Cheapest Cars to Maintain — 40,000-Mile Test Results Show Who Pays the Most and Least

The cheapest cars to maintain over 40,000 miles cost $96. The most expensive cost $3,200. Nearly 40 cars were put through seven years of 40,000-mile long-term road tests, with every factory service bill tracked — oil changes, tire rotations, spark plugs, filter replacements, fluid services. Tires, brakes, and unscheduled repairs were counted separately.

Most car buyers never ask about maintenance costs before signing. The monthly payment gets calculated. The sticker price gets negotiated. The service schedule never comes up — until the first bill lands at the dealership counter and the number is higher than expected.

$3,104 separates the lowest maintenance bill in the test pool from the highest. That gap is enough to cover six years of oil changes on a Honda Civic — and it has nothing to do with how reliable the cars are.

Cheapest Cars to Maintain — Full Results From the Test Pool

Hyundai Sonata N Line — $96

Ninety-six dollars. For 40,000 miles. That’s less than most people spend on a single oil change at a main dealer, and it’s the lowest maintenance bill in the entire test pool.

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line got there because Hyundai’s complimentary maintenance program covered nearly every scheduled visit during the test period. Oil changes, tire rotations, filter swaps — Hyundai handled all of it. The only bill that came through was $96 for the one stop the program didn’t include.

Before getting too excited about that number — Hyundai quietly ended its complimentary maintenance program for 2026 model year vehicles. Anyone walking into a dealership today to buy a new Sonata pays for every service visit themselves. The $96 was specific to 2021, and the program that made it possible no longer exists on new cars.

BMW M3 and BMW i4 — $0

The 2022 BMW M3 and 2024 BMW i4 finished their 40,000-mile test periods with $0 in scheduled maintenance bills. BMW includes the first three years or 36,000 miles of scheduled service in the purchase price — oil changes, filter replacements, fluid checks, all of it. Every stop both cars needed fell inside that window.

BMW still runs this program on new vehicles. If you’re comparing a BMW against anything from Porsche, Mazda, or Toyota on total ownership cost, those three years of free service need to go into the calculation. A lot of buyers don’t think about it at the point of sale, and that’s a mistake.

Kia EV9 — $355

At $355 over 40,000 miles, the 2024 Kia EV9 ranks among the cheapest cars to maintain in the three-row SUV category — and it didn’t need any manufacturer subsidy to get there.

Electric vehicles have a structural advantage over combustion engine cars when it comes to maintenance. Engine oil changes don’t happen. Oil filters don’t get replaced. Spark plugs don’t exist. The items that account for most of the money on a conventional car’s service schedule simply aren’t there. The EV9’s $355 covered tire rotations, brake fluid checks, and cabin air filters — the kind of maintenance that takes an hour and doesn’t cost much.

The Rivian R1T came in at $405 over the same distance. The Tesla Model 3 at $432. Every electric vehicle in the test pool landed near the bottom of the cost table — not because they’re particularly special, but because the service schedule is structurally shorter than on any combustion engine car.

Honda Civic Si — $383

The Honda Civic Si is a turbocharged six-speed manual performance compact that costs less to maintain over 40,000 miles than a lot of people spend on a single dealer service visit for a luxury SUV. Three stops, $383 total, with the most expensive individual bill coming in just over $150.

The 2019 Civic Type R — the harder, faster, more aggressive version — cost even less at $369. The catch with the Type R is the tires. Those specialized performance tires wear down faster than standard rubber and cost considerably more to replace. If tires are in the budget conversation, the Type R gets expensive fast. On the factory service schedule alone, both Civics are among the cheapest cars to maintain in any segment at any price point.

Honda CR-V Hybrid — $476

Honda offers no complimentary maintenance. The 2021 CR-V Hybrid still came in at $476 across three service stops — oil changes, tire rotations, filter replacements — every dollar paid out of pocket.

Compare that to the Mazda CX-30, which sits in the same price bracket, same size class, no hybrid powertrain, and cost $781 over the same 40,000 miles. The CR-V Hybrid cost $305 less with no free maintenance helping it along. Hybrid powertrains reduce the scope of what needs doing at each visit, and that difference showed up on every single receipt.

Ford Maverick Hybrid — $593

Four service stops over 40,000 miles on the 2024 Ford Maverick Hybrid came to $593. Ford offers no complimentary maintenance — every dollar came out of pocket. None of the four individual visits produced a bill worth writing home about — each one was reasonable on its own, and the total stayed modest across the full distance.

The Maverick Hybrid is the only pickup truck in the test pool that costs less than $600 to maintain over 40,000 miles without any manufacturer subsidy helping the number down.

Most Expensive Cars to Maintain in the Test Pool

Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 — $3,200

The 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 racked up $3,200 across three paid service visits over 40,000 miles. The first visit was complimentary. After that, Porsche’s 10,000-mile service intervals kept bringing the car back to the dealer — and each time it came back, it left money behind.

New spark plugs came due at the 30,000-mile mark and pushed that visit’s bill significantly higher than the others. Porsche dealer labor rates are expensive. The service intervals are tighter than most competitors. Parts for a flat-six engine cost more than equivalent components for a four-cylinder family car. Every one of those factors applies at every single visit, and they compound over the full ownership period.

$3,200 for scheduled maintenance on a car that starts above $90,000 is the reality of owning a Porsche. That number doesn’t include tires, which on a performance Porsche wear faster than on a family sedan and cost considerably more to replace when they do.

