It's not just the price of gas. Everything about driving a car is getting more expensive.
The AP reports, "Travel agency AAA estimates that the average cost of owning and operating a car in 2008 will be $8,121, up from $7,823 last year." Gasoline still makes up about 30 percent of the cost of owning a car, by most estimates. Depreciation and insurance come in next, and many are taking astonishing hits on depreciation, especially owners of SUVs. In addition, "the prices for maintenance and repairs, which combined account for less than 10 percent of an automobile's costs, are creeping up." Repair shops report that "many customers are opting for the most basic repairs, trying to buy time and save for more expensive work." Jiffy Lube, the oil-change giant, has reported a drop in customers.
When we do have work done on our cars, we're trying to negotiate lower prices. Delaware's News-Journal reports, "According to BIGresearch, some have even learned a new shopping skill -- half of Americans surveyed said they have begun haggling over such things as auto repair, appliances and electronics."
Even parking is getting more expensive. San Francisco ABC-affiliate KGO-TV reports, "An annual survey by real estate services provider Collier's International found that daily parking rates rose in 2007 for the fourth straight year, a trend the company expects to continue in 2008."
The Los Angeles Times says the trend in delaying maintenance and repairs "worries safety experts, who warn that failing to do regular maintenance can be hazardous. Engine belts and hoses, for example, last longer than they did 30 years ago. But they also don't show wear as readily, meaning they should be checked regularly by a trained mechanic, said David Skaien, an auto repair expert with the Automobile Club of Southern California."
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