The Rising Costs of Owning a Car

 

"Everything is going up -- buying, financing, insurance and maintenance. The average annual cost of ownership, by one estimate, is $12,000.

It's getting more expensive to own and operate a new car.

The average annual cost of ownership is up more than 13 percent from last year to more than $12,000, or just over $1,000 a month, according to the latest research from the automobile owners group AAA.

Higher car prices and the surging costs of financing, insuring and maintaining a new car all contributed to the increase. The analysis also considered depreciation a cost even though it's not paid out of pocket.

Where does that leave consumers who are already squeezed by rising gas prices, the higher costs for food and other goods, as well as increasing interest rates on their credit cards?

Drivers should consider their true needs and driving habits when choosing a vehicle, said Greg Brannon, director of automotive research for AAA. "It's really up to your specific situation."

The average cost per mile for a vehicle driven 15,000 miles a year is about 81 cents, AAA says. But it's $1.06 for a popular half-ton pickup truck like a Chevrolet Silverado. If you need a truck only occasionally to haul mulch from the garden center, it might make sense to buy a smaller car -- say, a compact sport utility vehicle like a Nissan Rogue -- at about 67 cents per mile and rent a truck when you really need one.

"It's very expensive to own a pickup that you only use as a pickup once or twice a year," Mr. Brannon said.

The cheapest option is a small sedan, at about 60 cents a mile, AAA found. For shoppers, however, it may be challenging to find lower-priced sedans on dealer lots, said Benjamin Preston, an automotive reporter at Consumer Reports. That's because automakers have been emphasizing production of more profitable models, like big S.U.V.s and trucks with lots of extra features, he said.

While new car inventories are improving, Mr. Preston said, "if you're looking for an affordable car, it's a tough time." If you can wait a few months for delivery, you can order the specific model you want -- without extra bells and whistles -- through a dealer, he said.

While used car prices have moderated, Mr. Preston said, higher interest rates, particularly for older, lower-priced models, may make them more expensive to buy. According to Experian Automotive, which tracks automobile financing, the average interest rate for a used car loan rose to 11.38 percent from 8.84 percent last year, while the average payment rose to $528 from $519.

According to an analysis from iSeeCars.com, an online car search site, buyers with a $23,000 budget could buy a three-year-old car in 2019, but the same amount is not enough for the average six-year-old car today.

If you do choose an older used car, Mr. Preston said -- five years old or more -- keep in mind that it is unlikely to be covered by a manufacturer's warranty. So choose a model with a history of reliability and have a mechanic check it out before buying.

The average price of the new cars included in AAA's 2023 study, based on the manufacturer's suggested retail price, is about $35,000, up 4.7 percent from last year, while the average annual finance charge almost doubled, to $1,253, AAA found. The report projects new cars will depreciate by an average of $4,538 per year over five years of ownership, up 24 percent over 2022.

(The higher depreciation reflects the slipping used car prices and high new car prices. "You pay more, but it's worth less," Mr. Brannon of AAA said.)

The report, based on information from the automotive data researcher Vincentric and other sources, used the five most popular 2023 models in nine categories, excluding luxury cars. It estimates the cost of using a new car over five years and 75,000 miles, considering costs for fuel and maintenance, insurance, license and registration fees, taxes, and depreciation. It doesn't include the cost of parking, which can add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the cost of car ownership if you live in a big city.

Other analyses show new-car prices to be even higher. Kelley Blue Book, a unit of Cox Automotive, said the average transaction price for a new car -- what buyers actually pay -- was about $48,500 in August, roughly flat with a year earlier, held in check by growing inventories and incentives like cash-back rebates. (Kelley's figure includes luxury cars, like those from Audi and Mercedes-Benz, which have raised prices.)

One unknown is the possible effect on car prices of the United Automobile Workers strike. The strike isn't expected to affect consumer prices in the near term, according to Cox Automotive, but prices could rise if the strike lasts long enough to affect the supply of new vehicles.

Here are some questions and answers about managing car costs:

What are current interest rates on new car loans?

