Hm maybe it's just cheaper in Arizona for some reason then. Could definitely see a significant difference in state regulations causing that.
Oh shit I forgot about tires, you're right I was missing some things. Better numbers look like this I think:
Battery: $100
Belt: $20
Alternator: $170
Coolant: $20
Windshield washer fluid: $5
Air filter: $10
Tires: $500
1x Wiper blade: $20
4x oil replacements (I replaced when oil looked discolored, not at 7k miles): $100 ($25/each)
No brake job yet, but that's probably coming soon...
Total: $845
Lack of rain/snow/salt on roads probably reduces maintenance costs by a lot in regions like this, so national averages might be higher.
So after both adjustment my numbers are probably closer to $200/month, and I'll accept that's probably an outlier and $300/month is a reasonable estimate for a cheap car.
That's crazy cheap. The cheapest I could find for state minimum in Georgia was $60 and that was answering the questions as a perfect driver.
>I specifically mentioned that they did.
But the numbers don't add up. There's no way you spent just $300 in 60,000 miles on maintenance. Oil changes alone would be $300ish. It should also be a brake job, new tires, and things like new wipers. On top of that you replaced an alternator, battery, and a belt change?