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| Dirty Cash Rollin |
by Bill Sweet
How much does your car actually cost you? This figure is actually pretty difficult to measure, and I'm guessing that not many folks would get close to the actual total.
Luckily, the auto club AAA did the math for us. Your average American mid-sized sedan probably cost you around 51.9 - 78.3 cents per mile in total cost. That range includes gas, insurance, maintenance, license, registration, depreciation, and finance charges.
So, based on these rates, here are the actual annual costs for a few sample mileage based on average miles driven from the Department of Transportation:
Average male 20-54: 18,417 miles = $10,313.52 annually
Average female 20-54 11,734 miles = $9,187.72 annually
That's a big chunk of change.
Note that parking, tolls, and car washes are extra. It's more for large sedans and SUVs, too.
Andrea Coombes at the Wall Street Journal has more here.
- Bill