The average interest rate for a new-car loan rose to 6.63 percent in the second quarter this year from 4.6 percent a year earlier, according to Experian Automotive. More borrowers are choosing shorter-term loans, said Melinda Zabritski, head of automotive finance insights at Experian, because shoppers can usually get lower rates on shorter-term loans, and because carmakers are offering extra incentives on those loans. A shorter loan reduces the overall expense but increases the size of monthly payments.

The average monthly new-car payment rose to $729 from $672 in the second quarter. Maintaining a good credit score can help you get a better rate on your car loan.

My auto insurance premium is increasing. What can I do?

Car insurance costs are rising as insurers face higher losses for accidents, repairs and natural disasters. In some cases, according to the consumer research firm J.D. Power, drivers are skipping coverage, even though most states require minimum coverage, because they can't afford premiums. The number of households with at least one car that said they didn't have auto insurance rose to 5.7 percent in the first half of 2023, from 5.3 percent in the second half of 2022. (J.D. Power said it did not have data for first half of 2022.)

Drivers should get quotes from several insurers and ask what steps they can take to lower their costs, the company said, such as raising their deductibles -- the amount of a claim they must pay out of pocket.

What about going carless?

As car ownership becomes more costly, you may want to consider if you can get by without one, especially if you live in an urban area with good public transportation or wide availability of ride-sharing services. Zipcar, a unit of Avis Budget Group, says members can save thousands of dollars annually by using its self-service car rentals." [1]

1. The Rising Costs of Owning a Car: [Business/Financial Desk]. Carrns, Ann.  New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y.. 23 Sep 2023: B.5. 

Genetiškai pakeista kiaulės širdis persodinta į 2-ąjį pacientą

"Pirmasis pacientas, gavęs tokį organą, mirė po dviejų mėnesių. "Bent dabar turiu vilties", - prieš operaciją sakė antrasis gavėjas.

 

     Merilendo universiteto medicinos centras penktadienį paskelbė, kad Baltimorės chirurgai persodino genetiškai pakitusios kiaulės širdį mirtina širdies liga sergančiam žmogui, kuris neturėjo kitos vilties pasveikti.

 

     Tai jau antroji tokia chirurgų atliekama procedūra. Pirmasis pacientas, 57 metų Davidas Bennettas, mirė praėjus dviem mėnesiams po transplantacijos, tačiau kiaulės širdis veikė gerai ir nebuvo jokių ūminio organo atmetimo požymių, o tai yra didelė rizika atliekant tokias procedūras.

 

     Antram pacientui, 58 metų Lawrence'ui Faucette'ui, karinio jūrų laivyno veteranui ir vedusiam dviejų vaikų tėvui Fredericke, JAV, trečiadienį buvo atlikta transplantacijos operacija, jis „gerai sveiksta ir bendrauja su savo artimaisiais“, sakoma medicinos centro pranešime.

 

     M. Faucette'as, kuris sirgo mirtina širdies liga ir kitomis sudėtingomis sveikatos būklėmis, sirgo taip, kad buvo atmestas iš visų transplantacijos programų, kuriose naudojami žmogaus donoro organai.

 

     „Bent jau dabar turiu vilties ir turiu galimybę“, – prieš operaciją sakė M. Faucette. „Kovosiu dantimis ir nagais už kiekvieną įkvėpimą.

 

     Transplantaciją atliko gydytojas Bartley Griffithas, kuris operavo pirmąjį pacientą. Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin iš Merilendo universiteto medicinos mokyklos sukūrė protokolą.

 

     M. Bennettas mirė po daugybės komplikacijų, o jo naujoje širdyje buvo aptikti kiaules užkrečiančio viruso pėdsakai, todėl susirūpinimas, kad vadinamieji organų ksenotransplantacijos iš gyvūnų į žmones gali įnešti į žmonių populiaciją naujų patogenų.

 

     Ligoninės pareigūnai sakė, kad praėjusią savaitę pakartotinai ištyrė kiaulę, kuri buvo persodinta, ir dėl viruso, vadinamo kiaulių citomegalovirusu, tiek dėl antikūnų, naudodami naują tyrimą, kurio nebuvo galima atlikti pono Bennetto transplantacijos metu.

