The average cost of owning and operating a car in 2012 was nearly $10,000 according to a study by AAA.

The AAA report indicates, on average, the cost of driving 15,000 miles a year increased 1.17 cents to 60.8 cents per mile, or approximately $9,122 per year. This equals an approximate 2% increase on the cost of operating a car in 2012.

The costs depend on the type and size of vehicle an person uses, as owners of small vehicles spend closer to $7,000 a year to own a small car in the U.S.

It costs approximately $11,600 to own a four-wheel drive SUV vehicle however according to AAA.

"As a vehicle gets older you tend to encounter more significant repair costs," said Michael Calkins, AAA's manager of technical services according to USA Today.

AAA studied five different cost categories which included fuel, insurance, and tires for its annual "Your Driving Costs" report.

The largest percentage increase the past year was in maintenance costs, which rose from 11.26 percent to 4.97 cents per mile for sedan owners. The average costs in every category have been lower for small vehicles, but higher for bigger ones according to AAA.  

"People are keeping cars longer," Calkins said according USA Today. "Extended warranties are seeing a bit of an increase in claims. That's where the costs have gone up."

Fuel costs increased 1.93 percent to 14.45 cents per mile for the average sedan driver. The average cost of regular has increased 3.84 percent increased 3.84 percent to $3.49 per gallon.

Tire costs didn't change from last year according to AAA.

"The length of time people keep cars has been going up for the past several years, since the real estate crash," he says. "The average age of the vehicle on the road now is 11.1 years. It's not just for financial reasons that people are keeping cars long. The quality of the cars is also improving."

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