Ride-Hailing Costs Twice as Much as Car Ownership, AAA Finds
The average cost to own and operate a vehicle is $7,321 for 10,841 miles per year not including parking charges, and $10,049 with parking charges.

AAA compared how much you will pay for ride-hailing services and owning a vehicle in 20 major U.S. cities.
Photo courtesy of Uber.
The cost of exclusively using ride-hailing services in an urban setting would cost about twice as much as owning a vehicle, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The average cost to own and operate a vehicle is $7,321 for 10,841 miles per year not including parking charges, and $10,049 with parking charges. Ride-hailing services cost $20,118 per year for the same distance. This equals more than twice the cost of owning a vehicle, even when factoring in additional costs of fuel, insurance, parking and the vehicle itself.
"Whether you own a vehicle or not, ride-hailing services are a convenient transportation option," said John Nielsen, managing director of automotive engineering and repair. "However, with the average American city-dweller driving nearly 11,000 miles per year, a personal vehicle is still the more cost-effective choice."
AAA compared the data of 20 major U.S. cities based on the average number of miles traveled drivers. Annual ride-hailing would cost $17,339 in Los Angeles, $21,397 in New York City, and $21,093 in Washington, D.C. Of the cities studied, Dallas ride-hailing had the lowest cost at $16,944, while Boston had the highest cost at $27,545.
Ride-hailing can work for those who travel a limited number of miles annually or have mobility issues that prevent them from driving a personal vehicle, Nielsen said.
Originally posted on Auto Rental News
More Operations

Fleet Has a Talent Pipeline Problem. What Comes Next? | AF News Recap
Where will fleet’s next generation of leaders come from? This week, we’re looking at the industry’s talent pipeline, what certification can add to a fleet career, how to build an award-worthy track record, and the return of Automotive Fleet’s Personal Use Survey.
Read More →
Smith System Launches Driver Risk Management Program
Fleets have more driver data than ever, but identifying risky behavior doesn't necessarily correct it. Smith System's new Driver Risk Management program combines monitoring, training, and follow-up coaching to help fleets connect risk signals with driver intervention.
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Less than two weeks left! Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
From AI Prompts to AI-Generated Safety Songs | AF News Recap
Can better prompts make AI more useful for fleet managers? This week, we’re breaking down smarter fleet analysis, an AI-assisted experiment that turned safety training into music, and what happened to fuel prices in August.
Read More →
How to Write Better AI Prompts for Fleet Analysis
Include these six elements in your fleet prompts to generate more relevant analysis and accurate answers.
Read More →
Fleet Meets: Eric Kilgore
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features one of the industry's best leaders driving multi-market and national operations.
Read More →
Why Reactive Fleet Management Is Becoming Too Expensive to Sustain
Research highlights a growing need for proactive management strategies to address rising costs in fleet operations effectively.
Read More →
What Your Fleet KPIs Aren’t Telling You
Tracking fleet metrics is only useful when the data leads to better decisions. This guide helps fleet leaders assess cost, utilization, and downtime more accurately, identify performance gaps, and prioritize the actions that can improve operational results.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
Turning Fleet Payment Data into Executive Insights
Does data alone drive results in operations?
Read More →