Montreal is in first place in the latest review of annual vehicle costs, ahead of St. John's, Newfoundland and Toronto.
According to the 1999 Annual Canadian Vehicle Costs survey by Runzheimer Canada, it costs $9,874 a year to operate a 1999 Ford Taurus SE with a 3-litre V-6 engine, a four-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering, cruise control and anti-lock brakes in Montreal.
That puts Montreal ahead of St. John's $9,840 annual costs and.Toronto's $9,655Other cities on the Runzheimer list included Halifax at $9,293, Ottawa at $8,863, Moncton at $8,842, Vancouver at $8,563, Charlottetown at $8,558, Regina at $8,333, Edmonton at $8,278 and Winnipeg at $8,198.
Expenses include operating costs (fuel, oil, tires and maintenance) and ownership costs (insurance, depreciation, licence and registration fees, and financing).High auto insurance rates are what put Montreal, St. John's and Toronto at the top of the annual cost heap. The annual premium for "business use" coverage for liability, comprehensive, and collision for someone over 25 with a clean driving record is nearly $1,900 in Toronto, $1,800 in Montreal, and $1,700 in St. John's.The same type of insurance in Winnipeg, Regina and Charlottetown are all below $1,000 a year.