10 cars ranked cheapest to own over a full five years

The sticker price is only the starting point for what a car actually costs, since fuel, insurance, maintenance, and depreciation all add up over years of ownership and can vary dramatically between models that cost roughly the same to buy. The 10 vehicles below have consistently ranked among the cheapest to own over a five-year span, combining efficient engines, strong resale values, and low-cost parts and service that together keep long-term expenses down well below what a sticker price alone would suggest.

1. Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla has built its reputation on low running costs across every category that matters over five years of ownership, from fuel economy to insurance premiums to the price of routine parts.

Because the Corolla is produced in such enormous volume worldwide, replacement parts and independent service are cheap and widely available, which keeps unscheduled repair costs from eating into the savings built up through efficient daily driving and predictable fuel bills.

2. Honda Civic

The Honda Civic pairs strong fuel economy with slow depreciation, meaning owners lose less value over five years than they would with many similarly priced competitors.

Honda’s reputation for reliability also keeps insurance and extended-warranty costs modest, since insurers and buyers alike treat the Civic as a comparatively low-risk vehicle to own, insure, and eventually repair.

3. Toyota Prius

The hybrid Toyota Prius drives down its five-year cost of ownership primarily through fuel savings, since its hybrid powertrain uses substantially less gasoline than a comparable conventional sedan over the same number of miles.

Toyota’s hybrid system has also proven durable over long service lives, which has helped keep repair costs from offsetting the fuel savings the way some early hybrid skeptics once expected when the technology was newer.

4. Mazda3

The Mazda3 combines efficient engines with strong resale value, a pairing that keeps its total five-year ownership cost competitive with more overtly budget-focused compact cars.

Because Mazda has built a reputation for upscale interiors at compact-car prices, Mazda3 owners tend to see less depreciation than buyers of more forgettable economy cars, which helps offset the slightly higher upfront pricing compared with more bare-bones economy cars.

5. Hyundai Elantra

The Hyundai Elantra pairs efficient engines with one of the longer factory warranties in the compact segment, which shields owners from unexpected repair bills during the years covered by that warranty.

That warranty coverage, combined with competitive fuel economy, has helped the Elantra post some of the lowest five-year ownership costs among compact sedans tracked by industry cost-of-ownership studies year after year.

6. Kia Forte

The Kia Forte keeps costs low from the moment of purchase, with one of the lowest starting prices in the compact segment and running costs that stay modest across fuel, insurance, and maintenance categories.

Like its Hyundai sibling, the Forte benefits from a lengthy factory warranty that reduces the likelihood of large out-of-pocket repair costs during the early years of ownership that matter most for a five-year cost comparison against pricier rivals.

7. Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry balances a slightly higher purchase price against slow depreciation and low repair frequency, a combination that keeps its five-year total cost competitive with smaller, cheaper cars despite the Camry’s larger size and higher content levels.

Strong resale value in particular helps the Camry’s ownership math, since owners recover more of their initial purchase price at trade-in than they would with a less desirable midsize sedan competing for the same buyers.

8. Honda Accord

The Honda Accord delivers a low total cost of ownership for its size class, thanks to efficient engines, dependable mechanicals, and resale values that hold up better than many rivals.

Because the Accord rarely requires unscheduled major repairs within its first five years, owners typically spend less on maintenance over five years than they would with a less proven midsize sedan competing in the same price range and body style.

9. Subaru Impreza

The Subaru Impreza offers standard all-wheel drive at a price point that keeps its five-year running costs modest despite the added mechanical complexity that typically comes with all-wheel-drive systems.

Subaru’s efficient boxer engine and the Impreza’s relatively compact size help offset the fuel economy penalty that all-wheel drive usually carries, keeping total ownership costs closer to front-wheel-drive competitors than most buyers shopping the segment might initially expect.

10. Nissan Versa

The Nissan Versa keeps its five-year ownership cost down primarily through the lowest starting price in the segment, which reduces the total amount of money at risk to depreciation from day one.

Modest insurance premiums and inexpensive routine maintenance round out the Versa’s case as one of the cheapest new cars to own, even if its resale value trails some of the more desirable names elsewhere on this list of cheap cars to own.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors.

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