The costs of buying a car

Before skidding in to the racy world of auto financing, let's quickly run down the costs of buying - and also running - a car.

Upfront costs of buying a car

Your delicious sticker price sadly isn't going to cover everything - and we're not talking about that phat spoiler... You're looking at:

• dealer delivery charges
• government taxes and levies such as stamp duty & transfer fees
• car registration
• compulsory third party insurance
• car loan insurance (possible)
• inspections (possible)

Running costs of a car

Ah yes, the "no more to pay" myth. So here's the ongoing costs hotlist:

• insurance - this isn't compulsory, but it's definitely advised - albeit expensive. Get a quote (or several) before you buy your ride.
• services - you can shop around to reduce the cost of servicing, but it's always going to add up - and is vital to the resale value of your car.
• registration - the government wants its share, and this non-optional cost is an annual kick in the teeth.
• repairs - hopefully a new car won't cost you much here (a warranty should pick up any unfortunate shortcomings here). But a used car could have you forking out for tyres, lights and more.