AAA Puts Annual Vehicle Ownership Cost at $12,863 as EVs and Hybrids Enter Category Averages

The average cost to own and operate a new vehicle reached $12,863 a year, or $1,071.92 a month, according to AAA’s 2026 Your Driving Costs analysis released Sept. 15. The study retires the standalone hybrid and electric vehicle categories AAA used in prior editions and distributes those models into the body-style categories that previously held only gasoline vehicles.

AAA said methodology updates make this year’s result not directly comparable with the $11,577 annual figure the motor club reported in 2025. The 2026 analysis evaluated 34 top-selling models across seven vehicle categories, assuming five years and 75,000 miles of ownership;