§ Calculator · Housing

True cost of car ownership

What this is

What it really costs to own a car over 5-10 years

The sticker price hides four ongoing costs that add up to more than the car itself: insurance, fuel, maintenance, and depreciation. Pick a tier below to see realistic Canadian estimates.

·Standard ($25-40k) — Civic / Corolla / Mazda 3. Cheap to insure, cheap to fuel, low depreciation.
·Premium ($40-60k) — BMW 3 / Audi A4 / Acura TLX. Premium fuel + higher service rates.
·Luxury ($60-100k) — BMW 5 / Mercedes E / Lexus LS / Porsche Macan. Insurance + service jump steeply.
·Ultra luxury ($100k+) — Porsche 911 / Mercedes S / Range Rover / Lambo. Specialized parts; expect $5k+ maintenance years.
·Depreciation is the biggest hidden cost — most cars lose 15-25% of value PER YEAR, front-loaded.

Pick a tier

e.g. Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Hyundai Elantra

Override the defaults if you want

Purchase price (CAD)Insurance / yrFuel / moMaintenance / yrDepreciation %/yr

Down paymentLoan rate

Loan term (years)Years owned

Monthly breakdown

Loan payment

$475

Insurance

$125

Fuel

$150

Maintenance

$67

Monthly TOTAL

$817

Spent over 7y

$57,214

Residual value

$9,617

Net cost over 7y

$47,596

Educational projection. Not financial advice. Urban driving / cold-climate / sport models push insurance + maintenance higher. Used cars typically beat new on this calc — you let someone else absorb year-1 depreciation.