The maintenance and insurance are blazing the annual cost of a car – BBC

These two expense items always weigh more in the budget of motorists, according to the annual Automobile Club Association survey (ACA). They erase the positive effect of lower prices at the pump. Taxes also drive up the bill.

The rising cost of insurance and maintenance pushed the budget of motorists in 2014 despite lower prices at the pump, according to the annual Automobile Club Association survey (ACA) presented on Thursday. The study compares the budget for car drivers with five new car models in 2014 – Renault Clio gasoline, diesel Renault Clio, diesel Dacia Logan, diesel Peugeot 308 and Toyota Prius Hybrid – 8225 km on the first three and 15,477 km for the last two.

Verdict, only Toyota owners and Logan have made savings in 2014. The Prius has spent 8575 euros, 2.4% less than the previous year (8782 €). Logan, meanwhile, claimed its driver 4732 euros in 2014, against 4,988 euros in 2013. Conversely, the budget of the driver of the Clio has reached 5881 euros (+ 3.1%) against 5705 euros in 2013, in its petrol version. The diesel only cost 6 euros more (5946 euros) in 2013. The Peugeot 308 has surpassed the 8,000 euro, from 7687 to 8126 euros in one year. The total annual budget of the Dacia Logan diesel, meanwhile, does not reach the 5,000 euros (€ 4,732 exactly).

Overall, premiums rose sharply last year, despite a very good year in terms of road safety in 2013, mortality reached its lowest level. For Renault and Peugeot for example, the insurance budget has increased by 1.7%. Same trend for maintenance – spare parts, labor or painting – whose bill has ballooned by more than 3% for these models.

The ACA denounces through high taxes which carry motorists through VAT, TICPE fuel tax and VAT on TICPE. The owner of the 308 pay almost 2000 euros of taxes for the year, including 607 euros for the purchase. The rest is taken on fuel, tolls, maintenance, insurance and garage. “2000 euros of taxes for 15,000 kilometers … It is 1 euro tax every 7 to 8 kilometers,” says the association. For the Clio, the “budget tax” amounts to about 1,500 euros, against less than 1,200 euros for the Logan. The prize goes to the Prius (2200 €). “Compared to 20% of normal VAT, between motorist suffers 29% tax (Clio diesel) and 36% tax (Clio super unleaded 95). One of the best taxpayers in France … “

Source: ACA

In total, these taxes would amounted to € 34 billion last year. Didier Bollecker, president of the association, compared deplores that the budget allocated to the maintenance and modernization of roads last year has reached 340 million, only 1% of this “pot” punctured “in the pockets of road users.”