‘Quietly breaking your wealth’: Viral post exposes hidden costs of owning a fully paid car

Intro: A recent Reddit post is sparking debate among Indian car owners after a user broke down the silent but significant costs of maintaining a fully paid vehicle.

Body copy: The Redditor, who drives a 2021 Toyota Yaris for daily professional use (about 20-24 km a day), revealed that despite having no loan or EMI, the car has been steadily draining money year after year.

According to the post, expenses on insurance, fuel, and routine maintenance alone added up to:

• ₹67,000 in 2022
• ₹63,000 in 2023
• ₹1,06,000 in 2024
• ₹65,000 already in 2025 (as of August)

Over four years, that’s more than ₹3 lakh — a sum the user says could have funded a second-hand car purchase, multiple vacations, or significant investments.

The post pointed out that the true financial impact often goes unnoticed because the spending is scattered across smaller bills: “A few thousand here, a refill there… but it’s quietly breaking your wealth.”

The post caught the attention of several netizens who chimed in with their own perspectives. One user argued that, despite the costs, four-wheelers are a necessity outside major metros: “You have your vehicle with you 24/7. In any emergency, you know it will help. Public transport isn’t reliable in many places, and you control who uses your vehicle. You can travel point to point, stop whenever you want on road trips, and avoid the hygiene concerns of cabs. Everything comes at a cost — car, cellphone, even electricity. Sometimes it’s better not to overthink and just use what makes life easier.”

Another drew a humorous analogy: “Why do I buy good-quality clothes for work? I could just wrap myself in a blanket. But presentation matters, and so does convenience. Owning a car is similar — it costs money but serves a purpose.”

A third commenter took an economic view, recommending owners factor in time saved versus using public transport, and the safety trade-offs of cheaper options: “Given the cab and auto mafias in most cities, it will feel worth it. The blanket advice of ‘don’t buy depreciating assets’ doesn’t always apply in real life.”

Still, as one user admitted after recently buying a car: “It already feels like a money drain.”