Get the free Car Buyer’s Cheat Sheet, 7 things to know before you sign anything. The numbers that matter, in plain English, on one page.
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The short version
You enter the numbers for your car and your situation. The calculator applies a fixed formula or schedule to those numbers. Where a field starts pre-filled, the starting figure comes from a named published study, with the source and the date printed on the page. The result is an estimate, not a quote and not advice. No generative model invents any result on this site. Every calculator runs the same fixed arithmetic every time it is used.
The full list of sources, with links, is on our sources page.
The calculation pipeline
Each calculator follows four steps, in the same order, every time.
- Your numbers in. Price, miles, loan terms, and the other inputs come from you. Change any number and the result updates.
- A fixed formula or schedule. The math is written out on the page, in plain sentences, under a Formula heading. The same inputs always give the same result.
- Published benchmarks where a field starts pre-filled. A pre-filled field starts at a national average from a named study, and the label says which study and when. Change it to your own number whenever you know it.
- The result, with its lines shown. The total is broken into its lines, so you can see which line is doing the work.
The calculators run in your browser, on the numbers you type. The site does not ask a generative model to invent a result, and no result is written by one.
Where the figures come from
The benchmarks on this site come from published studies and government data, each named with its date. The current set includes AAA Your Driving Costs, 2026 edition, which puts the average new vehicle at $12,863 a year to own and operate, with depreciation at $4,422 a year. iSeeCars, March 2026, which measured a 41.8 percent five-year value loss across more than 950,000 cars. Experian State of the Automotive Finance Market, second quarter 2026, which put average loan rates at 6.35 percent for a new car and 11.19 percent for a used car. The U.S. Energy Information Administration, which publishes weekly gas prices and monthly electricity prices. The Tax Foundation, which publishes state and local sales tax rates and state EV registration fees. And Kelley Blue Book, which reported a $50,562 average new-vehicle transaction price for September 2026.
Every figure is listed, with its link, on the sources page. The three calculator pages named here, new vs used, depreciation and gas vs electric, carry a Source links checked date and name their figures on the page itself.
How numbers are checked
Arithmetic is checked bucket by bucket. Each line is rounded first, then the lines are added, so the total on the page is the total of the lines shown. A load-bearing number, one the answer turns on, gets a second source before it is published.
Figures move to the newest verified source as it lands. When a study publishes a new edition, the pages that use it move to the new figures, and every derived figure on the page moves with them. The homepage runs AAA 2026 figures, $1,072 a month, not the 2025 edition, $965 a month. A refresh never swaps one number and leaves the rest standing.
What gets shelved
A figure that cannot be verified is left out, and the page says so in one plain sentence. It is not estimated, and it is not filled in with a guess.
One example is on the new vs used page. Maintenance and repairs stay in one line there, because AAA and Consumer Reports both publish one combined figure for them. There is no published split to put in a separate repairs box, so the page does not invent one.
Pages that were built before a figure could be verified stay unpublished until it can be. Two city pages, Jackson and Jersey City, are shelved for exactly that reason.
What these pages do not do
This site gives numbers and neutral comparisons. It does not tell any visitor what to do. It never says take this deal, walk away, or that a price is a bad one. The comparison is the product. The decision stays with the reader.
A buyer order or a lease worksheet is the document that binds, not a calculator result. The figures here are educational estimates, not financial, tax, legal or insurance advice. Actual costs vary by car, place and driver.
Freshness
Each calculator page carries a Source links checked date, which is the most recent date its figures and links were reviewed. When a source publishes a new edition, the pages that use it are updated and the date moves with them. The date on each page is the most recent check for that page.
Definitions
Deterministic formula. A fixed set of steps that gives the same result for the same inputs, every time. No step depends on a guess or a generated answer.
Benchmark. A published national average used as a starting figure, with its source and date named. Your own number replaces it whenever you know it.
Load-bearing number. A figure the answer turns on. These get a second source before they are published.
Estimate. A figure built from averages and your inputs. It is a planning number, not a quote for a specific car.
Frequently asked questions
How does Driveonomics calculate the true cost of a car?
It adds the five-year cost lines for the car you describe: depreciation, loan interest, tax and fees, insurance, fuel, maintenance and repairs. You enter the price, miles and loan terms, and the calculator applies a fixed formula to your numbers. Where a field starts pre-filled, the starting figure is a national average from a named published study, and the label says which study and when.
Where do the figures come from?
Published studies and government data, each named with its date. The main ones are AAA Your Driving Costs, iSeeCars depreciation and used-car price studies, Experian loan-rate data, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Tax Foundation and Kelley Blue Book. Every source is listed, with its link, on the sources page.
Why do the numbers change over time?
Because the figures move to the newest verified source as it lands. When a study publishes a new edition, the pages that use it move to the new figures, and every derived figure on the page moves with them. The homepage runs AAA 2026 figures, $1,072 a month, not the 2025 edition, $965 a month.
What happens when a figure cannot be verified?
It is left out, and the page says so in one plain sentence. It is not estimated and not filled in with a guess. Pages built before a figure could be verified stay unpublished until it can be, which is why two city pages are shelved.
Does Driveonomics tell me whether to buy a car?
No. The site gives numbers and neutral comparisons only. It never says take a deal, walk away, or that a price is a bad one. The comparison is the product, and the decision stays with the reader.
Related: See every source, with links, on the sources page.
Related: Run your own car through the true cost calculator.
Related: Compare a new car against a used one, side by side.
Related: See how fast a car loses value, year by year.
Related: Compare an electric car against a gas car.
Related: See whether a certified pre-owned car is worth the extra cost.