Driving Costs Up .5 Cent in Second Quarter, AAA Says
9 July 1999
Driving Costs Up .5 Cent in Second Quarter, AAA Says
ORLANDO, Fla.--July 8, 1999--Higher second-quarter gas prices have pushed up the cost of owning and operating a new car by .5 cent in the second quarter, according to AAA.Motorists now spend an average of 47.5 cents per mile in vehicle-related expenses. The increase brings the average annual expenditure up $75 since last quarter to $7,125, based on 15,000 miles of driving.
The price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline has increased 18.2 cents since it averaged 96 cents per gallon in February, a 10-year low.
AAA's study of driving costs is based on computations made by Runzheimer International of Rochester, Wis. The management consulting firm specializes in transportation, travel and living costs.
The average per-mile cost is determined by combining operating and fixed costs.
During the second quarter of this year, motorists spent an average of 11.2 cents per mile on operating costs such as gasoline, oil, tires and maintenance, up .6 cent since the first quarter.
Fixed costs, such as insurance, depreciation, registration taxes and financing, averaged $14.93 per day, down 3 cents since the first quarter.
AAA's cost estimates are based on a composite national average of three domestically built 1999 cars: a compact Chevrolet Cavalier LS, a mid-size Ford Taurus SE and a full-size Mercury Grand Marquis GS.
New England was the most expensive region to own and operate a car, with total costs of 49 cents per mile. The Midwest had the lowest cost, at 45.4 cents per mile.
Other regional costs were: Mid-Atlantic, 48.7 cents; West, 48.9; Southwest, 47.4; Great Lakes, 47; and Southeast, 45.8.
AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 90 clubs with 1,100 offices providing nearly 42 million members in the United States and Canada with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services.
AAA - YOUR DRIVING COSTS
1999 SECOND QUARTER UPDATE
REGION OPERATING COSTS FIXED COSTS TOTAL COSTS
PER MILE PER DAY PER MILE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW ENGLAND 11.05 cents $15.61 49.0 cents
-----------
CT,ME,MA,NH,
RI, VT
MID-ATLANTIC 10.95 cents $15.52 48.7 cents
------------
DE,MD,NJ,NY,PA
VA,WV
GREAT LAKES 10.95 cents $14.81 47.0 cents
-----------
IL,IN,MI,OH,WI
MIDWEST 10.55 cents $14.33 45.4 cents
-------
IA,KS,MN,MO,
NE,ND,SD
SOUTHEAST 10.60 cents $14.47 45.8 cents
---------------
AL,AR,FL,GA,KY,
LA,MS,NC,SC,TN
WEST 12.35 cents $15.04 48.9 cents
---------
AK,CA,CO,HI,ID,
MT,NV,OR,UT,WA,WY
SOUTHWEST 11.10 cents $14.90 47.4 cents
-----------
AZ,NM,OK,TX
----------------------------------------------------------------------
National
Average(a) 11.15 cents $14.93 47.5 cents
(a) Based on the composite average of a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier LS
4-cylinder, Ford Taurus SE 6-cylinder, Mercury Grand Marquis LS
8-cylinder, driven 15,000 miles-per-year under stop-and-go driving
conditions and retained in service for four years.
Prepared by Runzheimer International Rochester, Wisconsin
AAA news releases can be downloaded from http://www.aaa.com/news
