True Cost of Owning Your Car

Break down the complete costs of car ownership including depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, tax, MOT, and parking. See how different fuel types, engine sizes, and driving patterns affect your budget.

⏱️ 3-5 minutes • 💪 Short

Updated January 2026

How This Tool Works

📋 Purpose

Understanding the true cost of car ownership helps you make informed decisions about vehicle purchases and budgeting. This tool breaks down all expenses including depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, tax, MOT, and parking to show the complete financial picture.

⚙️ How It Works

  1. 1
    Optional: enter your UK registration to pull DVLA data (fuel type, engine size, age, tax) automatically
  2. 2
    Enter your UK postcode to set your region so insurance and fuel assumptions stay UK-accurate
  3. 3
    Set your annual mileage with the slider (0–50,000 miles; 12,000 is a typical UK average)
  4. 4
    Review fuel type and engine size (EVs lock to N/A); adjust car age for realistic depreciation
  5. 5
    Add optional overrides for monthly insurance or parking if you want to use your own figures
  6. 6
    Press "Calculate Costs" to see the personalized breakdown, benchmarks, scenarios, and EV comparison

True Cost of Owning Your Car

Calculate the real cost of car ownership including depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and more

Your Details

Enter your car information

Enter your UK registration number for accurate tax and vehicle details

Optional: Override Estimates

£
£

Ready to Calculate

Fill in your details and click "Calculate Costs" to see your personalized report

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