Total Cost of Ownership Calculator: Car Ownership Costs

Total Cost of Ownership Calculator

Estimate the complete 5-year cost of owning a vehicle, including sales tax, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, depreciation, and registration. See where your money goes year by year.

Vehicle purchase price

Down payment

Cash you pay upfront. Loan amount = price - down payment - trade-in.

Trade-in value

Reduces loan amount and taxable amount in states with full trade-in credit.

APR (%)

Loan term (months)

State

Used for sales tax, insurance defaults, and registration estimates.

Include average local tax rate

Annual miles driven

Fuel economy (MPG)

Fuel price ($/gallon)

Annual insurance cost (optional)

Leave blank to use state average. Full-coverage estimate.

Annual maintenance cost (optional)

Leave blank for age-based defaults. First year: ~$500, increasing with age.

Years to analyze

$0

Estimated total cost of ownership

What's included

Sales tax — State and optional local rate, with trade-in credit where rules are verified as a full credit.
Financing — Standard amortization formula. Interest paid over the loan term.
Depreciation — 15% annual exponential decay model. Your vehicle's largest hidden cost.
Fuel — Based on annual miles, MPG, and fuel price per gallon.
Insurance — State average full-coverage estimates. Override with your own quote.
Maintenance — Age-based defaults (AAA/RepairPal data). Override with your own estimate.
Registration — State average annual DMV fees.

All results are estimates. Actual costs depend on vehicle make, model, condition, driving habits, location, and market conditions. Confirm important amounts with your dealer, insurer, and state DMV.