atkin/ ]PeterPoddy[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8029326478_e6f8e4746d_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8029326478_e6f8e4746d_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_atkin/8029326478/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/peter_atkin/ ]PeterPoddy[/url], on Flickr

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 11:56 am
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Our Focus does 40.25mpg

What size/model Focus Peter? Mine only gets about 34mpg (according to trip computer) and I don't exactly rag it!

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 12:01 pm
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jebus!

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 12:01 pm
 Aus
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blimey! I guess then our debate's moving to: when the engine's cold, short journey = less efficient than hot engine, long journey therefore disproportionate amount of fuel used early on???

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 12:17 pm
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Apropos of nothing,

I once worked out that, given mileage covered and the amount of times I've bought new tyres, driving costs me around 10p a mile in rubber.

If I were to claim business travel expenses in a private car, I'd be looking at around 40p / mile. This 'feels' about right to me. So for the OP, I'd guess around two quid to drive five miles.

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 1:05 pm
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I just about get a thousand miles out of the rear tyre on my KTM Duke 690, that works out at 12p per mile (for one tyre).

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 1:19 pm
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Dibbs, are you using wets or something?

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 1:25 pm
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I just about get a thousand miles out of the rear tyre on my KTM Duke 690...

[img] [/img]

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 1:27 pm
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I once worked out that, given mileage covered and the amount of times I've bought new tyres, driving costs me around 10p a mile in rubber.

😯

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 2:55 pm
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Total cost for my 55 diesel astra is 34p per mile. I can get a more accurate figure when I eventually sell it and most of its mileage is moderate speed motorway driving.

 
Posted : 27/09/2012 3:02 pm