4 ms·

Wow, car costs per mile are extremely cheap in the United State, if $.30-.40/mile is typical. The government estimate in Finland is about $.90/mile, and almost

by nawitus 12y ago

Wow, car costs per mile are extremely cheap in the United State, if $.30-.40/mile is typical. The government estimate in Finland is about $.90/mile, and almost nobody has it that cheap. If I recall correctly, I calculated my own costs at around $1/mile, and I drive a 14-year-old car which requires very little maintenance.

bane 12y ago
As of 2014, the allowable tax deduction for business reimbursements for personal vehicle usage is $.56 per mile, which is supposed to cover gas and wear and tear on your personal vehicle. Finland: according to Numbeo [1] fuel runs around 1.66 Euro per liter. In the U.S. it's $.96 per liter (or .73 Euro). I'm guessing there's probably some kind of auto tax in Finland which appears to be fairly expensive. I've heard it's ~20% of the current cost of the car per year, but I can't figure out the tax code from looking on-line. In the U.S. it's complicated, but in places that have a personal property tax, it's usually pretty low. I think the tax on my car is something like $250/year. Wear and tear can cost a lot as well. I live in a pretty weather prone part of the U.S., but I'm guessing it's nothing like the typical Finnish winter. 1 - http://www.numbeo.com/gas-prices/ http://www.numbeo.com/gas-prices/
- nawitus 12y ago
  There's "usage tax" which is something like $200 - $400 per year. If the car is a diesel, it's significantly higher (but diesel is taxed at a lower rate). Diesel cars are cheaper only if you drive a certain amount of kilometers per year. There's also the 'car tax' you pay when you buy a new car, which is rather high. A $31k car in the United States is about $48k in Finland. Winter does increase car ownership. Cars rust more, and you also need two sets of tires (and winter tires tend to wear out faster than summer tires).
bergie 12y ago
That still makes car surprisingly expensive when compared to motorcycles. When I recently sold my 14 year old motorcycle (also in Finland), I calculated the TCO at 30 Euro cents per kilometer. Of course, the fact that a lot of the driving had been in east Europe, Russia, etc. is a factor in fuel costs. Then again, the motorcycles are generally usable only for 5-6 months of a year in Finland.

by nawitus 12y ago

bane 12y ago

As of 2014, the allowable tax deduction for business reimbursements for personal vehicle usage is $.56 per mile, which is supposed to cover gas and wear and tear on your personal vehicle. Finland: according to Numbeo [1] fuel runs around 1.66 Euro per liter. In the U.S. it's $.96 per liter (or .73 Euro). I'm guessing there's probably some kind of auto tax in Finland which appears to be fairly expensive. I've heard it's ~20% of the current cost of the car per year, but I can't figure out the tax code from looking on-line. In the U.S. it's complicated, but in places that have a personal property tax, it's usually pretty low. I think the tax on my car is something like $250/year. Wear and tear can cost a lot as well. I live in a pretty weather prone part of the U.S., but I'm guessing it's nothing like the typical Finnish winter. 1 - http://www.numbeo.com/gas-prices/ http://www.numbeo.com/gas-prices/

nawitus 12y ago
There's "usage tax" which is something like $200 - $400 per year. If the car is a diesel, it's significantly higher (but diesel is taxed at a lower rate). Diesel cars are cheaper only if you drive a certain amount of kilometers per year. There's also the 'car tax' you pay when you buy a new car, which is rather high. A $31k car in the United States is about $48k in Finland. Winter does increase car ownership. Cars rust more, and you also need two sets of tires (and winter tires tend to wear out faster than summer tires).

bergie 12y ago

That still makes car surprisingly expensive when compared to motorcycles. When I recently sold my 14 year old motorcycle (also in Finland), I calculated the TCO at 30 Euro cents per kilometer. Of course, the fact that a lot of the driving had been in east Europe, Russia, etc. is a factor in fuel costs. Then again, the motorcycles are generally usable only for 5-6 months of a year in Finland.