Service costs in the first five years, by fuel

Petrol: the predictable one

A petrol car is the baseline everything else is measured against. Services are straightforward, parts are widely available, and there are no surprises if you stick to the schedule. For someone who drives moderate, mixed distances, it is the easiest car to budget for over five years.

There is little drama here, and that is the point. If your yearly running is average and your routes are varied, petrol keeps both the servicing and your peace of mind simple.

Diesel: for the long-haul driver

A diesel typically costs a little more per service and has a few parts a petrol does not, but it is built for distance and returns strong fuel economy on the highway. If you cover serious kilometres every year, mostly on the open road, those running-cost savings outweigh the slightly higher upkeep.

If you drive modest distances in the city, a diesel rarely justifies itself, the extra buying price and servicing are not repaid. Diesel is a high-mileage choice, not a default one. Also remember some cities limit how old a diesel can be, so check the rules where you live.

CNG: small upkeep, big fuel savings

A factory-fitted CNG car runs much lower fuel bills, which is the whole appeal. In return you accept a periodic cylinder test as required by rules, a little extra attention to the kit, and some boot space taken by the tank, unless the car uses a twin-cylinder design that keeps the boot usable.

For a high-running city car, a family second car or anyone watching the monthly fuel spend closely, CNG's running savings are hard to beat. Just factor the cylinder test and the boot trade-off into your decision rather than discovering them later.

Electric: the quietest service bill

An EV has far fewer moving parts, no engine oil, no clutch, no exhaust, so routine servicing is minimal: mostly brakes, tyres, coolant and software. Over five years it is usually the lowest on the service bill of the four.

The flip side is the higher price to buy and your charging setup, which we cover in our EV buying guide. But purely on upkeep, nothing here is easier to live with than an electric car that you can charge conveniently.

Costs people forget

Whatever the fuel, tyres, brake pads, the battery (the small 12-volt one) and wiper blades are wear items that arrive on their own schedule. Insurance renews every year and is a bigger number than most people budget for. And a car that is serviced on time at an authorised centre holds its value and its warranty far better than one that skips services to save a little now.

The least costly service is the one you do on schedule, not the one you delay until something breaks.

If you asked us in the showroom

Tell us your yearly kilometres and where you drive, and we will point you to the fuel whose five-year upkeep actually suits you, not just the one with the lowest price on the windscreen. For many city families that is petrol or CNG; for a highway regular it is diesel; for a home-charging local driver it is increasingly an EV. The sticker price starts the conversation; the running cost finishes it.