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The payment is the small part.

Depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and interest decide what a car really costs you. These calculators put every one of them on the table — in seconds, no spreadsheet.

Open the True Cost to Own Calculator →

Tools

True Cost to Own CalculatorThe real 5-year cost of a car — depreciation, fuel, insurance, maintenance, and financing in one number.
Auto Loan CalculatorMonthly payment, total interest, and payoff — plus what a longer term really costs you.
Lease vs Buy CalculatorCompare leasing against financing over the same period — including the equity you keep when you buy.
EV vs Gas Savings CalculatorFuel and maintenance savings from going electric — and how long it takes to offset a higher sticker price.
Car Affordability CalculatorHow much car your income actually supports, using the 20/4/10 rule — not what a dealer will approve you for.

Cost to own a car by state

Insurance swings by more than 3x between states, and the tax you pay at purchase varies just as much. See what your state adds — and open the calculator pre-filled.

Why the sticker price misleads everyone

Two cars with the same price can differ by thousands a year once you account for what actually drains your wallet. The largest cost is usually depreciation — the value the car quietly loses while you own it — and you never write a check for it, so it never feels like spending. Add insurance that varies by thousands between models, fuel economy that compounds over 12,000 miles a year, and interest on a loan stretched to 72 months to make the payment look affordable, and the "cheaper" car frequently isn't.

Dealers quote monthly payments because a payment can be made to look like almost anything by extending the term. These tools work the other direction: total cost first, payment second.