Driving....but at what cost.

There was an article over on nbcnews.com yesterday about the cost of driving.  Here are the numbers from the wrap up:

What are you likely to spend to own and operate other types of vehicles?

· Small sedans will average 46.4 cents a mile, or $6,967 for all of 2013.

· Midsize sedans jump to 61.0 cents a mile, or $9,151.

· Large sedans will average 75.0 cents a mile, or $11,248.

· An all-wheel drive SUV will cost 77.3 cents a mile, or $11,599.

· Minivans will average 65.3 cents a mile, or $9,795.

They don't give a nice clean spread sheet to show exactly how they calculate these numbers but here are a few costs that rose last year:

Insurance costs are expected to rise 2.76 percent, to an average $1,029 annually – although that can “vary widely vary widely by driver and driving record, issuing company and geographical region,” AAA says.

The biggest increase, according to the Your Driving Costs study: Maintenance and repairs, which are expected to jump by 11.26 percent from last year, to 4.97 cents a mile. Expect big increases in both parts and labor – and you’ll likely pay a lot more this year for extended warranty policies, as well.

Here's the comparable numbers from owning a bicycle.....

- Bicycle will average $309 a year based on the clearly outline spreadsheet below.  Or 10.3 cents a mile (if you rode 3000 miles/year).

I'm not saying this is a fully researched comparison.....In fact I think some of his replacement times could be lengthened to keep costs down even further.  Any which way you look at it, the bike wins this type of comparison hands down!