The cost of owning a car in the US is very expensive,

Not really, unless you live in a densely populated major city (like NY or Chicago, where car usage is discouraged). Car taxes are low in most states, and modern many brands of vehicles (Honda & Toyota, for example, need little repair and maintenance. I live in a small city in the Midwest, and the cost of owning my 2017 Honda Civic (yes, same as OP) is $250 a year for the license plate and two oil changes a year (about $100). Before this car, I owned a 2006 Toyota Prius for 12 years. Over that period, I paid for two oil changes a year, two sets of tires and maybe two or three light bulbs. And by the end, my annual license plat tax (which is based on the market value of the vehicle) was down to around $125. So no, I would say it's "very expensive" to own a car i nthe US. Quite the opposite actually.