I own a car · Guide for California
The real cost of owning a car, by vehicle type
The price is the least of it. What you pay every year in depreciation, insurance, fuel and maintenance decides whether the car suits you.
The average new car in the United States costs $11,577 a year to own and operate: about 77 cents per mile at 15,000 miles (AAA, 2025). And the biggest piece is not gas or the shop: it is depreciation, the money the car loses in value while it sleeps in your driveway. This guide takes that number apart by vehicle type so you can compare it with yours.
A note on wordingThis is not a "total cost of ownership": it leaves out parking, tolls, tickets and the time you lose. These are the six components AAA measures, with their figures and date. What is not here is not measured.
What makes up the average ($11,577 / year)
| Component | 2025 average | What you can control |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | $4,334 / yr | Almost all of it: a 3-year-old used car has already taken the biggest drop. It is the strongest financial argument for buying used. |
| Insurance | $1,694 / yr | Little. Compare every year and raise the deductible if you have savings. What changes by state, below. |
| Finance | $1,131 / yr | All of it: short term, big down payment, pre-approved rate. |
| Fuel | 13¢ / mile | Depends on the car and how you drive. A hybrid cuts it nearly in half. |
| Maintenance, repair and tires | 11.04¢ / mile | Depends on the brand and on doing it on time. See the maintenance schedule. |
| License, registration and taxes | $813 / yr | Almost nothing per year. The hit is the tax at purchase; see your state's section below. |
By vehicle type (cents per mile, AAA 2025)
| Type | ¢ / mile | At 15,000 mi / yr* | Quick read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small sedan | 55.87 | ≈ $8,380 | The cheapest to own. Low depreciation, low fuel. |
| Hybrid | 63.94 | ≈ $9,590 | Pays back its premium through fuel if you drive in the city. |
| Subcompact SUV | 66.11 | ≈ $9,920 | The middle ground most people buy. |
| Medium sedan | 66.37 | ≈ $9,960 | More room than the small one for about the same cost. |
| Compact SUV | 68.53 | ≈ $10,280 | The best-selling segment; its cost reflects pricier insurance and tires. |
| Electric | 71.21 | ≈ $10,680 | Cheap fuel, high depreciation and insurance. Better if you charge at home. |
| Mid-size pickup | 79.11 | ≈ $11,870 | Capability you pay for every mile. |
| Medium SUV | 83.89 | ≈ $12,580 | Three rows, high fuel, high depreciation. |
| Half-ton pickup | 98.54 | ≈ $14,780 | The most expensive to own. If you don't tow, you are paying for capability you don't use. |
*Simple multiplication of AAA's per-mile figure by 15,000 miles, rounded. AAA calculates on a new car, five years and 75,000 miles, national average. A used car has less depreciation and finance cost, but more maintenance.
What changes in California
- Insurance. California sits above the national average in insurance cost, with higher premiums in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire than in the north of the state. Get a quote on the VIN and your ZIP code before you buy.
- Tax at purchase. The statewide base rate is 7.25%. Each district adds 0.10% to 2.00%, and some areas have more than one district tax, which is why DMV figures the use tax at 7.25% to 10.25% depending on the city and county where you register the car. A trade-in does not lower the tax: CDTFA's Tax Guide for Motor Vehicle Dealers says the dealer must report the full selling price and cannot deduct the trade-in allowance; on a $20,000 car with a $4,000 trade-in credit you pay tax on $20,000. In a private-party purchase you pay nothing to the seller: DMV collects the use tax when you transfer the title, on the total purchase price and at the rate for the address where you register. A car bought outside California and brought into the state within 12 months of the purchase is presumed bought for use here and owes use tax. There is no use tax on a true gift, or on a purchase from your parent, grandparent, grandchild, child, spouse or domestic partner (CDTFA Publication 52, November 2025).
- Climate. Strong sun, dry inland heat and wildfire smoke in summer: change the cabin and engine air filters more often, protect the dash and tires from the sun and check the cooling system before summer. The Sierra and the north bring chains and road salt in winter; the coast brings salt humidity on brakes and underbody.
- Comprehensive coverage. It is what pays for hail, flood, fire and theft. If the car is worth anything, it is not optional.
How to use this before you buy
- Take the price you can pay and subtract day-one tax and fees.
- Find the vehicle type in the table and multiply the cents by your real yearly miles (look at your current car: the odometer doesn't lie).
- Get an insurance quote on the specific VIN. It is the line that surprises most.
- If the yearly total is more than you can sustain, step down a segment. A small sedan costs half what a half-ton pickup costs every year, not just on purchase day.
Keep your vehicle information together
Sources
- AAA — Your Driving Costs 2025 (fact sheet, September 2025)
- AAA — New vehicle costs drop to $11,577 (press release)
- CDTFA — Sales and Use Tax Rates (statewide 7.25%, districts 0.10%–2.00%), Publication 52 Vehicles and Vessels: Use Tax (November 2025) and Tax Guide for Motor Vehicle Dealers (trade-in allowance not deductible)
- DMV — California Department of Motor Vehicles
This guide informs; it is not legal or financial advice, nor an offer, quote or appraisal. Every figure carries its source and date; check it is still current before you decide.
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