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Expensive and Cheap Luxury Cars To Maintain

Luxury Car Maintenance Cost: Least and Most Expensive Options
Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman
Sulaiman Abdur-RahmanUpdated August 23, 2023
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Editor’s note: Lantern by SoFi seeks to provide content that is objective, independent and accurate. Writers are separate from our business operation and do not receive direct compensation from advertisers or partners. Read more about our Editorial Guidelines and How We Make Money.
Luxury cars generally have high maintenance costs. You can spend thousands of dollars maintaining an Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, or any other luxury car brand. Consumers can use cash, credit cards, debit cards, or personal loans to pay for vehicle maintenance costs.Below we highlight the average maintenance cost for a luxury vehicle and highlight which makes and models have the cheapest and most expensive maintenance costs.

What Is the Average Maintenance Cost for a Luxury Car?

The average 10-year maintenance cost for a luxury car is about $12,000, according to an analysis of data on CarEdge.com, an automotive research and vehicle listings marketplace.CarEdge documented 10-year maintenance costs for 101 unique car makes and models and found the Tesla Model 3 had the cheapest maintenance cost at $3,587. The Porsche Cayenne, meanwhile, had the most expensive maintenance cost at $20,552.Although the average 10-year maintenance cost is about $12,000, some of the 101 luxury models in the CarEdge rankings have maintenance costs far below or above that figure.

Which Luxury Car Has the Cheapest Maintenance Costs?

These five luxury car brands have the lowest maintenance expenses, according to CarEdge’s rankings and data as of 2023:

1. Tesla

Tesla vehicle models have an average $5,867 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. Tesla is classified as a low-maintenance luxury car brand in CarEdge’s rankings. Electric cars tend to be popular with millennials, according to car ownership in the U.S. surveys.

2. Lexus

Lexus car models share an average $7,786 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. Lexus is a luxury brand division of Toyota Motor Corporation.

3. Acura

Acura car models share an average $10,730 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. Acura is a luxury brand of Honda Motor Co.

4. INFINITI

INFINITI car models share an average $11,830 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. INFINITI is a luxury brand of Nissan Motor Co.

5. Lincoln

Lincoln car models share an average $12,099 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. Lincoln is a luxury brand of Ford Motor Company.Recommended: All You Need to Know About the Costs of Owning an Electric Vehicle

Which Luxury Car Is Most Expensive To Maintain?

The most expensive car repairs can involve repairs to the engine or transmission. These five luxury car brands have the highest maintenance costs, according to CarEdge’s rankings and data as of 2023:

1. Porsche

Porsche car models share an average $22,075 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service, according to CarEdge’s findings. Porsche makes premium sports cars and other luxury vehicles.

2. BMW 

BMW car models share an average $19,312 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. BMW is the flagship brand of BMW Group, a manufacturer of premium vehicles.

3. Land Rover

Land Rover car models share an average $18,569 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. Land Rover is a brand of Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC, a manufacturer of luxury vehicles.

4. Jaguar

Jaguar car models share an average $17,636 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. Jaguar is a brand of Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC.

5. Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz car models share an average $15,986 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. Mercedes-Benz is a brand of the Mercedes-Benz Group, a luxury automaker.

10 Least Expensive Luxury Cars To Maintain

Here’s a list of the 10 cheapest luxury car models to maintain over a 10-year period, according to CarEdge data:
Luxury car10-year maintenance cost
Tesla Model 3$3,587
Tesla Model S$4,566
Tesla Model Y$4,732
Lexus ES 350$5,488
Lexus ES 300h$5,662
Lexus IS 350$5,680
Lexus GS 350$5,721
Tesla Model X$5,723
Acura ILX$7,104
Lexus NX 300$7,136

