Cars and Drivers

It Costs a Motorist Almost $8,500 a Year to Operate a New Vehicle

Thinkstock

It will cost a driver an average of $8,469 a year, or $706 each month, to own and operate a new vehicle in 2017, according to a newly published study from AAA.

The annual evaluation of driving costs from Orlando, Florida-based AAA shows that small sedans are the least expensive vehicles to drive at $6,354 a year. Small sport utility vehicles ($7,606), hybrids ($7,687) and electric vehicles ($8,439) all have lower-than-average driving costs to U.S. drivers.

Pickup trucks are the most expensive vehicles to drive, at $10,054 annually, among the nine categories included in the evaluation.

“Determining the cost of a new vehicle car is more than calculating a monthly payment,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of automotive engineering and repair. “While sales price is certainly a factor, depreciation, maintenance, repair and fuel costs should be equally important considerations for anyone in the market for a new vehicle.”

To estimate the overall cost to own and operate a new vehicle, AAA evaluated forty-five 2017 model-year vehicles across nine categories and focused on mid-range, top-selling vehicles. AAA’s annual driving cost is based on a sales-weighted average of the individual costs for all the vehicle types. Key findings of the study include the following.

Depreciation

Depreciation — the declining value of a vehicle over time — is the biggest expense associated with buying a new car. New vehicles lose an average of $15,000 in value during the first five years of ownership. In 2017, small sedans ($2,114) and small SUVs ($2,840) have the lowest annual depreciation costs, while minivans ($3,839) and electric vehicles ($5,704) are at the high end of the scale.

Maintenance and Repair

To calculate annual maintenance and repair costs, AAA examined factory-recommended maintenance, replacement tires, extended warranty costs and services associated with typical wear and tear. New vehicles, on average, will cost a motorist $1,186 a year to maintain and repair.

Fuel

Fuel costs range from 3.68 cents a mile for electric vehicles to 13.88 cents a mile for pickup trucks. New vehicle owners, on average, will spend just over 10 cents a mile — about $1,500 annually — to gas up their vehicles.

Electric vehicles

Electric vehicles are new to the study, and AAA found that these vehicles have lower-than-average driving costs at $8,439 a year. Without a gasoline engine to maintain, electric vehicles have the lowest annual maintenance and repair costs, at $982 per year.

By relying on electricity instead of gasoline, fuel costs are also significantly lower than average, at under four cents a mile. Depreciation, however, is currently high for these vehicles, which lose an average of nearly $6,000 in value every year.

“Although electric vehicles can have higher upfront costs, lower fuel and maintenance costs make them a surprisingly affordable choice in the long run,” said Nielsen. “For even lower costs, car shoppers can avoid high depreciation costs by selecting a used electric vehicle.”

Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor

Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.