$600 per year for maintenance, assuming this is an average sedan built within the last 5 years, is very high. New vehicles need oil changes every 10k miles, and tires every few years. That's it (on average).

I live in the rust belt, which is probably the worst environment for vehicles. I buy new, keep cars for 6 years or so, and I spend very little on maintenance. New vehicles simply don't require much to keep running well.

Also, $40 a month for registration? Most places are $50-$100 a year. Is California that much more?