Pros and Cons of Owning a Luxury Car

The below table highlights some of the pros and cons of owning a luxury car:
Pros of owning a luxury carCons of owning a luxury car
Can feature leather-trimmed seats for maximum comfort Can be expensive to maintain
Can feature superior powertrain and technology for optimal performanceAuto insurance can be costly
Can offer a wider range of safety features compared with economy carsMay require diesel or premium-grade fuel, which is more costly than regular-grade gasoline

Luxury Car Maintenance vs Regular Car Maintenance Costs 

When comparing the costs of luxury car maintenance vs. non-luxury car maintenance, here are some points to consider:
  • Luxury cars are generally more expensive to maintain
  • Electric cars have the lowest maintenance costs compared with hybrid and conventional vehicles
  • European luxury cars generally cost more to maintain than American or Asian luxury cars
  • Non-luxury American, Japanese, and Korean car models generally have the lowest 10-year maintenance costs overall
European luxury brands, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche, have the highest 10-year maintenance costs, according to Consumer Reports.Brands with the lowest 10-year maintenance and repair costs include Toyota, Lincoln, Buick, and Mazda, Consumer Reports found in its 2023 analysis.Cars generally lose value over time, but luxury cars may experience a faster rate of car depreciation than non-luxury cars.

Luxury Car Maintenance Cost Comparison

The Tesla Model 3 is the luxury car with the lowest maintenance cost, according to CarEdge. Luxury car maintenance costs can vary by make and model. Using CarEdge data, here is a table comparing the maintenance costs of luxury cars from cheapest to most expensive:
RankModel10-year maintenance cost
1Tesla Model 3$3,587
2Tesla Model S$4,566
3Tesla Model Y$4,732
4Lexus ES 350$5,488
5Lexus ES 300h$5,662
6Lexus IS 350$5,680
7Lexus GS 350$5,721
8Tesla Model X$5,723
9Acura ILX$7,104
10Lexus NX 300$7,136
11Acura TLX$7,364
12Lexus RX 350$7,398
13Lexus RX 450h$7,634
14Lexus GX 460$7,652
15Acura RLX$7,683
16INFINITI Q50$8,136
17Lexus LX 570$8,286
18Lincoln MKZ$8,378
19Audi A5$8,687
20INFINITI Q60$8,898
21Audi A3$9,035
22Audi A4$9,054
23Audi S5$9,094
24Audi A5 Sportback$9,115
25Cadillac CT4$9,161
26Volvo S60$9,164
27Cadillac CT5$9,221
28Audi A6$9,252
29Cadillac XT5$9,329
30Audi S4$9,345
31Volvo S90$9,422
32Acura RDX$9,610
33Audi TT$9,644
34Audi S6$9,722
35Acura MDX$9,820
36Audi A7$9,824
37Audi A8$9,895
38Audi S8$10,476
39Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class$10,486
40Mercedes-Benz A-Class$10,492
41INFINITI QX50$10,657
42Mercedes-Benz C-Class$10,734
43Volvo V60 Cross Country$10,770
44INFINITI QX60$10,805
45Volvo V60$11,020
46Lincoln Corsair$11,121
47Mercedes-Benz E-Class$11,224
48Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class$11,322
49Lincoln Nautilus$11,326
50INFINITI QX80$11,582
51Lincoln Aviator$11,691
52Audi Q3$11,843
53Volvo XC40$11,907
54Cadillac XT4$12,018
55Audi Q5$12,068
56Lincoln Navigator$12,111
57Volvo XC60$12,129
58Jaguar XF$12,187
59Mercedes-Benz S-Class$12,306
60Volvo XC90$12,359
61Mercedes-Benz SL-Class$12,389
62Audi SQ5$12,467
63Audi Q7$12,489
64Audi Q8$12,551
65Cadillac Escalade$12,933
66Cadillac Escalade ESV$12,938
67BMW 3 Series$13,219
68Jaguar F-TYPE$13,255
69BMW 5 Series$13,530
70BMW 2 Series$13,780
71Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class$13,781
72BMW Z4$13,999
73BMW 4 Series$14,121
74Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class$14,421
75BMW 7 Series$14,453
76BMW 8 Series$14,548
77BMW M5$14,667
78Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class$14,738
79Porsche 718 Boxster$15,670
80Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class$15,726
81Jaguar F-Pace$16,103
82Land Rover Discovery Sport$16,147
83Land Rover Range Rover Evoque$16,365
84Land Rover Discovery$16,485
85Porsche Panamera$16,531
86Mercedes-Benz G-Class$16,561
87Land Rover Range Rover Velar$16,755
88Land Rover Range Rover Sport$16,989
89BMW X1$17,516
90BMW X2$17,602
91BMW X3$17,711
92Mercedes-Benz Metris$18,045
93BMW X6$18,148
94Land Rover Range Rover$18,228
95Porsche 911$18,231
96BMW X5$18,389
97BMW X7$18,550
98Mercedes-Benz Sprinter$18,634
99BMW X6 M$18,900
100Porsche Macan$20,137
101Porsche Cayenne$20,552
Just like financing a Rolex watch, financing and maintaining a luxury car may come at a steep cost. Below we highlight several ways to pay for luxury car maintenance: 

