Calculations stay in your browser.

Calculator information

CarCost does not require an account and does not send the dollar amounts, rates, mileage, trade values, or other calculator entries through its analytics events. Calculations run in the browser.

Cookies and local storage

CarCost sets no cookies. Your theme preference and saved comparison remain in your browser's local storage so a reload or a visit to a guide does not erase the comparison. The saved comparison is not uploaded to an application database; clear your browser's site data to remove it. Optional directory and pricing requests are described below. If cookie-based advertising or analytics is enabled, this notice and any required consent controls will be updated first.

Vehicle directory and price lookups

The vehicle selector downloads the selected year's EPA catalogue from this site's hosting infrastructure. It does not send your purchase price, financing details or trade-in values to EPA or NHTSA. A separate model-directory request, if used, sends only manufacturer and model year through this site to NHTSA. Current used-price lookup is not connected. If enabled later, an explicit lookup will send make, model, trim, year, powertrain, mileage and ZIP to the named pricing provider; financial budgets and loan details will not be included. This notice will identify that provider before activation.

The hosting infrastructure receives ordinary request metadata such as the requested path and IP address. No pricing-provider key is exposed to the browser.

Analytics

The site is prepared to record broad interaction events such as a viewed section, selected comparison type, opened help panel, or printed report. Those events are intended to measure whether the site is useful without including the financial values entered into the calculator. The production analytics provider and its applicable consent controls will be identified here when enabled.

Printing and PDF files

The print and save-PDF feature uses the browser's print system. CarCost does not receive or store the generated document.

Advertising and outbound links

Advertising is not yet active. Before advertising technology is enabled, this page and any required consent controls will be updated to identify the providers and data practices. Links to research sources take visitors to third-party sites governed by their own policies.

Changes

This notice will be updated when analytics, advertising, contact forms, or other data-handling features materially change.