What a Car Really Costs
Gas, insurance and repairs add to the price on the sticker.
The idea
The price on the windshield is only the start of what a car costs. You also pay for fuel or charging, insurance, registration, repairs, tires and sometimes parking, and those costs come back every single year. Cars usually lose value as they get older, which is called depreciation. Adding up a full year of costs before you buy tells you what you can truly afford, instead of just what you can afford on day one. 🚗
Words to know
- Sticker price
- The price on the car itself, before any other costs.
- Insurance
- A payment you make so a company helps pay if the car is damaged.
- Depreciation
- How much value something loses as it gets older.
- Maintenance
- Regular care like oil changes and new tires.
- Registration
- A fee that keeps the car legal to drive.
Try it — no account needed
Swipe true or false about what cars cost.
The sticker price is the only thing a car ever costs you.
In the full lesson
- 1True or false
- 2Work out the number
- 3Make the call
Vine has 107 lessons like this one, each written three ways so a 7-year-old and a 17-year-old both get a version that fits.
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