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by isostatic 3019 days ago
Kids is a big thing -- needing specific car seats means taxis are out until your kids are 12.

That said the average car costs $34k in the US and lasts say 10 years, that's $3,400 a year. Maintenence, taxes, etc another $1500 at least, that's $5k/yr before you move an inch.

While automatic cars may not get rid of everything, many 2 or 3 car families, especially in the suburbs, may drop to 1.
2 comments
ghaff 3019 days ago
Your last point is certainly true. Even today, I know people who would have been stereotypical two-car households who now get by with one car + Uber/Lyft/Zipcar/etc. The various services available today definitely make a difference at the margin of one car vs. two cars or barely need to own a car.
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Spooky23 3019 days ago
Normal car expenses are around $0.55/mile for an average car. The average joe pays about $8,000-$8,500 annually for all car related expenses. Some pay more for fancy stuff or utility.

That's why suburbs exist. Financially, it's a much better deal for families on just about any axis.

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isostatic 3019 days ago
With an average 13-15k miles a year, at 20-30mpg that's about 400-750 gallons a year, or $1000-$2000 a year in gas, leaving the vast majority of expense in deprecation and maintenence.
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ghaff 3019 days ago
>leaving the vast majority of expense in deprecation and maintenence.

Depending on the car, gas is probably between about 20% and a third of a car's operating costs (which are typically in the 30 cent to 60 cent per mile range). Although there are a few vehicle costs, like excise taxes, that are more or less independent of distance driven, most car expenses will scale with mileage--especially in regions where rust isn't a major issue.

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Spooky23 3019 days ago
Just for commuting my options are:

- Uber/Lyft would cost about $5k/year for me, and I live about 4 miles from work.

- Bus $360/year, but it would take 60-90 minutes vs 10 via car.

- Cab $7k/year

By the time you add grocery trips, recreational drives, vacations, etc cars make a shit-ton of sense. Not only does a car save money, but it saves time and provides flexibility. There's a reason our entire society is organized around cars.

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