Least Expensive New Cars to Own
August 23, 2012
When buying a new car, most people overlook the long-term costs.
Everyone focuses on the price, when in reality, they should really be focusing on things such as depreciation cost, fuel costs, insurance, financing, maintenance, and repair.
For example, you could save more than $7,000 over 5 years by buying a Toyota Highlander instead of a Ford Explorer, even though the Explorer is $3,000 cheaper. This comes from research done by Consumer Reports. The following is their list of the best and worst cars to own when it comes to long-term ownership costs.
| Make, model & type | Cost/yr over 5 years |
|---|
| Small cars |
| Best | Toyota Prius C | $5,000 |
| Worst | Chevrolet Cruze Eco | $7,500 |
| Family sedans |
| Best | Toyota Camry Hybrid | $6,500 |
| Worst | Volkswagen Passat (V6) | $9,250 |
| Upscale cars |
| Best | Buick Verano (2.4) | $7,750 |
| Worst | Chrysler 300 C | $11,500 |
| Luxury cars |
| Best | Hyundai Genesis 4.6 | $11,000 |
| Worst | BMW 750Li | $21,500 |
| Small SUVs |
| Best | Toyota RAV4 (4-cyl.) | $7,000 |
| Worst | Cadillac SRX | $11,750 |
| Midsized SUVs |
| Best | Chevrolet Equinox/GMC Terrain (4-cyl.) | $8,000 |
| Worst | Jeep Grand Cherokee (V8) | $12,750 |
| Large & Luxury SUVs |
| Best | Ford Flex V6 | $10,500 |
| Worst | Cadillac Escalade (base) | $17,250 |
| Sporty cars & convertibles |
| Best |
Mini Cooper Hatchback Base |
$5,750 |
| Worst |
Jaguar XK |
$19,000 |
| Wagons & minivans |
| Best | Toyota Prius V | $6,000 |
| Worst | Volvo XC70/Chrysler Town & Country | $10,750 |
| Light-duty pickups |
| Best | Toyota Tacoma (V6) | $8,500 |
| Worst | Chevrolet Avalanche | $13,000 |
When you're ready to buy a new car, use the
CarWoo Deal Finder
Get My Free Weekly Advice on Car Buying
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
×
My Top Recommended Tools for Car Shoppers
TrueCar and
Edmunds Price Promise are the quickest way to see the lowest prices available on new cars in your area. Both tools provide upfront prices from local dealers, and the deals are usually really good. It should be the first step you take when negotiating car prices. You should follow that up with my
checklist to make sure you get the best possible deal.
- Gregg Fidan
About: Gregg Fidan
Gregg Fidan + is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
Recent Tips, News, & Incentives
RSS Feed
April 17, 2014
April 10, 2014
April 3, 2014
March 27, 2014
March 20, 2014
March 13, 2014
March 6, 2014
February 27, 2014
February 20, 2014
February 13, 2014
February 6, 2014
January 30, 2014
January 23, 2014
January 16, 2014
January 9, 2014
January 2, 2014
I welcome your car buying questions. Email Me and I'll be glad to answer them!
