The Real Cost of Owning a Car in NYC for One Year

I tracked every dollar I spent on the Cayenne for 12 months. Not estimates — actual charges from bank statements and receipts.

The 12-month itemized total

Loan payment ($855/mo): $10,260 Insurance ($380/mo): $4,560 Fuel — 14,200 miles at 15 MPG, $3.50/gal: $3,313 Porsche oil changes: $680 Brakes front and rear: $1,640 Tires (two replaced): $950 Battery replacement: $1,200 Parking garage, Queens: $2,100 Parking tickets: $480 Car wash: $420 Tolls: $1,260 Congestion pricing (half-year): $720 Miscellaneous repairs: $780 Depreciation ($9,500 in lost value): $9,500 Excluding depreciation: $24,664 Including depreciation: $34,164

The comparison that clarified everything

NYC MTA monthly unlimited MetroCard: $132. Rideshare supplemental: $200-300 a month. Total NYC transportation without a car: $432 a month maximum. I spent $2,055 a month owning the Cayenne excluding depreciation. The gap is $1,623 a month — $19,476 per year — that I paid for the option to occasionally drive somewhere inconvenient by subway.