Tory Whitney
Contributing Writer

THE price we pay for
personal transportation
has always been signifi-
cant, but car owners in
this part of the worfid
can rejoice in the fact
that their running costs
are far from being
Canada’s highest.

In fact, it costs more to run
a vehicle in the Maritimes than
on the B.C. coast, according
toa recent repert by Toronto-
based management consul-
tant, Runzheimer Canada Inc.

The consultant studied 11
major cities across Canada and
used as a base a 1999 Ford
Taurus SE 3.0-litre 4-door
sedan equipped with overdrive
automatic transmission, power
steering, power ABS. disc
brakes, air conditioning and
various other extras typically

associated with this class of car.”

Costs examined included
fuel, oil, tires and maintenance
plus fixed costs such as insur-
ance, depreciation, taxes und
licence fees and financing.

Other factors in the study
were tabled to confirm the
role of the ‘subject Taurus as a
typical, ‘everyday automobile;
driven, one assumes, by a typi-
cal; everyday Canadian,

"According to the study,
Montreal, with an annual
operating cost of $9,874,
the most’ expensive city in
which to operate an automo-
bile‘ and Winnipeg the most
economical at an annual
$8,198.

Vancouver ($8,563) is in
7th: place, topped by St.
John’s, Toronto, Halifax,
Ortawa and Moncton along

i bak rt
Ets. ios:

with Montrea

Cities less expensive than
Vancouver in which to run a
car included Charlottetown,
Regina and Edmonton, along
with th

interestingly, the “spread”
berween the least and most
expensive cities was a fairly
hetty $1,676.

It’s a sobering thought that
highest operating costs were
recorded in regions where
average wages are much low
than in B.C. a factor which
must make new car ownership
in those areas a fairly daunting

prospect. .

“For the individual driver,
it is helpful to know what your
yearly vehicle expenses are so
you can establish an annual
budget and plan accordingly,”
says “Louise Arbour, Montreal-
based Ranzheimer consultant.

“For companies that reim-
burse. dozens or even hun-
dreds of employees who oper-
ate their personal vehicles on
business, establishing accurate
driving costs becomes crucial “

According:; to the
Runzheimer report, the three
cities with: the highest costs
share one common liability —

high insurance rates.

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NEW WESTMBSTER 3254 $20 S.

comprehensive
stirance with a
rider and a dri-
ver with a clean
record, the tab in Montreal is a
whopping $1,800 4 year. In
Toronto vow il pay $1,900 and
in St. Joha's, $1,700, In
Winnipeg, Regina and
Charlottetown, insurance
costs are all below $1,060 for
the same coverage and
Vancouver is on the low side
toc. Perhaps ICBC isn’: doing,
such a bad job alter ail.
Perhaps —_ unsurprisingly,
maintenance costs vary too,
Assuming normal service
and niaintenance on a vehicle
driven 96,000 km over four

For hiabitin
and collision

and Vancouver to a low of

2.46 ccnts/km in
Charlorterown. The heftiest
variation in runaing costs con-

ned the license and registra-
tion fee -~ $256 a year in (you
guessed it) Monrreal, to just
§52 in Edmonton and
Calgary.

Generally speaking, vehicle
running costs in this region are
quite reasonable compared to
other parts of Canada and
affordable iiew car price tags
reflect innovative manufactur-
ing techniques and healthy
competition among dealers.

People moving to this part
of the world from = Asia,
Europe and Australasia find
new vehicles surprisingly inex-
pensive compared to “back
home” and the Runzheimer
report now contirms that there
are many more expensive

places than B.C. to own and -

Operate a new car. ;
Tony Whitney’s — colun
appears courtesy of the B.C
Automobile Dealers’ .
Association (RCADA).

WINTERS!

7,, Road Hazard
# Protectio
- Included

. Move to the Prairies. for a cheape ride.

NEWS photo Cindy Goodm

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