The Rising Costs of Owning a Car

It’s getting more expensive to own and operate a new car.

The average annual cost of ownership is up more than 13 percent from last year to more than $12,000, or just over $1,000 a month, according to the latest research from the automobile owners group AAA. Higher car prices and the surging costs of financing, insuring and maintaining a new car all contributed to the increase. The analysis also considered depreciation a cost even though it’s not paid out of pocket.

Where does that leave consumers who are already squeezed by rising gas prices, the higher costs for food and other goods, as well as increasing interest rates on their credit cards?

Drivers should consider their true needs and driving habits when choosing a vehicle, said Greg Brannon, director of automotive research for AAA. “It’s really up to your specific situation.”

The average cost per mile for a vehicle driven 15,000 miles a year is about 81 cents, AAA says. But it’s $1.06 for a popular half-ton pickup truck like a Chevrolet Silverado. If you need a truck only occasionally to haul mulch from the garden center, it might make sense to buy a smaller car — say, a compact sport utility vehicle like a Nissan Rogue — at about 67 cents per mile and rent a truck when you really need one.

“It’s very expensive to own a pickup that you only use as a pickup once or twice a year,” Mr. Brannon said.

The cheapest option is a small sedan, at about 60 cents a mile, AAA found. For shoppers, however, it may be challenging to find lower-priced sedans on dealer lots, said Benjamin Preston, an automotive reporter at Consumer Reports. That’s because automakers have been emphasizing production of more profitable models, like big S.U.V.s and trucks with lots of extra features, he said.