 

     Prieš atlikdamas transplantaciją M. Faucette sakė pripažinęs, kad būtų stebuklas, jei jam pavyktų palikti ligoninę ir grįžti namo, ir dar vienas stebuklas, jei gyventų mėnesius ar metus ilgiau.

 

     „Realiai kalbant, tai yra pradiniame mokymosi procese“, – sakė jis apie procedūrą.

 

     Pastaraisiais metais ksenotransplantacijos mokslas padarė didžiulę pažangą, taikydamas genų redagavimo ir klonavimo technologijas, skirtas sumažinti gyvūnų organų atmetimą žmogaus imuninės sistemos.

 

     Nors pažanga vis dar tik pradeda formuotis, ji suteikia vilties daugiau, nei 100 000 amerikiečių, kurie gyvena su galutinės stadijos organų liga, tačiau susiduria su dideliu žmogaus donorų organų trūkumu. Daugumai laukiančiųjų organo reikia inksto, tačiau kasmet atliekama mažiau, nei 25 000 inkstų transplantacijų ir tūkstančiai miršta laukiančiųjų sąrašuose.

 

     Alabamos universiteto Birmingeme ir NYU Langone Health transplantacijos chirurgai persodino genetiškai modifikuotų kiaulių inkstus į turinčius mirusius smegenis pacientus, kurie buvo palaikomi su ventiliatoriais, parodydami, kad inkstai gali išsiskirti šlapimą ir atlikti kitas esmines biologines funkcijas be atmetimo.

 

     „Didėja organų ir žmonių, sergančių galutinės stadijos organų nepakankamumu, kuriems nėra galimybių, poreikis“, – sakė Harvardo medicinos profesorius ir Masačusetso bendrosios ligoninės Transplantacijos centro direktoriaus pavaduotojas daktaras Jay Fishmanas.

 

     „Nors mirusiųjų tyrimai yra informatyvūs, gyvų recipientų transplantacijos, be abejo, yra svarbiausios, siekiant tobulinti žinias šioje srityje“, – pridūrė daktaras Fishmanas. Jis teigė besitikintis optimistiškai, kad operacija paskatins mokslininkus įsitraukti į šią sritį ir paspartins klinikinių tyrimų kelią.

 

     M. Faucette'ui persodinta širdis buvo iš kiaulės, kuriai buvo atlikta 10 genetinių modifikacijų. Mokslininkai pašalino tris kiaulių genus, dėl kurių žmogaus imuninė sistema greitai atmetė kiaulių organus, ir įterpė šešis žmogaus genus, leidžiančius imuninei sistemai priimti organą.

 

     Papildomas kiaulės genas, atsakingas už širdies augimą, buvo išmuštas, kad organas netaptų per didelis.

 

     Genetiškai pakeistą kiaulę pateikė Revivicor, regeneracinės medicinos įmonė, įsikūrusi Blacksburg, Va., kuri yra United Therapeutics Corporation dukterinė įmonė. Prieš transplantaciją kiaulė buvo patikrinta, ar nėra virusų, bakterijų ir parazitų.

 

     Maisto ir vaistų administracija praėjusią savaitę skubiai patvirtino transplantaciją pagal „naudojimo pasigailint“ procesą, leidžiantį atlikti eksperimentines procedūras vienam pacientui, kurio būklė yra pavojinga gyvybei.

 

     Ponas Faucette'as taip pat gauna eksperimentinę naują antikūnų terapiją, kurią sukūrė Eledon Pharmaceuticals, vadinamą tegoprubartu, kuris blokuoja baltymą, dalyvaujantį imuninės sistemos aktyvavime. Kiti įprasti vaistai taip pat naudojami, siekiant slopinti jo imuninę sistemą ir užkirsti kelią organo atmetimui.

 

     P. Faucette'o žmona Ann sakė, kad jiedu laikosi mažų lūkesčių ir tikiuosi dar šiek tiek laiko praleisti kartu. „Tai gali būti taip paprasta, kaip pasėdėti priekinėje verandoje ir kartu išgerti kavos“, – sakė ji." [1]

1. Genetically Altered Pig's Heart Transplanted Into 2nd Patient: [National Desk]. Rabin, Roni Caryn. 
New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y.. 23 Sep 2023: A.13. 

