[Fat Charlie]

In direct costs attributable to the car I'm under $0.14 cents per mile.

My fuel log here shows $0.13 per mile in fuel. Every few thousand miles I blow $14 ($9.56 if I hypermile the filter) for an oil change. Last year I needed a $30 headlight switch. Three years ago I spent $39 on a wastegate control solenoid but haven't had it put in- the mere threat of replacement keeps the original in line. A front brake job went up to $500 because I needed both front calipers, but those three fixes still add less than 0.3 cents per mile and the oil changes less than half a cent. Tires are consumables and have their own cost per mile. I've got slightly oversized LRRs to help the car's numbers, but a Fuel Max is going to last as long as it's going to last no matter what you put it on, as will a Wal-Mart special. Brakes? I've got a manual transmission. I've replaced the fronts three times and the rears probably once. Like the tires, they need replacing as often as you want them to.

Taxes, insurance and other fees I don't count because they're fixed costs of ownership and stay the same if I do a million miles a year or just park it. Unless you have something outrageous that insurance companies hate and needs parts that are hard to come by, these costs are just part of owning any car at all. You can spend more on really good insurance or you can spend more for leather seats and a great stereo- those are costs you choose to pay no matter how much you're driving. And once you've paid for the stereo, it's free!