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Pittsburgh less costly for cars By Joe Grata, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
When it comes to the cost of owning and operating a car in Pittsburgh, what you often hear is: Gripe. Gripe. Gripe. A research and consulting firm, Runzheimer International, says the cost totals $6,375 a year for a six-cylinder, four-door 1999 Ford Taurus with automatic transmission and other consumer goodies. Those who borrow to buy, which most people do, pay another $50 a month in average finance charges over a four-year period, an amount not included in Runzheimer’s analysis. While what you shell out for your "wheels" may be about as much money as your apartment rent or home mortgage, "consider yourself pretty fortunate if you live in Pittsburgh," said Doug Roy of Malvern, Chester County, a business development consultant for Runzheimer. If you lived in Philadelphia, you’d be paying about $1,100-a-year more to own and operate the same car, largely because of higher insurance rates brought about by car thefts and break-ins.
If you lived in King of Prussia, a Philadelphia suburb comparable to Monroeville, you’d be paying about $650 more, partly because of the above, partly because of high costs of living. "I’m not saying Pittsburgh is the cheapest anywhere in Pennsylvania, but it’s certainly cheaper than those two places," Roy said. When Runzheimer compares Pittsburgh nationally with the 14 other PG Benchmarks metro areas, Pittsburgh also struts its automotive stuff. Pittsburgh continues to rank third, behind Cincinnati and Portland, for the lowest total cost of owning and operating a car, based on 15,000 miles a year, and a four-year life cycle. When it comes to operating costs, however, we’re No. 1, as in No. 1 lowest ($1,613) for fuel, oil, tires and maintenance, even if we do gripe about higher gas taxes and increased motor vehicle registration fees. In No. 15, sunny San Diego, you would be paying $1,985 a year in annual operating costs, or about $1 a day more than in Pittsburgh.
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