Which brand of car has the lowest cost to run for 10 years?

The vehicle’s price (whether it’s an upfront cost or monthly loan payment) and gas mileage can help us determine whether we can afford to drive the new car we’re considering buying. Maintenance costs should also figure heavily in our calculations, but so far, these statistics aren’t that easy to come by.

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New research from Consumer Reports provides some solid real-world data on which vehicle brands cost the most to run over 10 years and which brands cost the least to run. To do this, it asked CR members participating in the annual reliability study how much they had spent on repairs and repairs in the past 12 months.

More: Tesla Model 3 ranks last in TUV new car reliability test

Owners are told to include costs associated with things like changing oil and tires, as well as the cost of rectifying any faults, but not including the cost of repairing collision damage. The results were shocking, with owners of the brands with the worst financial losses paying $15,000, or five times more over 10 years than those driving the brands with the lowest running costs.

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The brand with the lowest running costs over the decade is Tesla, which is interesting because Tesla ranked only in the middle of the pack in the reliability study that served as the starting point for this new report. CR said driving a Tesla for ten years could cost $4,035, compared with $4,900 for a Toyota, $9,500 for a BMW and $19,250 for a Land Rover.

While it’s perhaps no surprise that high-end luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes are on the expensive end of the spectrum, some high-end cars run much cheaper than others. CR points out that a Lincoln costs just $5,040 over 10 years, but a Mercedes dealer will charge you double that.

More: New vs. used price gap hits record high of $20,000

The 29 brands also don’t necessarily remain in the same position throughout the 10-year period, partly because some offer longer service intervals, which means lower costs at the beginning of the year. For example, Volkswagen ranked third in the first five years but dropped to 15th throughout the decade.

running costs

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