2012 cost of operating a motor vehicle

The just released 2012 Your Driving Costs survey, conducted by the American Automobile Association, estimated the cost of owning and operating a new midsize sedan at 59.6 cents per mile - equating to an average of $8,946 in yearly costs, based upon 15,000 miles of annual driving.


Cost: Based on Driving 15,000 miles annually

	Small Sedan	Medium Sedan	Large Sedan	Sedan Average	SUV 4WD	Minivan
Cost Per Mile	44.9 cents	58.5 cents	75.5 cents	59.6 cents	75.7 cents	63.4 cents
Cost Per Year	$6,735	$8,780	$11,324	$8,946	$11,360	$9,504

That puts WMATA's raising subway fares in perspective. See "Metro Board approves fare hikes" from the Washington Post.  The base fare will rise from $1.95 to $2.10, with the maximum being $5.75 one way.   Even at $12/day for 220 days of commuting, the cost is "only" $2,640.