Suzette Caulkins and Dale Thompson lamented Wednesday about the cost of operating their SUV: Gas ($4.09 a gallon); oil; parts; insurance — the tires cost $1,000 on sale.

“Yes, it’s a gas hog,” said Caulkins, of Lincklaen, at the Sunoco gas station on Route 281 in Cortlandville. “But it’s paid for.”

According to the American Automobile Association, the annual cost of owning a new car is now more than $10,000. This year, AAA launched an online calculator to provide a personalized price breakdown of car ownership through their annual Your Driving Costs study.

The Your Driving Cost study seeks to remind consumers of the expenses of car ownership beyond monthly payments, said Valerie Puma, communications specialist at AAA Western and Central New York, in an email.

“It’s important to keep in mind fuel costs, maintenance, repair and tire costs, as well as any interest rate charges from financing with vehicle loans,” she said.

Recently, people have been doing a lot more internet research, said Joe Reagan, owner of the Royal Auto Group in Cortlandville, and there have been more inquiries about electric vehicles.

Reagan said the lack of on-lot inventory means buyers need to rely on what dealerships say, or what information they see online. He suggests looking at the car factory websites to explore the options.

Business is fine, though “supply continues to be an issue,” Reagan said. What’s coming in is sold, there’s just not a lot coming in.

The gas price increase had an initial effect in sales, but it was short lived, Reagan said.

Caulkins and Thompson may have paid the capital cost of their vehicles, but they still need to operate them. And a shortage of microchips just makes fixing electronic parts that much more expensive, Caulkins said.

“The only reason I have a vehicle is so I’m not stranded,” Thompson said.

Owning and operating a new vehicle costs $10,728 annually now on average. This is up from $9,666 a year ago, the AAA reports. Fuel prices play the biggest role in this increase.

“With the recent increase in fuel prices, more and more people want to know the true costs of owning a car beyond their monthly payment,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of automotive engineering in a news release.

The online Your Driving Cost tool allows users to analyze the cost of new and used vehicles dating back five model years. Top-selling, mid-priced models are compared across fuel, maintenance, insurance, fees, depreciation and financing, assuming they are driven 15,000 miles a year.