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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 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 April 2022:
1. Tesla
Tesla’s fully electric vehicle models have an average $5,867 maintenance and repair cost during their first 10 years of service. Tesla is classified as a luxury brand in CarEdge’s rankings.
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.
These five luxury car brands have the highest maintenance costs, according to CarEdge’s rankings and data as of April 2022:
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.
Luxury Car Maintenance Cost Comparison
Here is a table comparing the maintenance costs of luxury cars from cheapest to most expensive as ranked by CarEdge:
Rank
Model
10 Year Maintenance Cost
1
Tesla Model 3
$3,587
2
Tesla Model S
$4,566
3
Tesla Model Y
$4,732
4
Lexus ES 350
$5,488
5
Lexus ES 300h
$5,662
6
Lexus IS 350
$5,680
7
Lexus GS 350
$5,721
8
Tesla Model X
$5,723
9
Acura ILX
$7,104
10
Lexus NX 300
$7,136
11
Acura TLX
$7,364
12
Lexus RX 350
$7,398
13
Lexus RX 450h
$7,634
14
Lexus GX 460
$7,652
15
Acura RLX
$7,683
16
INFINITI Q50
$8,136
17
Lexus LX 570
$8,286
18
Lincoln MKZ
$8,378
19
Audi A5
$8,687
20
INFINITI Q60
$8,898
21
Audi A3
$9,035
22
Audi A4
$9,054
23
Audi S5
$9,094
24
Audi A5 Sportback
$9,115
25
Cadillac CT4
$9,161
26
Volvo S60
$9,164
27
Cadillac CT5
$9,221
28
Audi A6
$9,252
29
Cadillac XT5
$9,329
30
Audi S4
$9,345
31
Volvo S90
$9,422
32
Acura RDX
$9,610
33
Audi TT
$9,644
34
Audi S6
$9,722
35
Acura MDX
$9,820
36
Audi A7
$9,824
37
Audi A8
$9,895
38
Audi S8
$10,476
39
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
$10,486
40
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
$10,492
41
INFINITI QX50
$10,657
42
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
$10,734
43
Volvo V60 Cross Country
$10,770
44
INFINITI QX60
$10,805
45
Volvo V60
$11,020
46
Lincoln Corsair
$11,121
47
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
$11,224
48
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
$11,322
49
Lincoln Nautilus
$11,326
50
INFINITI QX80
$11,582
51
Lincoln Aviator
$11,691
52
Audi Q3
$11,843
53
Volvo XC40
$11,907
54
Cadillac XT4
$12,018
55
Audi Q5
$12,068
56
Lincoln Navigator
$12,111
57
Volvo XC60
$12,129
58
Jaguar XF
$12,187
59
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
$12,306
60
Volvo XC90
$12,359
61
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
$12,389
62
Audi SQ5
$12,467
63
Audi Q7
$12,489
64
Audi Q8
$12,551
65
Cadillac Escalade
$12,933
66
Cadillac Escalade ESV
$12,938
67
BMW 3 Series
$13,219
68
Jaguar F-TYPE
$13,255
69
BMW 5 Series
$13,530
70
BMW 2 Series
$13,780
71
Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
$13,781
72
BMW Z4
$13,999
73
BMW 4 Series
$14,121
74
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
$14,421
75
BMW 7 Series
$14,453
76
BMW 8 Series
$14,548
77
BMW M5
$14,667
78
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class
$14,738
79
Porsche 718 Boxster
$15,670
80
Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
$15,726
81
Jaguar F-Pace
$16,103
82
Land Rover Discovery Sport
$16,147
83
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
$16,365
84
Land Rover Discovery
$16,485
85
Porsche Panamera
$16,531
86
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
$16,561
87
Land Rover Range Rover Velar
$16,755
88
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
$16,989
89
BMW X1
$17,516
90
BMW X2
$17,602
91
BMW X3
$17,711
92
Mercedes-Benz Metris
$18,045
93
BMW X6
$18,148
94
Land Rover Range Rover
$18,228
95
Porsche 911
$18,231
96
BMW X5
$18,389
97
BMW X7
$18,550
98
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
$18,634
99
BMW X6 M
$18,900
100
Porsche Macan
$20,137
101
Porsche Cayenne
$20,552
Below we highlight several ways to pay for luxury car maintenance:
Cash or Debit
You may use cash or a debit card to pay for luxury car maintenance if you have enough cash in hand 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
Consumers may use credit cards to pay for luxury car maintenance. Some credit cards may offer a rewards program that provides cardholders with at least 1% cash back on all purchases. Credit cards may carry high interest rates, but borrowers can pay off their credit card debt on a flexible timeline with minimum monthly payments or greater.
Personal Loans
Borrowers may 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 payment schedule for repaying the loan.
Refinancing Your Luxury Car
Luxury cars can be expensive to finance and maintain. They can also experience a fast rate of car depreciation. Car owners with an auto loan may consider refinancing to potentially lower their monthly payment or lock in a lower interest rate.
When to Refinance a Car
If you carry an auto loan debt burden, whether and when to refinance a car depends on your personal circumstances. 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 you have to explore whether refinancing is right for you.
Compare Auto Loan Refinancing Rates Today
Luxury cars are generally expensive to buy and maintain. The maintenance expenses can cost you thousands of dollars over a 10-year period.Lantern by SoFi can help you find the right auto refi loan for you. Refinancing your auto loan could lead to lower monthly car payments and more money in your budget. Check your rate today and see if you prequalify for auto refinancing.
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?
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About the Author
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 currently serves 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.