What is Carreb?
+
Carreb estimates what any new car in Australia could cost you to own and run — fuel, insurance, servicing, registration, and depreciation — across all fuel types (petrol, diesel, hybrid, PHEV, and EV) and all major brands. It is not a car review site, car sales platform, or vehicle comparator. Carreb uses certified laboratory data, curated public sources, proprietary modelling, and user inputs to help you make a more confident, cost-conscious, and environmentally aware vehicle decision.
What is the CORE Rating?
+
The CORE (Cost of Ownership and Responsible Emissions) Rating is Carreb's proprietary 1–5 star rating that combines estimated cost of ownership and indicative CO₂ emissions performance into one score. It is derived from data and modelling, not opinion. Unlike star ratings based on features or style, CORE focuses on objective, measurable factors that directly affect your estimated costs and environmental footprint. The CORE Rating is an indicative score based on modelled data. It is not a guarantee of performance, a statement of vehicle quality, or a recommendation to purchase or avoid any vehicle.
Is Carreb free?
+
Carreb offers tiered plans starting with a free service. Whether you want to explore one vehicle or dive deep into cost breakdowns across many, there is a plan to suit your needs. Visit our Pricing Page for a full breakdown of features and pricing.
How accurate are Carreb's numbers?
+
Carreb uses Australian certification (laboratory) data referenced by the Australian Design Rules (ADRs) and harmonised UN Regulations, certified test cycles as published, localised modelling by state and region, AI-assisted checks and consistency reviews subject to human oversight, and your inputs (km/year, finance terms, insurance, tariffs, etc.). Where inputs are missing, we use standardised proxies until you override them in MyGarage. All results are indicative only and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any purchasing decision.
What is Spotlights?
+
Spotlights is a one-time purchase that permanently unlocks all premium Spotlight badges for every vehicle you add to your MyGarage. Once purchased, Spotlights remain active even if you change or cancel your plan. A badge will appear on every vehicle that meets the relevant Spotlight criteria. Spotlight purchases are final except as required by the Australian Consumer Law.
Are you biased toward electric cars or trying to promote them?
+
No. We use the same transparent methodology for petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and hydrogen vehicles. Where EVs have lower estimated running costs or cleaner indicative emissions in your area, that will be reflected. Where they do not, that will also be visible. We do not promote any technology, fuel type, or brand.
Who is Carreb for?
+
Anyone seeking clarity beyond traditional car reviews, dealer specifications, and feature-focused resources. Carreb is particularly useful for first-time buyers wanting confidence and clear cost estimates, families budgeting carefully, commuters aiming to reduce ongoing fuel and running costs, retirees focused on reliability and low maintenance, environmentally conscious drivers exploring hybrids and EVs, and fleet managers or small business owners looking for transparent cost analysis. Carreb does not replace car reviews or dealer conversations — it complements them.
Can't I just use AI like ChatGPT to research my next car?
+
We tried. That's actually how Carreb started.
We spent countless hours across multiple AI models trying to make sense of vehicle ownership costs — fuel, servicing, insurance, depreciation, emissions — and every model gave us different answers. We ended up buried in spreadsheets trying to reconcile the outputs. It was slow, inconsistent, and utterly confusing — even for a physicist.
That experience revealed five fundamental limitations of using AI tools alone for this:
Incomplete coverage. They look at a subset of cars — without telling you which ones they skipped. The best-rated option may never even appear.
No structured model. Even with good data, they have no proven, consistent algorithm to process it. Same data in, different answers out.
Inconsistent outputs. Ask the same question twice and you may get a completely different response.
No decision tools. No CORE Rating. No CORE Dial. No estimated cost difference analysis. No Spotlights. No RideReveal. Just unstructured text you have to interpret yourself.
Slow. Hours of prompting and spreadsheets to piece together what Carreb delivers in seconds.
Carreb uses AI too — to source specific data points. But the difference is what happens next: structured, proven algorithms transform that data across every new car in the Australian market into a simple, consistent, stress-free output — for less than the price of a coffee. All figures are indicative estimates only.
Is my personal data safe?
+
Carreb complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. We handle personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it. We do not sell personal data. View our Privacy Policy for full details.