Cash or Debit

You could use cash or a debit card to pay for luxury car maintenance if you have enough money or sufficient funds in your checking or savings account. Bankrolling the maintenance costs can deplete your savings, but the upside to using cash is it completes a transaction without relying on a creditor.

Credit Cards

You can use credit cards to pay for luxury car maintenance. Some credit cards offer at least 1% cash back on all purchases, but interest charges can be high if you’re making minimum payments. You can avoid credit card interest charges on new purchases by paying your statement balance in full each billing cycle.

Personal Loans

You can take out personal loans to help cover luxury car maintenance expenses. These consumer lending products could be unsecured as a no collateral loan or secured as collateralized loans. Personal loans provide borrowers with a lump sum of money and a payment schedule for repaying the loan over a set term.Recommended: What Are Collateralized Loans?

Refinancing Your Luxury Car

Auto refinancing can provide some relief if you need a lower monthly payment on your luxury car loan. Refinancing pays off your original car loan with a new loan agreement.You can refinance your car loan for a lower interest rate and lower monthly payment. (Refinancing for a longer term may increase your total interest costs.)Refinancing may be an option to consider if you’ve bought an ultra-premium vehicle with exotic car financing. Such cars can cost more than $100K and can take years to pay off.

When To Refinance a Car

Your personal circumstances can help you determine whether and when to refinance a car. Refinancing may make sense if your credit has improved, because you may qualify for lower rates of interest.

Pros and Cons of Auto Refinancing

There are some pros and cons of auto refinancing. Refinancing may reduce your interest charges, but refinancing could also cause your credit score to drop several points. Banks, credit unions, and nonbank financial institutions may conduct a hard pull inquiry into your credit report if you apply for refinancing, which can impact your credit scores.

Refinancing Your Luxury Car 

You may refinance your luxury car by shopping around, checking your rate, and applying with the refinancing company of your choice. There is a cost to refinance a car, so that’s something to take into account when deciding whether refinancing is right for you.

Compare Auto Loan Refinancing Rates

Luxury cars are generally expensive to buy and maintain. The maintenance expenses can cost you thousands of dollars over a 10-year period.If you’re interested in refinancing a car, Lantern by SoFi can help. Refinancing your auto loan could lead to lower monthly car payments and more money in your budget.Lantern helps you compare auto loan refinance rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the maintenance cost for luxury cars?
Which luxury car is cheapest to maintain?
Which luxury car is the most expensive to maintain?
Photo credit: iStock/skynesher
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About the Author

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman

Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman writes about personal loans, auto loans, student loans, and other personal finance topics for Lantern. He’s the recipient of more than 10 journalism awards and served as a New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists board member. An alumnus of the Philadelphia-based Temple University, Abdur-Rahman is a strong advocate of the First Amendment and freedom of speech.
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