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The cost of owning a car
AAA, Your Driving Costs. AAA's annual study of what it costs to own and operate a new vehicle, over five years and 75,000 miles. The 2026 edition puts the average at $12,863 a year, $1,072 a month, with depreciation at $4,422 a year. The site uses it for the homepage calculator and the per-mile cost. AAA Your Driving Costs
Kelley Blue Book, average transaction prices. The monthly report of what buyers actually paid for new vehicles, after incentives. September 2026: $50,562, just below the all-time record. The site uses it for new-car price benchmarks. Kelley Blue Book, September 2026 average transaction prices
Depreciation and used-car values
iSeeCars, five-year depreciation study. A study of more than 950,000 model-year 2021 cars sold, measuring how much value each type kept after five years. March 2026: the average car lost 41.8 percent. The site uses it for depreciation curves and the depreciation calculator. iSeeCars, five-year depreciation study
iSeeCars, used-car prices. A study of used-car sale prices by age. August 2026: the average three-year-old car sold for $32,651. The site uses it for used-car price benchmarks. iSeeCars, used-car prices
Edmunds, appraisal values. Trade-in, private-party and dealer-retail values for a specific car, built from dealer transactions and local market data. The site uses it to check resale values against a second source. Edmunds, car appraisal values
Financing and loan rates
Experian, State of the Automotive Finance Market. A quarterly report built from credit records covering auto loans and leases. Second quarter 2026: average rates of 6.35 percent for a new car and 11.19 percent for a used car. The site uses it for loan-rate benchmarks. Experian, average car payment and loan rates
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, auto-loan guidance. The federal consumer agency's plain-language guidance on shopping for an auto loan. The site uses it for how loan shopping works, not for any rate. CFPB, auto-loan shopping guidance
Regulation Z, 12 CFR Part 1026. The federal rule that sets how lenders must disclose loan terms, including the annual percentage rate and the finance charge. The site uses it as the legal reference behind the loan math. Regulation Z, 12 CFR Part 1026
Fuel and electricity
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. Weekly U.S. average pump prices from a survey of retail outlets. Week ending August 31, 2026: regular gasoline averaged $4.071 a gallon. The site uses it for gas-price benchmarks. EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly. Monthly electricity sales, revenue and average prices by state and sector. Table 5.6.A, June 2026: the U.S. residential average was 18.34 cents per kilowatt-hour. The site uses it for home-charging benchmarks. EIA, Electric Power Monthly
U.S. EPA, fueleconomy.gov. The official fuel economy ratings for nearly every car sold in the United States since 1984, in miles per gallon and, for electric cars, kilowatt-hours per 100 miles. The site uses it for mileage and efficiency figures. EPA, fueleconomy.gov
Taxes
Tax Foundation, state and local sales tax rates. The midyear survey of combined state and local sales tax rates. Midyear 2026: the population-weighted national average is 7.53 percent. The site uses it for sales-tax benchmarks. Tax Foundation, 2026 sales tax rates, midyear
Tax Foundation, EV taxes by state. The annual survey of how each state taxes electric vehicles. 2026: 41 states charge an extra annual EV registration fee, with a median of about $140 a year, and 10 states charge nothing. The site uses it for the EV registration surcharge. Tax Foundation, EV taxes by state, 2026
Internal Revenue Service, Fact Sheet FS-2025-03. The IRS fact sheet on the new car loan interest deduction, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Tax years 2025 through 2028: up to $10,000 a year of interest on a loan for a new, U.S.-assembled vehicle for personal use, phasing out above $100,000 of modified adjusted gross income, $200,000 for joint filers. The site uses it for the new-car loan interest deduction. IRS, Fact Sheet FS-2025-03
Insurance and maintenance
Consumer Reports, Annual Auto Surveys. The 2025 survey of owner-reported maintenance and repair costs by brand and vehicle age. Cars in years 6 to 10 averaged $1,262 a year. The site uses it for maintenance and repair benchmarks on used cars. Consumer Reports, maintenance and repair costs by brand
What is not here
No figure on this site comes from an unnamed blog claim, a forum post, or a source without a date. If a figure cannot be traced to a published source, it is shelved, not estimated. The method behind all of it is written down on the methodology page.
If a source publishes a new edition, the pages that use it move to the new figures. The Source links checked date on each calculator page shows the most recent check for that page.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Driveonomics get its car prices?
From published averages, not from any single listing. New-car prices come from Kelley Blue Book average transaction prices, September 2026: $50,562. Used-car prices come from iSeeCars, August 2026: the average three-year-old car sold for $32,651. Resale values are checked against Edmunds appraisal values for the same car.
How current are the figures?
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 move to the new figures, and every derived figure on the page moves with them.
Why are there two iSeeCars studies on the list?
Because they answer two different questions. The March 2026 study measures depreciation: how much value cars lost over five years. The August 2026 study measures used-car prices: what three-year-old cars sold for. Different questions, different data, both named with their dates.
Are the figures averages or quotes for a specific car?
Averages from published studies, not quotes for a specific car. Two identical cars can price differently by trim, mileage, condition and place, so the calculators take your numbers and the averages only fill in the blanks. Get a real quote for the same year, model, trim and mileage before you decide.
Can I check a figure myself?
Yes. Every source on this page is linked, and each calculator page names its figures with their dates. Start with the Source links checked date on the calculator page, then follow the link to the source and compare the figure there.
Related: See how the numbers are calculated, on the methodology 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.