Ouch I forgot how much it costs to run a car!

[wai]

You'll be paying yearly for the coloured plates

The coloured plates (no choice other than standard numbering) were introduced to lure those with the older non-reflective ones. This is because the reflective plates provide a better laser reflector!

I don't know if you heard, but one of the colours produced a washed out numberplate when the speed/red light cameras went off. I understand they were withdearn/replaced when this was discovered.

[wai]

Comprehensive $616 (NRMA)
Green Slip $526 (seems to have gone up heaps in the last few years...MCIS levy?)
Rego $274

Then add in servicing, petrol, tolls, etc and it soon adds up.

Just dont get me started on electricity prices!

Yes, it costs a lot to just have the car sitting in the driveway just ready to go for that drive. I remember discouraging my niece from getting a car when she was at university because she didn't really need it with good public transport where she was.

[bigfoot]

Motorists face $50 rise in cost of green slips

[Lemonskin]

Greeeeeaat. Like Green slips aren't expensive enough.

[ill0gitech]

Well at least you can wait until 2014 for that, since you only just regoed
The fire service levy being moved from home insurance policies to residents may come and bite you before then

[wai]

Insurance companies take no risks at all. When no claims are made that pocket the profits, and when claims are made that they have not provisioned for, they simply charge higher premiums. Once the claims are met, the policies remain high giving them higher profits.

Something to think about with any form of optional insurance.

It is like a casino. Individuals may win in some obscure instances, however the "house" ALWAYS wins.

[Lemonskin]

Another little expense on Friday. I got a car loan approved and the car is security on it. Told NRMA and they told me that bumped my premium up by $65! What the heck? Anyone know why that should happen? What difference does it make to NRMA if the car is financed?

[Hail22]

Just an FYI...car insurance is still pretty darn good here in Australia compared to Europe (trust me you don't see a lot of GTI's, Golf R's etc).

[PoloDave]

actually not 100% true, at least overe here golf 6 GTI is more common than the Polo GTI. That said, insurance is unreasonable and car prices are about 20% more than our neighbour Germany Maybe we like paying more for our cars, I don't know.

Golf R is rare-ish but all in all, nearly every 100km highway trip I make I will see at least 1 GTI (or other sport model of different brand) on the road

edit: just did some math: My insurance is €1560 a year (full insurance, all damage, including self inflicted + passengers covered) but that goes down every year without damage to about 80% discount after 15 years. It's a lot higher than posted here but we don't have to pay for anything else but road tax

[Hillbilly]

Another little expense on Friday. I got a car loan approved and the car is security on it. Told NRMA and they told me that bumped my premium up by $65! What the heck? Anyone know why that should happen? What difference does it make to NRMA if the car is financed?

Probably because the finance company is part owner and should you prang it terminally can claim ownership of a certain amount of it.

If you paid cash its yours and no one else's and so the insurance company would pay you out and take the remains to sell or whatever.

Most HP contracts say the article is not yours until its fully paid for so until then you are driving around in the insurance company's car, sort of.