We took a wrong turn and spent hours in the West Virginia mountains and we were worried that we were putting too much stress on our new van! If you are planning a trip and wondering if it makes more sense to rent? Here is a handy chart to give you some numbers to help you decide.
Wear and tear is also called cost of ownership and it is calculated by dividing the total cost of maintaining your car for a year by the number of miles driven per year. It gives an overall picture of driving a mile in your car. It considers depreciation, scheduled maintenance and repairs.
Most wear and tear numbers are calculated based on this brochure published by AAA. It gives each vehicle type an average miles driven in a year. Use the chart to find a general number, then look at your average miles per year to make the number specific to you.
How much does it cost to drive my car?
These are average numbers based on a 3 year old car. Please consider the following when calculating your own cost per mile:
- Age of Vehicle
- Mileage on Vehicle
- Previous Maintenance Record
- Significant Repairs Previously Performed
| Make | Modle | Average Miles per year | Average Maintenance & Repairs in Year 3 of Ownership | Annual Depreciation in Year 3 | Total Cost Per Mile |
| Ford | F-150 | 15,000 | $2,300 | $1,719 | $0.26 per mile |
| Explorer | 15,000 | $ 2,919 | $ 2,449 | $ 0.35 per mile | |
| Jeep | Wrangler | 15,000 | $ 2,862 | $ 2,393 | $ 0.35 |
| Grand Cherokee | 15,000 | $ 3,558 | $ 5,991 | $ 0.63 | |
| Toyota | Rav 4 | 15,000 | $ 2,203 | $ 2,018 | $ 0.28 |
| Camry | 15,000 | $ 2,244 | $ 2,081 | $ 0.28 | |
| Tacoma | 15,000 | $ 2,237 | $ 1,436 | $ 0.24 | |
| Corolla | 15,000 | $ 1,907 | $1,278 | $ 0.21 | |
| Honda | CRV | 15,000 | $ 2,397 | $ 2,196 | $ 0.30 |
| Civic | 15,000 | $ 2,239 | $ 1,921 | $ 0.27 | |
| Accord | 15,000 | $ 2,346 | $ 2,374 | $ 0.31 | |
| Chevy | Silverado | 15,000 | $ 2,377 | $ 2,935 | $ 0.35 |
| Equinox | 15,000 | $ 2,363 | $ 1,676 | $ 0.27 | |
| Malibu | 15,000 | $ 2,142 | $ 1,667 | $ 0.25 | |
| Nissan | Rogue | 15,000 | $ 2,648 | $ 1,800 | $ 0.29 |
| Ram | 1500 | 15,000 | $ 2,208 | $ 2,368 | $ 0.30 |
| 2500 | 15,000 | $ 3,013 | $ 2,896 | $ 0.39 | |
| GMC | Sierra | 15,000 | $ 2,227 | $ 3,001 | $ 0.35 |
| Subaru | Legacy | 15,000 | $ 2,006 | $ 1,529 | $ 0.23 |
You can use this database to find the cost of ownership for your exact car, exact model and exact age. This table is based of a standard style of a 2019 model of each vehicle.
These numbers are the approximate cost of driving your car per mile. You can use these numbers to help you decide if you should rent a car for your road trip.
Fewer miles on your car means fewer repairs and slightly less depreciation.
What does cost of ownership mean?
Cost of ownership is the total cost of owning a vehicle over the course of all the years that you own it. It includes purchase price, maintenance, insurance, repairs, taxes, and fuel costs. Cost of ownership gives a buyer a better picture of what life will be like in their new vehicle.
Cost of ownership can be calculated by adding up all the money you have spent on your car and dividing it by the number of years you have owned the car.
All the costs of car ownership are variable based on the make and model of your car. Fuel economy, local tax laws and insurance rates can vary widely from car to car, so these numbers should be considered when you are thinking about buying a car.
Most people are surprised when they do the real cost of ownership calculations.
This calculator will give you all the information you need, and this worksheet, designed for teens, are a great place to start getting it all on paper.
Does driving my car on a road trip decrease its value?
A car with higher mileage is worth less than the same car with fewer miles. When selling a used car in a private sale you can use maintenance records to help negate the negative effects of high mileage on resale value.
The other consideration is the possibility of cosmetic damage on a long road trip.
If you are driving you car more, you are more likely to get a ding or a dent from an unorganized parking lot or a pole that jumped in front of your car.
Major damage that results in major repairs also decrease the resale value in a private sale and in a trade in.
The cost of driving your own car is higher than you may have originally thought.
Will it be cheaper to drive my own car or rent for a road trip?
When deciding if you want to rent a car or drive your own, consider:
- Your car’s cost per mile (as calculated above)
- Your car’s miles per gallon
- The cost of tire replacement
- The cost of a rental
You may be surprised to find that it is often cheaper to rent than to drive your own car!
This calculator here was impressively thorough and has links to a wealth of great cost calculating tools for your road trip decision making.
When asked, a bunch of families say they prefer to rent for the comfort of a larger vehicle.
I found this challenging to my frugal mind! When you break it down it makes sense!
If you choose to own a minivan for its superior gas mileage and rent the Ford Transit for your road trip, there is no doubt that you are saving money overall on gas in a year. It would be thousands of dollars saved.
This was mind blowing for me.
We chose to get a big ol Chevy so we would have room for plenty of cargo for adventures, but that thing gets pretty low gas mileage.
If we had chosen to upgrade to a very nice minivan, we would have been able to benefit from those higher miles per gallon, and still rent a big van for family trips.
Of course if you travel frequently, I’d say monthly, you may end up saving money by owning the larger vehicle.
Should I rent a car for a road trip if my car is unreliable?
If you have a car that you are worried will not survive a long drive:
Have a mechanic check it out
You may be driving that old beater because you have a tight budget, but getting it checked out might give you surprising peace of mind.
We had a van for a long time that ran really rough. It sounded AWFUL. We felt like we couldn’t even give it away in good conscience. We were sure it would break down at any moment.
When we discovered that the issue was a chronically misfiring cylinder, we felt much more confident driving that car all over the country. Two years later we junked the van after it started overheating and got hit by a rock and the window shattered! The misfiring cylinder never caused a fatal problem.
Many experienced road trip families spend the extra money on all additional maintenance, because in the long run, it is worth it.
On the other hand, if you take an unreliable vehicle on a long road trip, you may have to walk home.
There is the possibility of your car dying while on the road and you will be forced to find another way home. This will almost definitely end up costing more than renting.
Delay the trip and save up for a rental. This will keep whatever life is in your car, in your car.
Is a road trip worth the wear and tear on my car?
Unless your car is very new, very poor on gas mileage or nearing the end of its life, than you will likely save money by driving your own car on a road trip. The wear and tear on your car will not decrease the value significantly if you keep up with regular maintenance. There are times when the risk outweighs the cost savings, and you need to know where to draw the line.
If your road trip involves lots of night driving, or holiday driving when accidents are more common, you may end up with damage to your vehicle.
If your trip involves lots of off road adventures, you may end up needing a tow and some repairs.
These situations might warrant a rental.
If your car gets poor gas mileage, a rental could save you hundreds. Also, creating the table above showed me that some cars cost quite a bit per mile!
Whatever you choose, enjoy your trip guys!
