These 12 Cars Can Save You Thousands of Dollars in Repair and Maintenance Costs

November 24, 2024

3 min Read

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With the average cost of a new car over $47,000, buyers want to know how reliable their preferred choice will be before laying down that kind of scratch, even if sticker prices drop this year.

Reliability means a lot of things when applied to vehicles. Whatever your definition, drivers want cars that can withstand long, safe and cheap miles, and replacing a car sooner than anticipated is something most people want to avoid.

Some cars stand up to punishing driving better than others. According to CarEdge.com’s research, some car brands and models are remarkably less expensive to maintain over the years than others because they built better and need cheaper parts.

Typically, luxury cars with a high manufacturer’s suggested retail price (BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benzes, Cadillac) tend to depreciate more rapidly than moderately priced, non-luxury models (Toyotas, Hondas). And super-cheap vehicles tend to break down more often or not last as long as even slightly pricier options.

Additionally, luxury-inclined drivers are likely willing to pay a premium and want to drive new cars whose maintenance requires high-priced parts and labor, while many necessity-based buyers simply want affordable, dependable transportation.

CarEdge’s list of 164 car models focuses on the unpleasant, but inevitable, maintenance and repair costs of car ownership because they are a major cost of owning a vehicle. It mirrors many reliability rankings you’ve read but targets maintenance over five- and 10-year periods.

Today's Top Offers

All told, seven of the top 10 least expensive cars to maintain are made by Toyota, including the top six. Honda placed three of its models — the Fit (No. 7), Civic (No. 10) and Insight (No. 12) — in the top 12. Mitsubishi has two (the Mirage at No. 8 and Mirage G4 at No. 11). If you’re curious, seven RAM models occupy the seven most expensive cars to maintain and Ford the four below.

Here are the 12 least expensive cars to maintain over 10 years.