What is the cheapest car to maintain?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
The cheapest cars to maintain are hybrids: the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Prius lead our ranking at about $1,463 a year (AAA 2025 hybrid benchmark, 15,000 miles a year), $193 under the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Among gas cars, small sedans such as the Toyota Corolla cost least, about $1,535 a year.
Top 10 cheapest cars to maintain
- Toyota Camry — about $1,463 a year (hybrid); 0.156 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold; ToyotaCare included
- Toyota RAV4 — about $1,463 a year (hybrid); 0.182 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold; ToyotaCare included
- Toyota Prius — about $1,463 a year (hybrid); ToyotaCare included
- Tesla Model 3 — about $1,511 a year (electric vehicle)
- Tesla Model Y — about $1,511 a year (electric vehicle)
- Toyota Corolla — about $1,535 a year (small sedan); 0.18 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold; ToyotaCare included
- Mazda Mazda3 — about $1,535 a year (small sedan); 0.291 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold
- Volkswagen Jetta — about $1,535 a year (small sedan); 0.336 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold; Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage) included
- Hyundai Elantra — about $1,535 a year (small sedan); 0.364 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold; Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM) included
- Honda Civic — about $1,535 a year (small sedan); 0.406 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold; Honda Maintenance Program included
Models in the same AAA category share a dollar benchmark; the order within a category comes from the NHTSA complaint rate (lower first). Models with no rate in our study sort after rated ones in their category.
Cheapest types of car to maintain
AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs measures maintenance, repair and tire costs per mile for five top-selling new models in each category. Hybrids are cheapest; medium sedans cost the most.
| Category | Cents per mile | Per year | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 9.75¢ | $1,463 | $7,315 |
| Electric vehicle | 10.07¢ | $1,511 | $7,555 |
| Small sedan | 10.23¢ | $1,535 | $7,675 |
| Subcompact SUV | 10.79¢ | $1,619 | $8,095 |
| Half-ton crew-cab pickup | 11.36¢ | $1,704 | $8,520 |
| Midsize pickup | 11.44¢ | $1,716 | $8,580 |
| Compact SUV (FWD) | 11.64¢ | $1,746 | $8,730 |
| Medium SUV (4WD) | 11.79¢ | $1,769 | $8,845 |
| Medium sedan | 11.91¢ | $1,787 | $8,935 |
| All-vehicle weighted average | 11.04¢ | $1,656 | $8,280 |
Full ranking: 50 models
| # | Model | Category | Est. per year | 5 years | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Included maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Camry | Hybrid | $1,463 | $7,315 | 0.156 Best | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 2 | Toyota RAV4 | Hybrid | $1,463 | $7,315 | 0.182 Best | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 3 | Toyota Prius | Hybrid | $1,463 | $7,315 | — | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 4 | Tesla Model 3 | Electric vehicle | $1,511 | $7,555 | — | — |
| 5 | Tesla Model Y | Electric vehicle | $1,511 | $7,555 | — | — |
| 6 | Toyota Corolla | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.18 Best | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 7 | Mazda Mazda3 | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.291 Best | — |
| 8 | Volkswagen Jetta | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.336 Above average | Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage) (2 years — covers the 10,000- and 20,000-mile scheduled services, or scheduled services for two years, whichever occurs first) |
| 9 | Hyundai Elantra | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.364 Average | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM) (3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first) |
| 10 | Honda Civic | Small sedan | $1,535 | $7,675 | 0.406 Below average | Honda Maintenance Program (1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models) |
| 11 | Mazda CX-30 | Subcompact SUV | $1,619 | $8,095 | — | — |
| 12 | Subaru Crosstrek | Subcompact SUV | $1,619 | $8,095 | — | — |
| 13 | Ford F-150 | Half-ton crew-cab pickup | $1,704 | $8,520 | 0.427 Best | — |
| 14 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Half-ton crew-cab pickup | $1,704 | $8,520 | 0.579 Above average | Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit (One visit within the first 12 months of ownership) |
| 15 | GMC Sierra 1500 | Half-ton crew-cab pickup | $1,704 | $8,520 | 0.922 Average | GMC First Service Visit (First scheduled service visit for new GMC owners) |
| 16 | Ram 1500 | Half-ton crew-cab pickup | $1,704 | $8,520 | 0.968 Below average | — |
| 17 | Toyota Tundra | Half-ton crew-cab pickup | $1,704 | $8,520 | — | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 18 | Toyota Tacoma | Midsize pickup | $1,716 | $8,580 | 0.197 Best | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 19 | Mazda CX-5 | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | 0.246 Best | — |
