NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - It costs more to own a car in Detroit, an amazing $11,844 a year for a mid-sized sedan, than in any other city in the country, according to a new report comparing the cost of car ownership in various a U.S. cities.
Released Friday by Runzheimer International, a management consulting firm specializing in transportation reimbursement, the survey revealed that insurance, at $5,162 annually for liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, is the biggest single reason that maintaining a car in the Motor City is so expensive.
Runzheimer calculates costs based on a fully loaded 2006 Ford Five Hundred SEL with a 3.0 liter, 6-cylinder engine. The calculation also assumes that the car is driven an average of 15,000 miles for four years within a 50 mile-radius of the city.
Philadelphians would pay nearly as much, $10,672 with $4,142 going to pay for insurance, as would Los Angelenos, at $10,361, including insurance costs of $3,225.
The same car would cost just $7,399 a year in Knoxville, Tennessee., a savings of $4,445 compared with Detroit.
Maintenance costs also vary quite widely, from a high of 7.35 cents-per-mile in San Francisco to a low of 4.19 cents-per-mile in Charlottetown, Pennsylvania.
Car ownership costs:
Detroit -- $11,844
Philadelphia -- $10,672
Los Angeles -- $10,361
Boston -- $9,660
Miami -- $9,216
Baltimore -- $9,125
Denver -- $8,949
Houston -- $8,467
Topeka, KS -- $8,078
Grand Forks, ND -- $7,423
Sioux Falls, SD -- $7,401
Knoxville, TN -- $7,399