How much do car maintenance costs increase with increasing mileage?
The average car costs $1,400 for maintenance up to 25,000 miles, then costs rise quickly to 100,000 miles. Toyota wins as the cheapest car to maintain.
The average American depends on a car that travels 37 miles a day. Every day, passengers spend about an hour in the car. Long commutes can be a bummer, but a breakdown is even worse.
Drivers need to know which vehicles can travel that distance and which ones will leave them on the side of the road.
At AvtoTachki we have a huge dataset that includes the make, model and mileage of the vehicles we have serviced. Previously, we used this data to study how cars behave with age. In this article, we looked at how cars stand up to exploitation. In other words, which cars have the lowest maintenance costs as mileage increases? We also looked at which types of maintenance are becoming more common with increasing mileage.
We started our current analysis by asking how much more it costs to maintain an average car for the first 25,000 miles compared to the next 25,000 miles. (To estimate maintenance costs by distance, we took the total maintenance cost for vehicles in that mileage category and divided it by the number of oil changes. Assuming one oil change is 5,000 miles, this gives us the cost of maintenance required per mile.)
| How do maintenance costs vary with mileage? | |
|---|---|
| Based on the results of AvtoTachki maintenance | |
| Mileage | Total maintenance costs per 25k miles |
| 0- 25,000 | $1,400 |
| 25,000 – 50,000 | $2,200 |
| 50,000 – 75,000 | $3,000 |
| 75,000 – 100,000 | $3,900 |
| 100,000 – 125,000 | $4,100 |
| 125,000 – 150,000 | $4,400 |
| 150,000 – 175,000 | $4,800 |
| 175,000 – 200,000 | $5,000 |
The average car costs $1,400 to maintain for the first 25,000 miles, and costs increase from there. Costs rise sharply up to the 100,000 miles mark and less intensely after 100,000 miles. Car maintenance costs may reach a ceiling, or it may happen that drivers scrap their cars as soon as the maintenance costs outweigh the value of the car.
What types of cars are the cheapest to maintain? First, we looked at which makes (brands) are the cheapest to maintain for the first 75,000 miles.
| What makes Start Out the least expensive? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Based on maintenance costs of the first 75,000 miles for all popular brands | ||
| Rank | MAKE | The cost of the first 75 thousand miles |
| 1 | Hyundai | $4,000 |
| 2 | Kia | $4,000 |
| 3 | Toyota | $4,300 |
| 4 | Nissan | $4,600 |
| 5 | Subaru | $4,700 |
| 6 | Offspring | $4,800 |
| 7 | Mazda | $4,900 |
| 8 | Honda | $4,900 |
| 9 | Volkswagen | $5,600 |
| 10 | Acura | $5,700 |
| 11 | Lexus | $5,800 |
| 12 | Infiniti | $5,800 |
| 13 | Jeep | $6,500 |
| 14 | Mini | $6,500 |
| 15 | GMC | $6,600 |
| 16 | Evasion | $6,700 |
| 17 | Mitsubishi | $7,000 |
| 18 | Chevrolet | $7,100 |
| 19 | Ford | $7,900 |
| 20 | Buick | $8,100 |
| 21 | Chrysler | $8,400 |
| 22 | Volvo | $8,700 |
| 23 | Audi | $8,800 |
| 24 | Lincoln | $10,300 |
| 25 | Saturn | $11,000 |
| 26 | Cadillac | $11,000 |
| 27 | Mercedes-Benz | $11,000 |
| 28 | Pontiac | $11,300 |
| 29 | BMW | $13,300 |
There are few surprises here. Entry-level car manufacturers like Hyundai and Kia are considered the least expensive. On the other hand, premium models like Mercedes-Benz and BMW are the most expensive. For the first 75,000 miles, these upscale models are about three times more expensive to maintain than the cheapest options. Maintaining high performance cars is not cheap.
But what makes you stay inexpensive with high mileage? We grouped the data by brand and compared maintenance costs for the first 150,000 miles driven.
| Which brands require the least maintenance in the long run? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Based on maintenance costs of the first 150,000 miles for all popular brands | ||
| Rank | MAKE | The cost of the first 150 thousand miles |
| 1 | Offspring | $10,400 |
| 2 | Toyota | $11,100 |
| 3 | Honda | $14,300 |
| 4 | Subaru | $14,400 |
| 5 | Lexus | $14,700 |
| 6 | Hyundai | $15,000 |
| 7 | Nissan | $15,000 |
| 8 | Mazda | $15,100 |
| 9 | Kia | $15,100 |
| 10 | Volkswagen | $15,300 |
| 11 | Infiniti | $16,900 |
| 12 | Mini | $17,500 |
| 13 | GMC | $18,100 |
| 14 | Chevrolet | $18,900 |
| 15 | Acura | $19,000 |
| 16 | Mitsubishi | $19,000 |
| 17 | Jeep | $19,400 |
| 18 | Audi | $21,200 |
| 19 | Ford | $21,700 |
| 20 | Buick | $22,300 |
| 21 | Volvo | $22,600 |
| 22 | Evasion | $22,900 |
| 23 | Chrysler | $23,000 |
| 24 | Mercedes-Benz | $23,600 |
| 25 | Saturn | $26,100 |
| 26 | Pontiac | $24,200 |
| 27 | Cadillac | $25,700 |
| 28 | Lincoln | $28,100 |
| 29 | BMW | $28,600 |
Cars that initially seem inexpensive do not always remain profitable. The entry level makes Hyundai and Kia claim the least expensive service during the first 75,000 miles, but drops to 6th and 9 after 150,000 miles.
