Real example report: worked calculation, not a quotation

Volkswagen Golf 2015

Make
Volkswagen
Model / derivative
Golf
Year
2015
Fuel
Petrol
Engine
2L
CO2
159 g/km

Every example on this page uses the same standard scenario: 7,400 miles/year, 3-year ownership, finance purchase, so the figures are directly comparable across vehicles.

Total cost of ownership

Source data
Per month£490/mo
Per year£5,878/yr
Cost per mile£0.79/mile
3-year total£17,634calculated, not a source figure

Calculated as the report's annual ownership cost (£5878) x the 3-year ownership period. Not a figure printed in the source report.

Cost breakdown

Every category this report covers, largest first.

Fuel / Energy£1,345/yr23%
Depreciation£1,160/yr20%
Service & MOT£984/yr17%
Maintenance & Repairs£631/yr11%
Insurance£610/yr10%
Finance / Leasing£433/yr7%
Urban Costs (CC / ULEZ / Parking)£240/yr4%
VED / Road Tax£200/yr3%
Roadside Assistance£139/yr2%
Tyres£135/yr2%

Quick answers

What does it cost to own a Volkswagen Golf 2015?

In this real 73 Auto example, total cost of ownership for this Volkswagen Golf 2015 is £490/month (£5,878/year), based on 7,400 miles/year over a 3-year finance ownership scenario.

What are the running costs of a Volkswagen Golf 2015?

Day-to-day running costs, including fuel / energy, service & mot and maintenance & repairs and 5 other costs, total £4,284/year (£358/month) in this example, excluding depreciation and finance.

What is the road tax (VED) for a Volkswagen Golf 2015?

VED (road tax) for this Volkswagen Golf 2015 is £200/year in this example.

What is the depreciation on a Volkswagen Golf 2015?

Depreciation accounts for £1,160/year (20% of the total cost) for this Volkswagen Golf 2015 in this example.

What drives this cost

For this Volkswagen Golf 2015, Fuel / Energy is the largest ownership-cost category, making up 23% of the annual total (£1,345/year of £5,878/year). Depreciation is a close second at 20%, so together these two categories account for 43% of the total. Depreciation and finance together make up 27% of the annual cost, while day-to-day running costs (fuel/energy, insurance, servicing, maintenance, tax, tyres and roadside assistance combined) make up 72%. As a petrol vehicle, fuel costs are calculated from a fuel price of £1.40/litre at 35mpg, making up 23% of the total.

What this example is

This is a worked example for one specific vehicle under the stated assumptions, not a quotation or financial advice. A different registration, condition, location, driving pattern, insurance profile or finance agreement will produce a different result. See the methodology and data sources behind this figure.

For what these figures add up to and why, see what Total Cost of Ownership means and UK car running costs.

DieselReal example

Volkswagen Golf 2016

£379/month

£4,552/year · £0.62/mile

£13,656 calculated 3-year total

Depreciation£1,039/yr23%
Fuel / Energy£887/yr19%
Service & MOT£719/yr16%
Insurance£530/yr12%
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ElectricityReal example

Volkswagen ID3 Life 2021

£406/month

£4,875/year · £0.66/mile

£14,625 calculated 3-year total

Depreciation£1,489/yr31%
Insurance£820/yr17%
Fuel / Energy£714/yr15%
Finance / Leasing£550/yr11%
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PetrolReal example

Volkswagen Polo 2013

£368/month

£4,411/year · £0.60/mile

£13,233 calculated 3-year total

Fuel / Energy£923/yr21%
Service & MOT£856/yr19%
Depreciation£633/yr14%
Maintenance & Repairs£608/yr14%
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