Editorial review: 21 September 2026. DAT Report 2026 covers the German market and surveys from 2025. These historical figures are retained; they are neither current offers nor a ranking of ownership costs.
DAT Report 2026 draws on 4,666 respondents surveyed about private car purchases and workshop behaviour. Individual charts use different respondent groups. It describes the calendar year 2025, not a vehicle model year or today’s cost of a particular car.
Annual mileage: 13,140 km
Private cars averaged 13,140 km, up from 12,560 km in 2024. Commuting accounted for 36%, private journeys 59% and business travel 5% (A1). Use your actual mileage in a cost calculation; the survey average is a reference, not a default suitable for everyone.
Reading workshop costs correctly
DAT reports EUR 542 for maintenance work performed and EUR 604 for repairs, with frequencies of 0.97 and 0.35 per car. Costs rose by 27% and 30% respectively against 2020 (W2, W5). These are not annual bills paid by every owner. The previous EUR 737 annual figure was an editorial extrapolation, not a published DAT metric, and has been removed. Almost 60% changed their workshop behaviour; limiting work to necessities was one reported response.
Prices paid for new cars in 2025
| Powertrain | Average price |
|---|---|
| Petrol | EUR 33,150 |
| Diesel | EUR 50,030 |
| BEV | EUR 47,160 |
| PHEV | EUR 64,570 |
| All new cars | EUR 44,560 |
These groups contain different models and specifications (P34, P36). Their price gaps are neither the pure cost of a powertrain nor a TCO ranking of equivalent vehicles.
Used cars
The average purchase price was EUR 18,310. Financing was used by 49% of buyers and the reported leasing share was 0% (P20). A survey result does not establish that used-car leasing offers do not exist.
Building an individual comparison
Compare depreciation, energy, servicing, insurance, tax and financing costs over the same period. Adding the full purchase price to depreciation would double-count costs. German survey averages cannot substitute for a specific vehicle, quote and usage profile.
Calculate your own scenario
Select the appropriate country, ownership period and mileage. Enter the terms of the actual vehicle and offer in the TCO calculator.
Source: DAT Report 2026, Kurzbericht, A1, W2, W5, P20, P34, P36; Autojahr 2025, DAT / NIQ GfK.