Car servicing can vary by as much as pounds 142

Economical motoring: Drivers urged to shop around to secure the best available deal

J0JO MOYES

and ROB CRANE

Motorists in London are likely to pay more for their car servicing than anywhere else in the country, while those with small, "economical" cars may pay more in labour costs than those with high-performance luxury saloons, a new survey has found.

A survey of 175 dealers across Britain in next month's What Car? magazine shows that car owners can save hundreds of pounds if they are prepared to shop around.

London-based dealerships were generally more expensive than rural dealers, although there was the odd exception. A dealer in Streatham, south London, was the cheapest for an 18,000-mile service on a Peugeot 306, whereas Ayr in Scotland was dearest for a Mercedes-Benz C180.

"Although some dealerships have to contend with horrendous overheads, some are just plain greedier than others," said the magazine's editor, Mark Payton.

"Our advice is to shop around, ask lots of questions and get a final all-inclusive price before booking your car in for a service. It may be that you'll have to drive 20 miles to get the best deal, but it can be worth it for the sort of savings that we've shown you can achieve."

According to the AA, trading standards officers receive around 20,000 complaints a year about car repairs and servicing. In recent years, the number has increased by 11-15 per cent annually. In addition, there are a large number of complaints handled by motoring organisations, consumer bodies and garages themselves. Industry experts consider these to be the tip of the iceberg as many motorists will simply "put it down to experience" and are unlikely to complain.

An AA spokesman said: "Labour costs tend to make the big difference. If a job's down as taking 2 hours in one garage and 3 hours in another because of their different facilities, and and you're being charged pounds 30- 40 per hour in labour, then that will push the price up. There's a trend in the industry for menu listing, so that for basic jobs you know how much you'll pay. That will include labour. If you live up north the labour costs tend to be less."

Because of labour-cost differences, a separate survey by What Car? also found that small cars, generally thought to be among the most economical, are often more expensive than luxury cars to service. A new Jaguar XJ6, for example, requires less time than a Ford Fiesta for the same service, while the MGF sports car and Land Rover Discovery need less time than a Ford Mondeo.

The survey concluded that six hours' labour time for all jobs was good, 10 hours was average and 15-plus was "diabolical". Worst in the test were the Renault Laguna and Citroen Xantia, both of which took more than 17 hours.

Costs around the country

Place Car make and model Mileage Price

SOUTH-EAST

Aylesbury Ford Mondeo 1.8LX 30,000 pounds 118

Bedford Volkswagen Sharan 2.0CL 10,000 pounds 100

Hastings Peugeot 406 1.8LX 9,000 pounds 86

Hounslow Honda Civic 1.5 VTEC-E 12,000 pounds 180

north London BMW 320i 15,000 pounds 220

Renault Espace 2.0 36,000 pounds 250

Rover 414i 12,000 pounds 140

south London Audi A4 1.8 20,000 pounds 250

Peugeot 306XRdt 18,000 pounds 112

Vauxhall Vectra 1.8LS 10,000 pounds 115

MIDLANDS AND EAST ANGLIA

Birmingham Ford Escort 1.6LX 30,000 pounds 126

Cambridge Vauxhall Astra 1.4LS 10,000 pounds 103

Coventry BMW 320i 15,000 pounds 150

Nottingham Vauxhall Omega 2.5V6CD 10,000 pounds 60

Redditch Peugeot 306XRdt 18,000 pounds 125

Solihull Land Rover Discovery Tdi 12,000 pounds 350

Stratford-on-Avon Rover 111 Si 12,000 pounds 134

SCOTLAND

Aberdeen Ford Mondeo 1.8LX 30,000 pounds 91

Rover MGF 12,000 pounds 108

Ayr Mercedes C180 Classic 18,000 pounds 332

Dundee Ford Escort 1.6LX 30,000 pounds 96

Edinburgh Audi A4 1.8 20,000 pounds 115

Citroen ZX TD Avantage 2 4,000 pounds 77

Glasgow Citroen Xantia 2.0iSX 18,000 pounds 115

Ford Galaxy 2.0 Aspen 10,000 pounds 82

Inverness Jaguar XJ6 3.2 30,000 pounds 300

WALES

Llanelli Vauxhall Omega 2.5V6 C 10,000 pounds 100

WEST COUNTRY

Bristol Honda Accord 24,000 pounds 250

Renault Laguna 2.0 RT 20,000 pounds 115

Redruth Rover 620 Si 24,000 pounds 230

Swindon Nissan Primera 1.6LX 27,000 pounds 208

Taunton Honda Prelude 2.0i 12,000 pounds 119

Mercedes E300 D 18,000 pounds 170