From CNBC · Sarah Agostino · · 2m
The $5,851 car bill nobody quotes you
Insurance, gas and repairs cost the average U.S. driver almost $6,000 a year before a single loan payment.
In brief
Insurance, gas and repairs cost the average U.S. driver almost $6,000 a year before a single loan payment. Price the insurance, fuel and repair bill for a specific car before you sign, because those three line items now cost more per year than most people budget for. Originally reported by CNBC.
The sticker price is the start
Shoppers fixate on the price tag and the monthly payment. Those numbers leave out the yearly cost of simply keeping the car on the road.
“Car shoppers often focus on the sticker price and monthly payment, but those are only the start of the costs they face.”
$5,851 a year, minimum
Insurify puts average annual U.S. car ownership costs at $5,851: $2,237 for full-coverage insurance, $2,126 for gas, $1,488 for maintenance and repairs.
And that excludes the loan
The $5,851 sits on top of financing. Experian pegs the average second-quarter payment at $765 a month for a new car and $542 for a used one.
Cars got expensive faster than everything
July's average new car sold for $49,855 and used listings averaged $27,028. That's 34% and 29% above July 2019, against roughly 30% overall inflation.
Insurance jumped 50%
Auto insurance is up about 50% since July 2019, with more than 40% of that piling on between mid-2022 and mid-2024, per Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Blame the electronics
Insurify's Julia Taliesin says modern vehicles pack sophisticated systems that cost more to fix, and pricier claims get passed straight into premiums.
“Higher repair costs mean more expensive insurance claims, which insurers factor into their rates.”
Get a quote before you buy
Rates swing on the model, your ZIP code, your record and in some states a credit-based insurance score. Ask what coverage costs before you sign anything.
“You should never purchase a vehicle, new or used ... without first knowing what the insurance is going to be”
Gas is up 55%
Regular unleaded averaged $4.29 a gallon Friday, up from about $2.75 in July 2019. Diesel hit a record $6.05, and war-driven crude has WTI near $99.
Repairs climb with the odometer
AAA pegs 2025 maintenance at 11.04 cents a mile, or $1,656 over 15,000 miles, up 23.5% from 2019. Older used cars break more often, so budget for it.
The essence
Price the insurance, fuel and repair bill for a specific car before you sign, because those three line items now cost more per year than most people budget for.
