The Estimated Annual Maintenance Costs of These 5 Popular Luxury Cars

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Looking at that gorgeous luxury car in the showroom? Before you fall head over heels, let’s talk about the reality of owning one. That monthly payment is just the beginning. Luxury cars also come with luxury-sized maintenance bills that can seriously shock your wallet.

We talked to Chris Pyle, an auto expert with JustAnswer, to get the real numbers on what it costs to keep these premium rides running. Spoiler alert: It’s not pretty, but it’s definitely important to know before you sign on the dotted line.

Genesis G90

• Annual Insurance: $1,200
• Annual Maintenance: $780-$2,200
• Annual Repairs: $380-$760
• Annual Fuel: $3,000
• Total Annual Cost: $5,360-$7,160

The Genesis G90 might be the most reasonable option on this list, but “reasonable” is relative when you’re talking luxury cars. Even on the low end, you’re looking at over $5,000 annually just to keep it running. The wide maintenance range reflects the difference between basic scheduled services and years when major services are due.

BMW 7 Series

• Annual Insurance: $1,200
• Annual Maintenance: $590-$4,300
• Annual Repairs: $380-$1,600
• Annual Fuel: $2,200
• Total Annual Cost: $4,370-$9,300

That maintenance range should terrify you — the difference between a good year and a bad year is nearly $4,000. BMW’s reputation for precision engineering comes with precision pricing on parts and service. When something goes wrong with all those high-tech systems, your bank account feels it.

Mercedes S-Class

• Annual Insurance: $1,500
• Annual Maintenance: $1,700-$4,400
• Annual Repairs: $900-$1,700
• Annual Fuel: $3,000
• Total Annual Cost: $7,100-$11,600

The S-Class doesn’t mess around — even the minimum annual cost is over $7,000. Notice how even the baseline maintenance starts at $1,700, which is more than some cars’ maximum maintenance costs. This is what happens when you’re dealing with cutting-edge luxury technology and materials.

Audi A8

• Annual Insurance: $1,200
• Annual Maintenance: $1,100-$3,300
• Annual Repairs: $890-$1,600
• Annual Fuel: $2,500
• Total Annual Cost: $5,690-$8,600

The A8 falls somewhere in the middle of our luxury lineup, but that’s still serious money. Audi’s sophisticated all-wheel-drive system and high-tech features mean more things that can break — and when they do, you’re not fixing them at your neighborhood mechanic.

Maserati Quattroporte

• Annual Insurance: $5,100
• Annual Maintenance: $3,200
• Annual Repairs: $2,100
• Annual Fuel: $2,300
• Total Annual Cost: $12,700

Holy expensive car, Batman! The Maserati isn’t just the most expensive to maintain, it’s in a completely different league. That insurance alone costs more than some people’s entire car budgets.

According to Pyle, for a Maserati, you’re looking at “about $650 per axle to buy the pads and about $400 in labor per axle to install them.” That’s over $2,000 just for brake pads!

Why Luxury Cars Cost So Much More To Maintain

According to Pyle, luxury cars pack larger engines or engines specially tuned for more power, which means “the parts on and in the engine are made to better standards, and often the addition of super and turbochargers are added. These parts are expensive to repair or replace when they do fail.”

But it gets worse. These high-performance engines guzzle more fuel, and maintenance costs skyrocket because luxury cars “use top-of-the-line parts that are rarely made aftermarket. So you have to buy OEM parts, which are not cheap.” Plus, many regular shops won’t even touch them, so “you are stuck at a dealership.”

Want a reality check? Pyle pointed out that while “you can get the engine oil and filter on a Ford Mustang replaced at the Speedy Lube for about $50,” a Genesis oil change at the dealer runs $109. And forget about finding parts at your local auto store. “You cannot buy Maserati brake pads at AutoZone, and Joe’s car repair will not touch it.”

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