True Cost of Car Ownership

Have you ever wondered just how much a car really cost you from the time of purchase until the time you trade it in?

Let's examine some facts and figures that just might amaze you to find out just what it's going to cost you over the long haul. Lets face it purchasing a new car is expensive, but the real spending comes into the picture when we start looking at the cost of ownership over the years to come and not just at the monthly payment.

See how to calculate your costs below:

Cost of Financing

Estimate your costs based on the amount your going to use for a down payment and include in the term and interest rate.

Cost of Insurance

Insurance is going to be dependent on your age and driving record. Some insurance agencies also charge more for people with poor credit.

Cost of Depreciation

This is had to estimate since no one can predict resale value but if you visit Kelley Blue Book and look at your make and model over the last 3 years compared to what it cost new you can good a general idea.

Cost of State fees

How much will it be to register your vehicle every year? If your state requires an inspection your also need to figure in those costs

Cost of Fuel

Estimate your Gas costs based on the EPA mileage numbers listed on the vehicles window sticker, you will need to take into account how much City driving compared to Highway driving you do. Figure your fuel cost per gallon at $2.96 for unleaded regular, $3.07 for unleaded mid-grade, $3.17 for premium and $2.90 for diesel. These are the numbers in Orlando during June 2007 you can visit http://gasprices.mapquest.com to see the average prices in your area.

Cost of Maintenance

Assume services are performed at manufacturer's suggested intervals with additional service done when needed. Estimate labor rates at $80 per hour for non-luxury vehicles and $95 per hour for luxury vehicles.

Cost of Repairs

How long is the manufacturers bumper to bumper and are you going to get an extended warranty? Are you going to keep the vehicle past the warranty? What is the vehicles reliability report look like from Consumer Guide?

So now that we have included all the real considerations that are needed, you can now consider and calculate most any new car that you purchase and see just what it will really cost you on average over the next couple years. And we can these figures into consideration when negotiating the price of the new car.

Source: http://www.postarticles.com/Article/True-Cost-of-Car-Ownership/59799