Vehicles Cost $5,050 to $8,150 a Year to Own and Operate, AAA Says

If you commute by car, the AAA says, you spend about $62 for every 100 miles you travel.

Just one sobering thought in the AAA's just-released "Your Driving Costs" study, which calculates the annual cost to own and operate a car based on its size.

The 2007 results reveal that you have to dip into pocket or purse for 50.5 to 81.5 cents for every mile you travel based on 10,000 miles of driving annually. That's $5,050 to $8,150 a year, no small sum.

The AAA bases its figures on costs for gas, oil, tires, maintenance, insurance, financing, depreciation, license, registration and taxes. The figures don't include parking or tolls.

It says that those who drive a small car, such as a Chevy Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra or Toyota Corolla, will spend that 50.5 cents a mile, or $5,050 a year, to own and operate that car in 2007. That's unchanged from 2006.

Those who opt for a midsize sedan such as a Chevy Impala, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry, will spend 61.8 cents a mile, or $6,180 a year. That's down less than a penny a mile from $62.4 cents, or $6,240, it cost a year ago.

Drivers of full-size sedans -- Buick Lucerne, Chrysler 300 Ford Five Hundred, Nissan Maxima or Toyota Avalon -- will spend 74.2 cents a mile, or $7,420 a year, up from 72.9 cents, or $7,290, in 2006.

Minivan owners -- think Chevy Uplander, Dodge Caravan, Ford Freestar, Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna -- get off easier. They will spend 69.2 cents a mile, or $6,920 a year, down from 71.3 cents a mile, or $7,130 a year in 2006.

But not those with SUVs such as a Chevy TrailBlazer, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee or Nissan Pathfinder. It will cost them 81.5 cents a mile, or $8,150 a year, up from 79 cents, or $7,900, in 2006.

"Costs went down a bit because gas prices went down a bit, though those in big cars and especially SUVs didn't realize a savings because their gas mileage isn't very good," said Mike Calkins, author of the report. "And the savings for everyone was offset by the fact insurance and finance charges on new vehicles went up because the cost of the new vehicles went up."

Gas costs were based on a $2.25 a gallon national average in the fourth quarter of last year.

"We felt $3 a gallon last summer was an aberration and don't don't expect to see it reach that level again this year," Calkins said.

He added that as cars adopt newer and more sophisticated technology, costs will rise.

"It's going to be costly to repair a damaged back-up camera," he said, citing the example of the system that lets drivers see what's behind them when going in reverse.

(c) 2007 Buffalo News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.