Maintaining can cost more than you think

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Maintaining Can Cost More Than You Think
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Many people associate the cost of their car with
how much they have to pay when they buy it,
however, things such as the cost of maintaining
your car, insurance, and filling up your gas tank
add more to the cost of your vehicle than the
price tag suggests.
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Being aware of these "hidden" costs of your
vehicle can significantly help you choose the
right vehicle for you and your life style.
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The U.S. Department of Labor's recent research
report "Consumer Expenditures in 2013" shows that
the US average car owner pays roughly 9,000 a
year to own and maintain their vehicle.
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According to the Consumer Expenditures report,
of that 9,000, 3,300 goes to the purchase and
payments towards the vehicle, 2,400 is for
gasoline and oil, and 3,300 for insurance and
maintaining the vehicle.
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How to Reduce the Cost of Maintaining Your Car
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Research has shown that the average cost of
maintaining a small sedan is about 59.5 cents for
every mile that you travel in your vehicle.
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By comparison, the cost of maintaining a large
sedan averages 97.5 cents per mile, and at 38
cents more than the small sedan, can cost 3,800
more if you drive at least 10,000 miles a year.
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Maintaining Different Engines
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Keep in mind how much power you actually, and
honestly, need to have when choosing an engine.
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An eight cylinder engine may get your more
torque than a four cylinder engine but will
guzzle significantly more gas both while driving
and idling.
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With gas prices dropping pretty substantially
this year it may not seem like such an issue, but
the difference at the pump is still noticeable
regardless of the price of gas.
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Maintaining Your Car Can Be Easy
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One of the best ways to save on gas and the cost
of maintaining your vehicle is to avoid driving
it in the first place.
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Walking or riding a bicycle when you can is a
good way to not only save car money, but also
improve your health with daily exercise.
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Other alternatives include city buses, subways,
and car pooling with coworkers or friends.
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Just because you own a car doesn't mean you are
required to drive it everywhere you go.
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Treating your vehicle as commodity that it is
and not taking it for granted can make the true
cost of owning a car must less of a burden and
more of a luxury.