Very interesting stats...  I'd love to calculate my cost/mile on my
vehicles, but being as disorganized as I am, I only have ballpark
figures.  I ran a quick calculation, it turns out the Audi 5000 was
the cheapest of them all. (Guess what was next?)

85 audi 5000:

purchase cost:                       $4,500.00
4yrs. maint./rep:                    $2,500.00
4yrs. ins.+tax                       $2,700.00
gasoline for 103,000 miles           $4,500.00

so, for 103,000 miles, the Audi 5000 cost me $0.14/mile
(I retired the Audi at ~175,000 miles)

85 Renault Encore
 
purchase cost (new):                 $6,300.00 
5yrs. maint./rep:                    $1,500.00 
5yrs. ins.+tax                       $3,500.00 
gasoline for 94,000 miles            $3,100.00 
 
so, for 94,000 miles, the Renault Encore cost me $0.15 /mile 
(It was totaled when someone locked their brakes and hit me on a rainy
day) 

And now, (drum roll, please...)

 
82 Diesel Westy:
 
purchase cost in 87, with 36,500 miles:                 $7,500.00
8yrs. maint./rep:					$3,600.00 
8yrs. ins.+tax                                          $3,400.00 
diesel for 74,000 miles                                 $3,700.00 
 
so, for 74,000 miles, the Diesel Westy cost me $0.25 /mile 
(this is also a little unfair on the diesel westy, since it does not
take into account the fact that the Diesel Westy is still worth
something. assuming that it is worth $2,000, the cost/mile is $0.22,
and assuming that it is only worth $1,000, then the cost/mile is
$0.23 / mile -- one more thing: as it turns out, the vehicle was
relatively trouble-free , but the cost of regular maintenance was
high  -- $200.00 every 15,000 miles for valve adjustment! -- maybe
I'll sit down and start doing that myself now...)

It has been worth every penny!!!!
(I'm quite sure I did not miss anything -- why does it look like my
numbers on the  Audi and the Renault Encore are so good? The Diesel westy
numbers look reasonable, I guess).

Joel Walker writes:
 > On Mon, 4 Dec 1995 12:26:00 -0600 you said:
 > >My cost came out to pennies shy of $165.00 per month for 156 months
 > >of ownership and at a cost of $.2246 per mile.  This cost does not
 > >gasoline or insurance.  I guess gas and insurance would add about 10
 > >cents per mile or less.
 > 
 > the cost/month seems a bit high to me, if that includes ONLY maintenance
 > items. but a few high-ticket items (like several sets of tires, shocks,
 > or a tranny/engine rebuilt) can really upset that figure. i think the
 > national average (for ALL costs: insurance, depreciation, gasoline, oil,
 > tag and everything) is about $0.32/mile. which is waaay up from 10 years
 > ago.
 > 
 > my 88 bus costs are grossly as follows: (for 100,000 miles)
 > gasoline..............  $5,000.00
 > repairs ..............   4,600.00
 > maintenance ..........   3,000.00  (oil, filters, etc.)
 > insurance ............   4,200.00
 > tag/tax ..............     500.00
 >       total .......... $17,300.00  or $0.173/mile
 > 
 > now, if you get picky, you have to figure the "cost" of the depreciation of
 > the car:
 > original cost ......... $20,000.00 <cause i bought it new>
 > current resale value ..  -6,000.00
 >   depr ciation "cost".. $14,000.00
 > 
 > so the real "cost" would be 17,300+14,000 = 31,300/100,000 = $0.313/mile
 > 
 > so, even with all the money that i've spent on the bus, i still come out
 > pretty much the average cost/mile. i think. :)
 > 
 > joel