Porsche Cayenne — $2,677

The Cayenne is Porsche’s SUV, not its sports car — but it carries the same ownership costs. The 2019 Cayenne totaled $2,677 across three paid service visits, with the first stop complimentary just like the Cayman.

A BMW X5 buyer pays nothing for scheduled maintenance during the first three years or 36,000 miles. A Cayenne buyer in the same segment, same years, same mileage, pays $2,677. That gap shows up in the bank account regardless of which car cost more to buy.

Toyota Tundra Hybrid — $1,413

The 2023 Tundra Hybrid’s 30,000-mile service is where most of the damage happened. Air filters, oil change, tire rotation, differential fluid, and transfer case oil all came due at the same visit — all at Toyota dealer prices, all on one bill. That single stop drove most of the $1,413 total across 40,000 miles.

The 2019 Ram 1500 V8 — a conventional full-size truck from the same era, same segment — cost $425 over the same distance. The Tundra Hybrid cost $988 more. Same roads, same mileage, very different receipts.

Mazda CX-90 — $1,593

The CX-90 replaced the CX-9 and moved Mazda firmly into near-luxury SUV territory with a new platform and a new powertrain. The service costs moved with it. At $1,593 over 40,000 miles, the CX-90 is the most expensive three-row SUV in the test pool to maintain.

Kia Telluride owners paid $728. Subaru Ascent owners paid $821. Toyota Grand Highlander owners paid $938. CX-90 owners paid $1,593. Mazda built a more sophisticated car with more sophisticated hardware, and dealer service on that hardware costs more than service on any of its three-row rivals. The $865 gap over the Telluride and $655 gap over the Grand Highlander is what that decision costs at the service counter every time the service light comes on.

Three Reasons Why Some Cars Cost Ten Times More to Maintain

Three things explain why some cars are the cheapest cars to maintain and others cost ten times more.

Who pays for the first few years. BMW and Hyundai both offered complimentary maintenance programs that covered multiple years of service. The money doesn’t vanish — it’s built into the car’s price or absorbed by the manufacturer. But for the owner writing checks, the difference between paying nothing and paying $2,677 over four years is very real money regardless of where it came from.

How often the car needs a service visit. Porsche requires a dealer stop every 10,000 miles. Some manufacturers push that to 15,000 miles or longer. More visits means more labor charges even when each individual visit is perfectly reasonable. A car that needs four visits to reach 40,000 miles costs more in labor alone than one that only needs three, before a single part gets replaced.

What happens at each visit. A Honda Civic’s 30,000-mile service is an oil change, a tire rotation, and some filters. A Toyota Tundra Hybrid’s 30,000-mile service adds differential fluid and transfer case oil to that list. Same mileage interval, completely different bill. The scope of work at each scheduled stop matters as much as what the dealer charges per hour.

Electric vehicles avoid this problem entirely. No engine oil to change, no oil filter to replace, no spark plugs to swap. The Kia EV9 at $355 costs less to maintain than a Honda CR-V Hybrid at $476 despite being a much larger and more expensive vehicle — because the EV service schedule is fundamentally shorter than anything with a combustion engine under the hood.

Full Maintenance Cost — 40,000-Mile Tests

Scheduled maintenance only. Tires, brakes, and unscheduled repairs tracked separately.

FAQ

What are the cheapest cars to maintain?

Hyundai Sonata N Line at $96 — Hyundai’s complimentary program covered almost everything. BMW M3 and BMW i4 at $0 — BMW’s program covered all of it. Kia EV9 at $355, no manufacturer help. Honda Civic Si at $383, no manufacturer help. Honda CR-V Hybrid at $476, no manufacturer help. The last three are the real benchmark — the owner wrote every check.

Are electric cars cheaper to maintain than gas cars?

Every EV in the test pool finished near the bottom of the cost table. Kia EV9: $355. Rivian R1T: $405. Tesla Model 3: $432. Electric motors don’t need oil. There’s no oil filter to swap, no spark plugs to pull. On a combustion engine car those three items alone account for most of what the service advisor charges. Take them off the list and the bill shrinks — which is exactly what the EV numbers show.

Why is the Porsche 718 Cayman so expensive to maintain?

Service every 10,000 miles — tighter than most competitors. High dealer labor rates. Parts for a flat-six that cost more than equivalent components for a four-cylinder. New spark plugs at 30,000 miles on top of the standard service items. Every one of those factors applies at every visit. By 40,000 miles, they’ve added up to $3,200.

Does BMW’s free maintenance actually save money?

The BMW M3 and i4 both produced $0 in maintenance costs during their test periods. Three years or 36,000 miles of scheduled service — oil changes, filters, fluid checks — included in the purchase. Whether the cost is baked into the price is a fair question. The check the owner never writes is real money regardless.

Which pickup truck costs the least to maintain?

The Ram 1500 V8 paid $425 over 40,000 miles. The Ford Maverick Hybrid paid $593. The Toyota Tundra Hybrid paid $1,413. At the Tundra’s 30,000-mile service, differential fluid and transfer case oil showed up on the bill alongside the standard oil change, filters, and tire rotation. That one visit is why the Tundra costs $988 more than the Ram over the same 40,000 miles.

Why does the Mazda CX-90 cost more to maintain than other three-row SUVs?

The Kia Telluride cost $728 over 40,000 miles. The Subaru Ascent cost $821. The Toyota Grand Highlander cost $938. The Mazda CX-90 cost $1,593. Mazda put the CX-90 on a new platform with a new powertrain — service on that hardware runs higher than on the Telluride, Ascent, or Highlander at every single visit. Not one expensive appointment. Every appointment.

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