Ask an expert

Here is a doozy.
I have a 2004 Holden Aclaim 3.8 taxi done 280,000km. Average fuel bill per month $500.00. I have been offered a 2011 1.8 Toyota Prius with my Holden as a trade. I reckon on saving $300.00 per month in fuel but will have finance of $250.00 per month. Does this sound good. It is hard to caculate a km figure because of the short city running. Try getting your noodle around this one. It seems good to me!

It sounds a good deal to me as well, but you may need to ask your fellow taxi drivers who have made the switch as to the financial benefits.

The ones I have spoken to have not regretted their decision for one minute.

Your Holden is only going to devalue more the longer you keep it as a taxi along with the ongoing maintenance costs.

The Prius will be covered under the new car warranty programme which includes an extended period for the hybrid battery so this must reduce your costs in the short term.

A meeting with your accountant may help you decide if it’s a good deal for you or not.

Or a meeting with Holden to see what sort of deal they can offer you.