The only thing that makes cars money traps, is people who don't take the time to learn how to work on their own car. Doing your own oil change and tune ups ALONE would save you a few hundred a year. Goto Store ~$40 for oil change, Goto Parts Store and get the stuff ~16 (for a 2L engine atleast). It takes like 10-15 mins, and if you use a milk jug to put it in, 2 oil changes, and then just drop it off by a parts store to be disposed of. Tune-Ups the labor is the killer really, but a minor one (Replace Plugs, clean cap, clean rotor, check fuel filter) would cost maybe $10 after tax for the plugs. I think the one I just did (Replaced cap, wires, rotor, and filter) costed $, and took me 30mins.