What does your car
really cost per year?

Depreciation uses the same rule-of-thumb curve as our depreciation calculator — it's usually the single biggest cost of owning a car, and the one people forget to count since it's invisible on a bank statement.

Loan interest is the extra you pay beyond the car's price for financing it — separate from the principal, which isn't really a "cost" since it converts to equity.

This total is what actually matters when comparing cars — a cheaper purchase price can still be the more expensive car to own if it depreciates fast or costs more to insure and maintain.