Expensive models like Mercedes-Benz and BMW are expensive (about $11,000 or more for the first 75,000 miles) and stay that expensive as mileage increases. Mid-range car brands are a mixed bag. Dodge drops from 16th to 22th due to higher mileage maintenance costs, while Subaru moves from 5th to 4th. Subaru cuts costs even as it earns miles.
Toyota (and its Scion brand) is the clear winner.
In addition to looking at the make of the car, we were interested in knowing which models have the most durability. The following table shows the specific models that are the most and least expensive for the first 75,000 miles. We list only the ten most and least expensive, because there are so many models.
| Which models start with the most/least expensive? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Based on first 75,000 miles maintenance costs | |||
| Dearest | |||
| Rank | MAKE | Model | The cost of the first 75 thousand miles |
| 1 | BMW | 328 | $11,800 |
| 2 | Ford | Mustang | $10,200 |
| 3 | Ford | F-150 visa. | $8,900 |
| 4 | Evasion | Big Caravan | $8,100 |
| 5 | Mazda | 6 | $7,900 |
| 6 | Jeep | Grand Cherokee | $7,900 |
| 7 | Ford | Discover | $7,800 |
| 8 | Acura | TL | $7,700 |
| 9 | Audi | A4 | $7,400 |
| 10 | Audi | A4 Quattro | $7,400 |
| Less expensive | |||
| Rank | MAKE | Model | The cost of the first 75 thousand miles |
| 1 | Toyota | Prius | $2,800 |
| 2 | Nissan | Versa | $3,300 |
| 3 | Chevrolet | Tahoe | $3,400 |
| 4 | Hyundai | Sonata | $3,600 |
| 5 | Honda | Correspond | $3,600 |
| 6 | Lexus | IS250 | $3,600 |
| 7 | Hyundai | Elantra | $3,900 |
| 8 | Ford | Merger | $3,900 |
| 9 | Toyota | Yaris | $3,900 |
| 10 | Toyota | Corolla | $3,900 |
The Toyota Prius, which costs just $2,800 to maintain for the first 75,000 miles, is the clear winner. The Nissan Versa and Chevrolet Tahoe also show strengths. In general, small cars from Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota are fairly inexpensive to maintain.
But which of these models remains profitable when the odometer increases from 75,000 to 150,000?
| Which models require the most/least maintenance in the long run? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Based on first 150,000 miles maintenance costs | |||
| Dearest | |||
| Rank | MAKE | Model | The cost of the first 150 thousand miles |
| 1 | Ford | Mustang | $27,100 |
| 2 | BMW | 328 | $25,100 |
| 3 | Ford | Discover | $23,100 |
| 4 | Jeep | Grand Cherokee | $22,900 |
| 5 | Acura | TL | $22,900 |
| 6 | Evasion | Big Caravan | $21,700 |
| 7 | Ford | Фокус | $21,600 |
| 8 | Audi | A4 Quattro | $20,500 |
| 9 | Hyundai | Santa Fe | $20,000 |
| 10 | Acura | MDX | $19,700 |
| Less expensive | |||
| Rank | MAKE | Model | The cost of the first 150 thousand miles |
| 1 | Toyota | Prius | $6,700 |
| 2 | Nissan | Versa | $8,500 |
| 3 | Honda | Correspond | $10,000 |
| 4 | Toyota | Yaris | $10,300 |
| 5 | Toyota | Corolla | $10,300 |
| 6 | Offspring | xB | $10,400 |
| 7 | Lexus | IS250 | $10,400 |
| 8 | Toyota | Tacoma | $10,900 |
| 9 | Ford | Merger | $10,900 |
| 10 | Toyota | Highlander | $11,200 |
The Toyota Prius is the least expensive model to maintain for both low and high mileage; maintenance costs a meager $6,700 for 150,000 miles. The next best option, the Nissan Versa, which costs an average of $8,500 in maintenance over 150,000 miles, still costs owners over 25% more than a Prius.
Other high performance vehicles are mostly coupes and sedans. However, Toyota included its SUV (Highlander) and truck (Tacoma) in the list.
What issues are most likely to affect these maintenance costs?
We've looked at the most common problems and how likely they are to occur. For example, if one in ten cars changes brake pads between 25,000 and 30,000 miles, then cars with that mileage have a 10% chance of having brake pads replaced every 5,000 miles. Conversely, if every fourth car with between 100,000 and 105,000 miles on the odometer had brake pads replaced, the same probability would be 25%.
The most common problems are that the car won't start or the Check Engine light is on. Brake pads, spark plugs and batteries also require frequent repairs.
Drivers need to check the engine light and deal with a car that refuses to start as the mileage increases. In contrast, brake pad problems are reached after 50,000 miles and spark plug problems after 100,000 miles. Drivers are constantly dealing with faulty batteries throughout the life of their vehicle.
Whether buying a used car or servicing their current car, consumers need to know which cars require the least maintenance costs as mileage increases. We analyzed our data using several impact variables, as these costs are influenced by many factors, from the condition of the most frequently driven road surfaces to the frequency of regular maintenance visits.