Genetically Altered Pig's Heart Transplanted Into 2nd Patient

"The first patient to receive such an organ died after two months. "At least now I have hope," the second recipient said before the surgery.

Surgeons in Baltimore have transplanted the heart of a genetically altered pig into a man with terminal heart disease who had no other hope for treatment, the University of Maryland Medical Center announced on Friday.

It is the second such procedure performed by the surgeons. The first patient, David Bennett, 57, died two months after his transplant, but the pig heart functioned well and there were no signs of acute organ rejection, a major risk in such procedures.

The second patient, Lawrence Faucette, 58, a Navy veteran and married father of two in Frederick, Md., underwent the transplant surgery on Wednesday and is "recovering well and communicating with his loved ones," the medical center said in a statement.

Mr. Faucette, who had terminal heart disease and other complicated medical conditions, was so sick that he had been rejected from all transplant programs that use human donor organs.

"At least now I have hope and I have a chance," Mr. Faucette said before the surgery. "I will fight tooth and nail for every breath I can take."

The transplantation was performed by Dr. Bartley Griffith, who operated on the first patient. Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, designed the protocol.

Mr. Bennett died after multiple complications, and traces of a virus that infects pigs were found in his new heart, raising concerns that so-called xenotransplants of organs from animals to people could introduce new pathogens into the human population.

Hospital officials said they repeatedly tested the pig used in the transplant last week for both the virus, called porcine cytomegalovirus, and antibodies using a new assay that was not available at the time of Mr. Bennett's transplant.

Before undergoing the transplant, Mr. Faucette said he recognized that it would be a miracle if he was able to leave the hospital and go home, and another miracle if he lived for months or a year longer.

"Realistically, this is in the early-stage learning process," he said of the procedure.

In recent years, the science of xenotransplantation has taken huge strides with gene editing and cloning technologies designed to make animal organs less likely to be rejected by the human immune system.

Although the advances are still in nascent stages, they offer hope to the more than 100,000 Americans who are living with end-stage organ disease yet face an acute shortage of human donor organs. Most of those waiting for an organ need a kidney, but fewer than 25,000 kidney transplants are performed each year and thousands die on waiting lists.

Transplant surgeons at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and NYU Langone Health have transplanted kidneys from genetically modified pigs into brain-dead patients maintained on ventilators, demonstrating that the kidneys can make urine and perform other essential biological functions without being rejected.

"There is a growing need for organs and for people with end-stage organ failure who are out of options," said Dr. Jay Fishman, a professor of medicine at Harvard and associate director of the Transplant Center at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"While decedent trials are informative, transplants in living recipients are, of course, most relevant to advancing knowledge in the field," Dr. Fishman added. He said he was optimistic that the surgery would encourage scientists to enter the field and accelerate the path to clinical trials.

The heart transplanted into Mr. Faucette came from a pig that had received 10 genetic modifications. Scientists removed three pig genes that cause rapid rejection of pig organs by the human immune system, while inserting six human genes that allow the immune system to accept the organ.

An additional pig gene, responsible for the heart's growth, was knocked out to prevent the organ from becoming too large.

The genetically altered pig was provided by Revivicor, a regenerative medicine company based in Blacksburg, Va., that is a subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corporation. Before the transplant, the pig was screened for viruses, bacteria and parasites.

The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency approval to the transplant last week under a "compassionate use" process that allows experimental procedures to be performed on a single patient who has a life-threatening condition.

Mr. Faucette is also receiving an experimental new antibody therapy developed by Eledon Pharmaceuticals called tegoprubart, which blocks a protein involved in the activation of the immune system. Other conventional drugs are also being used to suppress his immune system and prevent rejection of the organ.

Mr. Faucette's wife, Ann, said the two were keeping expectations low and just hoping for some more time together. "That could be as simple as sitting on the front porch and having coffee together," she said." [1]

1. Genetically Altered Pig's Heart Transplanted Into 2nd Patient: [National Desk]. Rabin, Roni Caryn. 
New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y.. 23 Sep 2023: A.13.