Service costs for a SUV vehicle

But careful selection of your next vehicle can save thousands of dollars within the first three years. 

The advent of fixed or capped service programs has sliced the cost of your next service by up to one-third. The good news is that since Toyota started its program, many others have followed and more - notably Kia - are expected to be added to the list this year. 

Saving money at the service department can be as important as choosing one vehicle purely because it is more economical. But a fixed service fee isn't - and shouldn't - be the only factor in selecting a new car. One of the biggest surprises for owners is the service schedule. 

Cars from Volkswagen, Ford, Holden and Mitsubishi only require a service visit once a year but Mazda, Subaru and Toyota, for example, require two services a year - potentially doubling the service bill and doubling the owner's time spent dropping off and picking up the car. 

It can turn the tables on the perceived high costs of European vehicles. For example, a Volkswagen Tiguan petrol SUV needs one service a year that costs about $420. A Subaru XV petrol SUV has a service cost of about $320.

But the Subaru needs two services for an annual cost of about $640 - $220 more expensive than the Volkswagen's average. Watch out also for diesel cars. They are regarded as being substantially more fuel efficient than their petrol-fuelled counterparts and appear to have a simpler engine - with no engine spark system, for example - so service costs should be cheaper. Not so.

In the case of the Nissan X-Trail, the service schedule over three years for the 2.5-litre petrol AWD is $1725 (averaging $575 a year) while the diesel-engined equivalent will cost $2362 (annually $787) for the same period. Nissan has a capped-price service program.

The Holden Captiva 7 diesel is $1580 (for three years, or averaging $527 a year) under Holden's fixed price service scheme but the petrol version will cost its owner $980 for the same three-year service period, equalting to $327 a year. 

Though this may not apply in all cases of diesel-engined models, it remains something owners need to consider. Take this a step further. The Nissan Patrol 3-litre turbo-diesel needs six services over 36 months to total $3134 under Nissan's fixed price service scheme. 

The Patrol's 4.8-litre petrol equivalent will cost $2547 over the same period. So the petrol model will save you $587 over three years of standard servicing. Also on the plus side, the petrol model - at $57,990 versus the equivalent diesel's $59,990 - costs $2000 less to buy. 

On the downside, it uses an average (claimed by Nissan) of 17.2 L/100km while the diesel has a claimed average of 11.8 L/100km. Over 15,000km a year and at $1.50 for petrol and $1.60 for diesel, the 3-litre diesel will drink $8496 of fuel over three years while the petrol will use $11,610. 

Ultimately, excusing other road costs, the three years of servicing and fuelling the petrol is $14,157. The diesel is $11,630. Factor in the $2000 saving by buying the petrol model and the difference over three years is a mere $527. So though buyers may baulk at buying a petrol vehicle, other costs such as servicing must be included to make a better judgement.

COSTS TO SERVICE OVER 3 YEARS:

Compact SUVs

Large SUVs

* Fixed or capped price service program

FUEL COSTS OVER 3 YEARS:

Compact AWD SUVs

Large AWD SUVs 

* 15,000km/year; $1.50/litre petrol; $1.60/litre diesel automatic transmission 

CHEAPEST TO FUEL AND SERVICE (3YR):

VERDICT

When it comes to opening your wallet, big 4WDs may not be as expensive to run as you may think. But thanks to their sheer size, they attract bigger insurance and registration costs and are expensive on consumables - tyres for example - more regularly. 

The list also shows that European cars like the Volkswagen can be cost effective to own. But it also shows that the combination of size and a petrol engine can, in the Kluger's case, be an expensive mix.