The Cost of Driving Assignment

Students please answer the following questions to figure out the real cost of driving.  You can either figure it out with your own calculator or go to this site and do it on a calculator on the Toyota Driver Education Site: http://toyotateendriver.discoveryeducation.com/students.cfm#calculator

Running and maintaining your car – what does it cost?

• Monthly car payment:
• Monthly auto insurance:
• Cost of a gallon of gas:
• Number of gallons it takes to fill the tank:
• Average number of miles per gallon auto gets:
• How many miles per month are expected to be driven:
• Number of times you fill up each month:

Financial Management – Budgeting Sheet/Calculator

Wouldn’t it be cool to own your own car? Sure it would. If you’re lucky enough to
receive a car, you will need to be responsible enough to manage some or all of
the expenses. Even if you don’t have your own car, you should expect to help out
with the expenses and maintenance of the car you’ll be allowed to drive.
Driving can be much more costly than just fuel and monthly payments.

There are many other factors that can contribute to the cost of driving.
If you have a job, do you know how much you bring home each month? If not,
use this as an example –
 20 hrs a week @ $7.25 = $580 per month gross
 After taxes = $435 per month

Car maintenance and payments are a big responsibility for anyone. Use the
example below to fill out your own budgeting spreadsheet to help you get started.

What does it cost and how much (what percentage) will you be responsible for?

Indicate dollar amount and percentage of cost, if applicable and learn the cost
realities of driving a car.

The Cost of Driving

The Car:

*Please note that this does not include taxes incurred with the monthly payment.
Cost of automobile __________
Down payment __________
Amount financed __________
Interest rate (%) __________
Loan Term __________
(e.g. 24, 36, 48, 60, or 72 months)
Total monthly payment __________
The Upkeep:

Cost of fuel __________per month
Maintenance such as oil/filter changes __________per month
State vehicle taxes & fees __________per month
Total estimated upkeep __________per month
Calculate total expenses __________/month

The Insurance:
How insurance works – you will pay a monthly, bi-annual or annual premium
based on a number of factors, including:
 Your age
 How long you have been driving
 Where you live
 Your driving record
 Whether you are male or female
 Whether or not you are in school
 Your grades
 What kind of car you drive (make, model and value)
 Age of your car
 Your car’s equipment, which may include the engine horsepower, special
“high performance” equipment such as turbochargers (which can drive up
your rates), and safety features such as ABS, airbags, etc.

The average insurance premium for a teen is $2,400 per year, or $200 a month.

If you get into a crash or receive a speeding ticket or other moving violation, you
have to pay a deductible (e.g. $500) and your premium could go as high as
$4,000 to $5,000 a year.

And if you’re in a serious crash your rates will really soar and your policy could even be canceled.
Total insurance premium __________/month
Now that you’ve added up the cost and maintenance of your car, plus the
monthly insurance premium, what is the real cost of driving per month?

Calculate: What is the real cost of driving? __________________