Cost of Owning and Operating Vehicle Increases

According to AAA, and their annual "Your Driving Costs" study, the cost to own and operate a vehicle (sedan) in the U.S. rose 1.9% last year. The average costs rose 1.1 cents per mile to 59.6 cents per mile, or $8,946 per year, based upon 15,000 miles of annual driving.

John Nielsen, AAA director of Automotive Engineering and Repair, said "the average driving cost for 2012 is up due to relatively large increase in fuel and tire costs, and more moderate increases in other areas. Those increases were offset by a decrease in depreciation resulting in an overall increase of 1.9%."

In-depth findings of this year's study, including a breakdown of specific costs by category of vehicle and various annual mileages, are contained in the "Your Driving Costs" brochure which is available at select local AAA branch offices or may be downloaded at AAA Newsroom.