About CarBrain HQ

CarBrain HQ exists to answer one question honestly: what does this car really cost me? Car deals are usually presented as a monthly payment, which hides depreciation, interest, insurance, fuel and maintenance. We turn those hidden numbers into a single figure you can compare.

What we build

Two things: free calculators that run in your browser, and short guides that explain the result. The ownership cost and cost per mile tools total up the costs people forget. The loan vs lease, cash vs finance and auto loan tools settle how to pay. The fuel cost and gas vs EV tools compare running costs.

Why the sticker price lies

A car is a depreciating asset with running costs attached. A $35,000 car can lose a third of its value in three years before you count a single tank of gas. Judging a purchase by the monthly payment alone is how buyers end up paying thousands more than they expected. Our whole approach is to put a dollar figure on the parts the dealer's sheet leaves out.

How the numbers work

Every calculator runs locally in your browser using standard formulas: loan payments use the amortization equation, ownership costs compound an annual depreciation rate and sum the yearly expenses, and fuel costs divide distance by real-world MPG. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored.

Accuracy and limits

These are estimates to support your own judgment, not financial advice. Rates, resale values and fuel prices vary by where you live and when you buy, so treat the output as a starting point and adjust the inputs to match your situation. When a reader spots an error, we fix the formula itself so the correction helps everyone.

Who it's for

Buyers comparing new against used, drivers deciding between financing and leasing, and anyone who wants to know whether a longer commute or a second car is worth it. The tools are deliberately simple - a few inputs and one clear answer - so you can move from question to decision in a minute.

Found a bug or want a calculator we don't have? Get in touch.