| 20 | Nissan Rogue | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | 0.341 Best | Nissan Maintenance Care (Up to 3 oil changes within 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first) |
| 21 | Chevrolet Equinox | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | 0.353 Above average | Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit (One visit within the first 12 months of ownership) |
| 22 | Honda CR-V | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | 0.497 Above average | Honda Maintenance Program (1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models) |
| 23 | Kia Sportage | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | 0.508 Above average | — |
| 24 | Subaru Forester | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | 0.525 Average | — |
| 25 | Hyundai Tucson | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | 0.966 Below average | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM) (3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first) |
| 26 | Ford Escape | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | — | — |
| 27 | Jeep Compass | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | — | — |
| 28 | Subaru Outback | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | — | — |
| 29 | Volkswagen Tiguan | Compact SUV (FWD) | $1,746 | $8,730 | — | Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage) (2 years — covers the 10,000- and 20,000-mile scheduled services, or scheduled services for two years, whichever occurs first) |
| 30 | Toyota Highlander | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | 0.393 Above average | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 31 | Chevrolet Tahoe | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | 0.517 Average | Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit (One visit within the first 12 months of ownership) |
| 32 | Hyundai Santa Fe | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | 0.552 Average | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM) (3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first) |
| 33 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | 0.592 Below average | — |
| 34 | Ford Explorer | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | 0.918 Below average | — |
| 35 | Honda Pilot | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | 1.07 Worst | Honda Maintenance Program (1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models) |
| 36 | Jeep Wrangler | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | 1.12 Worst | — |
| 37 | Kia Sorento | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | 1.29 Worst | — |
| 38 | Chevrolet Traverse | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | — | Chevrolet Complete Care — covered first maintenance visit (One visit within the first 12 months of ownership) |
| 39 | Ford Bronco | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | — | — |
| 40 | Honda Odyssey | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | — | Honda Maintenance Program (1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models) |
| 41 | Hyundai Palisade | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | — | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM) (3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first) |
| 42 | Kia Telluride | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | — | — |
| 43 | Subaru Ascent | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | — | — |
| 44 | Toyota 4Runner | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | — | ToyotaCare (2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier) |
| 45 | Volkswagen Atlas | Medium SUV (4WD) | $1,769 | $8,845 | — | Carefree Maintenance (part of Carefree Coverage) (2 years — covers the 10,000- and 20,000-mile scheduled services, or scheduled services for two years, whichever occurs first) |
| 46 | Nissan Altima | Medium sedan | $1,787 | $8,935 | 0.331 Above average | Nissan Maintenance Care (Up to 3 oil changes within 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first) |
| 47 | Honda Accord | Medium sedan | $1,787 | $8,935 | 0.463 Worst | Honda Maintenance Program (1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models) |
| 48 | Porsche Macan | Porsche plan (OEM) | $1,824 | $7,295 | — | Included First Service (First scheduled service at 1 year/10,000 miles on new internal-combustion Porsches) |
| 49 | Porsche 911 | Porsche plan (OEM) | $1,974 | $7,895 | — | Included First Service (First scheduled service at 1 year/10,000 miles on new internal-combustion Porsches) |
| 50 | Porsche Cayenne | Porsche plan (OEM) | $2,168 | $8,670 | — | Included First Service (First scheduled service at 1 year/10,000 miles on new internal-combustion Porsches) |
Not ranked (22): BMW X3, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Audi Q5, Audi Q7, Lexus RX, Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Volvo XC60, Volvo XC90, Tesla Model S, Acura MDX, Acura RDX, Genesis G70, Genesis GV80, Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Aviator, Lincoln Corsair, Lincoln Nautilus, Lincoln Navigator. These brands don't publish service prices and AAA's benchmarks are built from mainstream models, so we don't assign them a dollar figure. Each has a page with its factory schedule and complaint record.
