Alfa Romeo 4C Owner Says Running Costs Are Low, Especially Fuel and Tax

Over the course of nearly a quarter of an hour, this young chap from Britain explains what costs he came across during the first year of 4C ownership. There were many surprises for us, and we think sportscar lovers everywhere need to watch this video before buying another car.

First of all, the initial buying cost was £52,000. The 4C Launch Edition was supposed to cost £7,000 more than the regular model, thanks to all the extra kit. But if you look for a brand new 4C on alfaromeo.co.uk, you will see that it's about £51,500. Considering he got a nicer interior and carbon fiber accents, this guy got a bargain. A Porsche Cayman S costs £49,000, but anybody can tell you it's impossible to buy the base model – it has horrible wheels and no features.

Because the engine is a 1.7-liter, the British Government only asks £180 in road tax. Even a Golf GTI costs about twice as much. Since the engine is small and the gearbox can change gears at low revs, fuel consumption isn't bad either.

The owner says he averaged 26 mpg (10.9 l/100km)on a long European trek, where he maxed the car out and attacked hairpin turns with ferocity. Frankly, those are excellent numbers.

While good, the 4C isn't perfect. For example, the window washer fluid is accessed though a grille held by ten screws.

We don't want to jump to conclusions or anything, but the Alfa Romeo sportscar comes with several advantages over the Audi TTS, not to mention the Jaguar F-Type S that costs about the same. It's also more distinctive than a Porsche Cayman and should hold onto its value for longer.

Yes, it's not that expensive to own and run, but if there's something we took away from this video, that's how easy it is to drive. Remember, the 4C is one of the few modern cars not fitted with power steering, yet the owner is not breaking a sweat.