THE cost of motoring has soared over the past decade, outstripping inflation by 34 per cent. The rising price of fuel as well as costs to insure, service, and tax a car now total £2,395 a year, according to the comparison firm uSwitch.com - £608 more than if prices had risen in line with inflation.

The country as a whole spends almost £75 billion on car costs according to the study. If running costs continue to rise at the current rate, uSwitch predicts they will reach £3,659 a year by 2017 – a national spend of £114 billion.

The rising cost of motoring comes at a time when consumers are already feeling the pinch from the soaring price of essentials, such as food and energy. Last week, the last of the “big six” energy suppliers, Eon and Scottish Power, announced a double digit iincrease in rates, their second round of price rises this year.

Ashton Berkhauer, insurance expert at uSwitch said: “For some, the increasing cost will price them off the road altogether. Some people do have other options, such as public transport, but for many, there is no other choice. We could be heading for a situation where motorists don’t have to decide if they should take their car, but whether they can actually afford to.”

This is already being reflected in a 13 per cent decline in car sales.

The steepest rise has been in the cost of petrol. In 1997 it cost about £854 a year to fill a car. This has increased 94 per cent to £1,657 a year - £521 more than if prices had stayed in line with the rate of inflation.

Car maintenance now costs 78 per cent more than in 1997, while car insurance has risen by 72 per cent to an average £535 a year.

Car tax has seen the smallest overall increase. Consumers now pay just 2 per cent more than they did a decade ago However, under a new system, announced in the Spring budget, which bases the amount of tax due on a vehicle's CO2 emissions, many drivers of gas guzzling cars will see far steeper hikes in the next couple of years.

The decision to retrospectively charge increased tax on cars registered after 2001 means that, for many, this cost is set to rise substantially. A family car, such as a seven-seater Renault Espace 3.5 V6 Initiale auto, with a CO2 rating of 289g per km, currently avoids the top band G rate of £400 if it was purchased before March 23, 2006. Owners are charged only £210, the rate for cars in the next band down.

However, the scrapping of the exemption and the introduction of the new charging bands next year means the vehicle will move into band M, costing the owner £440 next year and £455 in 2010.