Methodology
- Dollar figure: AAA's 2025 "maintenance, repair & tires" cents per mile for the model's vehicle category × 15,000 miles. AAA's figure includes retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires. Fuel type follows the EPA listings for the current model year, so a model now sold only as a hybrid uses the hybrid category.
- Porsche: Porsche's published Service Maintenance Plan MSRP for years 2–5, ÷ 4. Scheduled service only.
- Tiebreaker: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold, a CarWhere analysis of 314,978 complaints against 70.7 million vehicles sold (2015–2022).
- What it isn't: a shop quote. Labor rates vary by region, and an individual car's history matters more than its category. Figures are for a new car's first 5 years.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest car to maintain?
The cheapest cars to maintain are hybrids: the Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4 and Toyota Prius lead our ranking at about $1,463 a year (AAA 2025 hybrid benchmark, 15,000 miles a year), $193 under the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Among gas cars, small sedans such as the Toyota Corolla cost least, about $1,535 a year.
What type of car is cheapest to maintain?
Hybrids, at 9.75¢ a mile ($1,463 a year at 15,000 miles), then electric vehicles at 10.07¢ and small sedans at 10.23¢, per AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs. Medium sedans were the most expensive category at 11.91¢ a mile.
Are hybrids cheaper to maintain than gas cars?
Yes, on AAA's 2025 figures: $1,463 a year for hybrids against $1,656 for the all-vehicle average, covering scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, tires and an extended warranty. Toyota's hybrid schedules still call for inverter-coolant service, so the schedule doesn't disappear.
Are electric cars cheaper to maintain?
Cheaper than most gas categories: AAA puts EVs at 10.07¢ a mile ($1,511 a year), behind only hybrids. The Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y are the EVs on our list. EVs skip oil changes but still need tires, brakes, cabin filters and coolant service.
Which car brand is cheapest to maintain?
Of the brands with at least 3 models we price, Toyota ranks first (about $1,610 a year averaged across its models), and ToyotaCare adds included scheduled maintenance. Mazda ($1,633) and Volkswagen ($1,683) follow. Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y average $1,511, but that's a small lineup. Brand averages depend on each brand's model mix.
What is the most expensive car to maintain on this list?
The Porsche Cayenne: Porsche's own maintenance plan prices scheduled service at about $2,168 a year for years 2–5, before tires or repairs. Among mainstream models, the Honda Accord has the highest benchmark ($1,787). Most luxury brands aren't priced because they don't publish service costs.
How did CarWhere rank these cars?
By estimated maintenance cost per year, lowest first, then by NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold to break ties between models that share an AAA category. Dollar estimates for mainstream models use AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs "maintenance, repair & tires" cost per mile for the model's vehicle category × 15,000 miles a year. AAA's figure includes retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires; it averages five top-selling 2025 models per category, new, 15,000 miles a year for 5 years. The all-vehicle weighted average is 11.04¢ a mile ($1,656 a year). These are category benchmarks, not model-specific quotes. Porsche figures are Porsche's own Service Maintenance Plan MSRPs. Other luxury brands don't publish service prices and aren't priced. Complaint rates are NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (CarWhere analysis).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar estimates for mainstream models use AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs "maintenance, repair & tires" cost per mile for the model's vehicle category × 15,000 miles a year. AAA's figure includes retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires; it averages five top-selling 2025 models per category, new, 15,000 miles a year for 5 years. The all-vehicle weighted average is 11.04¢ a mile ($1,656 a year). These are category benchmarks, not model-specific quotes. Porsche figures are Porsche's own Service Maintenance Plan MSRPs. Other luxury brands don't publish service prices and aren't priced. Complaint rates are NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)