How you can ease the pain of car ownership

General Motors now includes an “oil life monitoring system” on its vehicles; it’s currently on about 18 million of them. The system continuously monitors engine-operating conditions to determine when to change oil. Intervals usually range between 5,000 and 12,000 miles, depending on driving conditions and climate.

The traditional 3,000-mile oil-change interval espoused for decades is becoming obsolete. And at around $50 a pop, fewer oil changes each year means more money in the bank — or more money for gas.

Being smart about where your vehicle is serviced can also keep costs down.

“Independent repair shops are less expensive than dealers, so that’s something to consider,” says AAA’s Calkins. “You don’t have to have your car maintained at a dealer to maintain your warranty.”

Drivers should also be vigilant of unnecessary or premature maintenance. “You don’t have to change your wiper blades if they’re still successfully clearing the window,” Calkins says.

Online resources such as the new Web site RepairPal.com can help in assessing maintenance and service costs and in finding reputable shops with competitive rates.

AAA projects that maintenance costs for the three sedan classes (small, medium and large) will drop to 4.57 cents per mile this year, down from 4.9 cents per mile in 2007.

As fuel costs drive up ownership costs overall, non-fuel-related expenses are actually holding steady.

“In general, except for fuel and oil, automotive costs have stayed pretty competitive for an extended period of time,” says Steve Polzine, a director at the Center for Urban Transportation Research in Tampa, Fl.

Experts attribute this to increased competition among automakers, which keeps vehicle pricing and financing terms in check.

Full coverage auto insurance for sedans is projected to drop to $943 in 2008 from $985 in 2007, according to AAA. And annual depreciation expenses are expected to decline from $3,392 in 2007 to $3,321 in 2008.

“Cars are increasingly built better, so the depreciation losses are improving,” says AAA’s Calkins. “And insurance costs are down because cars are being built with improved theft protection.”

Two areas that AAA expects will experience slight increases are license, registration and taxes — rising to $554 per year from $538 in 2007— and finance charges — up to $758 per year from $733 in 2007.

“Rates are low right now, so if you can come down a point or two and have three or four years left on your loan, it might make sense to refinance,” Calkins says. “Car loans don’t have all the setup costs of a home loan, so any rate drop you can get is worth going for.”

For more tips on how to lower ownership costs, see the “slide show” link above.

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