Over a 10-year period, Kia Optima owners can expect to pay less than $6,500 in maintenance
You can afford the car, but can you keep it in service? Cars break down and need repairs, as well as regular car maintenance. That’s just a part of car ownership. And that’s precisely what makes low maintenance cars a desirable commodity.
You won’t find the most luxurious, best equipped, highest performance, nor the sexiest cars on this list. Hell, there’s even a pickup truck and a hybrid in the top 10. What you will find are a bunch of cars that you won’t have a problem keeping on the road.
These models have been ranked based on their cost of maintenance over 10 years. So you shouldn’t be surprised at which brand takes five of the top 10 places (six if you count Scion).
Kia Optima: $6,400
Squeaking in to 10th place is the Kia Optima. And now there’s even a Kia Optima hybrid option, so in future years that could bump it higher on the list. It’s been a reliable, consistent sedan for Kia for nearly two decades. While it hasn’t always been as sleek and sophisticated as it is for 2017, the Kia Optima isn’t commonly found at the side of the road.
Despite being known for engine failure, the typical Optima owner can expect repair bills to tally up to just $6,400 over 10 years, or $640 per year.
9. Scion xB: $6,300
Before being wrapped up into the Toyota brand, Scion was a youthful brand that embraced no-frills equipment while remaining sporty. Because of its limited options, there simply happened to be less to go wrong. Its love-it-or-hate-it design has since been dropped from the lineup.
Fewer systems to experience problems means fewer repair and maintenance costs. Oil consumption issues and power steering failures were the most reported issues in the past 10 years. However, the average annual cost for maintenance is $630, or $6,300 over a 10-year span.
