Data Sources
MotorCrunch estimates are built on published government and industry data. This page explains the data layer behind our calculators and lists the real publishers we rely on, with links and the date each was last checked.
Figures are estimates — last reviewed 2026.
How our data layer works
Every estimate is assembled from three layers of assumptions. Each layer draws on published sources, and the combined result is shown with all of its inputs editable on the calculator page itself.
Country economic assumptions
National figures — fuel and electricity prices, tax treatment, average finance rates and broad cost-of-living indices — set the baseline for each of the four markets we support.
City cost & insurance indices
City-level adjustments capture how insurance, parking and running costs vary by metro, applied as transparent multipliers on top of the national baseline.
Vehicle specs & valuations
Per-vehicle data — efficiency ratings, list prices, depreciation curves and cost-to-own figures — drives the model-specific side of every estimate.
Country economic assumptions
- U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLast checked 2026-06-01
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Consumer Price & Cost data
- U.S. Energy Information AdministrationLast checked 2026-06-01
U.S. Energy Information Administration — fuel & electricity prices
- American Automobile AssociationLast checked 2026-06-01
AAA — Your Driving Costs & fuel price tracker
- UK GovernmentLast checked 2026-06-01
GOV.UK — UK fuel prices, VAT & vehicle statistics
- Statistics CanadaLast checked 2026-06-01
Statistics Canada — population, energy & price indexes
- Australian Bureau of StatisticsLast checked 2026-06-01
Australian Bureau of Statistics — population & price data
- Australian Institute of PetroleumLast checked 2026-06-01
Australian Institute of Petroleum — national fuel price monitor
City cost & insurance indices
- Insurance Information InstituteLast checked 2026-06-01
Insurance Information Institute — auto insurance facts & statistics
- U.S. Census BureauLast checked 2026-06-01
U.S. Census Bureau — population & metro estimates
- Office for National StatisticsLast checked 2026-06-01
Office for National Statistics — UK population & prices
- Insurance Bureau of CanadaLast checked 2026-06-01
Insurance Bureau of Canada — auto insurance data
Vehicle specs & valuations
- Kelley Blue BookLast checked 2026-06-01
Kelley Blue Book — new & used vehicle valuations
- EdmundsLast checked 2026-06-01
Edmunds — vehicle pricing, depreciation & cost-to-own
- U.S. Department of Energy / EPALast checked 2026-06-01
FuelEconomy.gov — EPA fuel economy & EV range ratings
A note on accuracy
We cite these sources to keep our default assumptions realistic, but our figures remain estimates produced by standard formulas — not live data pulled in real time, and not quotes. Source data changes, and we may apply conservative adjustments where a precise figure is not published for a given market. To understand exactly how we turn this data into a number, read our Methodology.
Source names and links are provided for transparency. MotorCrunch is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the organizations listed above.