I own a car · Guide for South Carolina
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 South Carolina
- Insurance. Insurance prices in South Carolina depend a lot on the county, the car and your record. Ask for an insurance price on the VIN before you buy.
- Tax at purchase. South Carolina does not charge sales tax when you buy a car: it charges the Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (IMF), 5% up to $500, and the law exempts that sale from state and local sales and use tax (§ 12-36-2120(83)). At a dealer the IMF is figured on the sale price and the dealer collects it (§ 56-3-627(B)). In a private sale you pay it to SCDMV when titling and it is figured on fair market value, which the law defines as the total purchase price less any trade-in or the value in a national used-price guide less any trade-in (§ 56-3-627(C)): you can owe more than you paid if you bought below guide. No IMF is due when the car comes from your immediate family (spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren), from an estate, or when sales or use tax was already paid on that transaction (§ 56-3-627(C)(2)). If you move from another state with a car already titled or registered in your name, you pay $250 once; it does not apply if you are on active duty in the Armed Forces, or to your spouse or dependents (§ 56-3-627(D)). Separately, you pay vehicle property tax to your county every year.
- Climate. Long, hot, humid summers and salt in the air near the coast: the battery, A/C and tires work harder and age sooner. Test the battery every year, wash the underbody if you live near the ocean and replace the wipers before storm season.
- 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)
- SC Department of Revenue — Information Letter #17-10 (Infrastructure Maintenance Fee)
- SCDMV — South Carolina 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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