It totally depends on context. If you live in/near a city you'll likely see the burden they can be. What's worse is most cities don't have great public transi

It totally depends on context. If you live in/near a city you'll likely see the burden they can be. What's worse is most cities don't have great public transit alternatives. I used to drive into SF occasionally and wish I could ditch my car outside the city. Hotels charge $30-50/night when I rarely need it while I'm visiting. In/near a city you learn to inquire about parking before you leave, because it may not be an option when you pull up. Twice in the last six months I've gotten my car stuck in a garage overnight. The first time I missed the closing time the second I lost my ticket and there was no attendant on duty after hours. There are a lot of externalities that aren't obvious. Only a fraction of the cost of road maintenance is included in the price of fuel. The rest comes out of general/other taxes. Fuel, even though it has a specific tax, is subsidized. Many ordinances require buildings to have a certain number of parking spots, occupying real estate that could be better used elsewhere. I remember hearing that a parking lot in many of cities is the highest value property. Then, of course, you have the more obvious burdens like car maintenance and traffic.