What Is the Cheapest Luxury Car to Maintain?

A luxury car can often defray much of its expense because it’s made to a higher standard. A car that’s thousands cheaper initially can also be more expensive to maintain over the long run. This logic doesn’t hold true across all models, though. Some luxury models are more expensive to maintain than others. It’s important to know the luxury cars with lowest maintenance cost, so that you can feel confident in your decision. So what is the cheapest luxury car to maintain? Let’s take a look.

Older Models Become More Expensive

Understand first that cars become more expensive to maintain with age. A one year-old model will cost very little to maintain because everything’s brand new. Within the first several years, average maintenance costs for all cars stay below $500 a year. A 10 year-old model will cost on average about $1,500 a year. That’s a huge leap in just five years of ownership. For this reason, the cheapest luxury car to maintain is often a more recent model.

Luxury Car Maintenance

That doesn’t answer which models have the lowest maintenance cost, though? In standard cars, the cars with lowest maintenance cost are Toyotas, Nissans, and Hondas. These makers make very few luxury cars, though. MINI Coopers also do very well as cars with nice maintenance costs.

Among the luxury brands, Audi and Lexus vehicles do quite well. Porsches are interesting. They don’t require a ton of maintenance, but when they do the requirement for rare parts can be costly. It’s understandable given the quality of car you’re getting. Just know that you’re balancing low frequency of maintenance with the cost of increased quality. For this reason, if you’re buying pre-owned be double-sure of getting the car history for a Porsche and taking the car for an initial inspection.

5 of the Cheapest Luxury Cars to Maintain

1. Acura MDX
2. Audi A4
3. Lexus ES
4. Lincoln EKZ
5. Mercedes-Benz E-Class

What About BMWs?

BMWs are, of course, one of the more expensive luxury cars to maintain. That’s no particular secret, but it covers a very wide range of models. Many BMWs are actually much more reasonable on maintenance. Look out for the X Series, BMW’s series of crossovers and SUVs. Their sturdy build combined with their popularity mean a new look for maintenance on BMWs. Newer model BMW 3 Series vehicles are another reliable option.

Visit Palm Beach Auto Sales Outlet for more information on luxury cars with lowest maintenance cost; we want you to drive away in your dream car.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.