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Compare Two Cars Side by Side
The DriveCost car comparison tool lets you evaluate any two vehicles on the metrics that matter most: fuel economy, EV charging expense, routine maintenance, tires, residual depreciation, and total 5-year cost of ownership. Select any two vehicles below or browse popular head-to-head comparisons.
Popular Head-to-Head Vehicle Comparisons
Explore detailed cost breakdowns for highly queried vehicle matchups.
2019 Toyota RAV4 vs 2019 Honda CR-V
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2019 Toyota Camry vs 2019 Honda Accord
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2022 Toyota Camry vs 2022 Honda Accord
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2022 Tesla Model 3 vs 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2022 Toyota RAV4 vs 2023 Honda CR-V
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2019 Ford F-150 vs 2019 Ram 1500
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2019 Toyota Prius vs 2022 Tesla Model 3
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs 2022 Kia EV6
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E vs 2021 Volkswagen ID.4
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
2019 Subaru Outback vs 2019 Subaru Forester
Operating costs, fuel economy, and 5-year ownership compared side-by-side.
How to Accurately Compare Two Cars on Financial Merit
Comparing two vehicles involves more than evaluating window sticker prices. To determine which car is genuinely more economical, evaluate these key dimensions:
- Per-Mile Operating Cost (CPM): The cleanest metric for comparing running efficiency. Combines fuel/electricity, maintenance, and tires into cents per mile.
- 5-Year Ownership Total (TCO): Incorporates residual value depreciation alongside operating costs over a 60-month timeframe.
- Break-Even Timeline: If Vehicle A costs $4,000 more upfront but saves $1,000 per year in fuel, you break even in 4.0 years.
- Sensitivity Analysis: Test how your winner shifts under different gas prices ($3/gal vs $5/gal) or annual distances (10,000 vs 25,000 miles).
Vehicle Comparison FAQs
DriveCost multiplies your estimated annual gallons by the gasoline price you enter (or the national average). Estimated gallons = annual miles ÷ weighted MPG, where weighted MPG blends the EPA city and highway ratings using your city/highway driving split.
EPA ratings come from standardized lab tests at fueleconomy.gov. They are useful for comparing vehicles, but real-world economy varies with weather, traffic, speed, terrain, vehicle condition and driving style. DriveCost labels them "EPA-rated" and treats them as estimates.
Cost per mile = total annual operating costs ÷ annual miles. Operating costs include fuel or electricity, maintenance, tires and other recurring costs you enter. It excludes the one-time purchase price and depreciation.
Five-year energy cost is the annual energy cost multiplied by your ownership period. The full five-year ownership view also adds estimated maintenance, tires, depreciation and optional insurance/registration, using documented assumptions that are shown on the methodology page.