Car shopping involves a lot more than going to a dealership and plopping money down.
There are other factors that are involved, including insurance, depreciation, and fuel. Kelley Blue Book recently came out with a lengthy list of vehicles from 2018 that are the cheapest in their respective segments to own.
“For a car’s 5-Year Cost to Own projection, our number-loving experts calculate financing, insurance and state fees, plus the estimated costs of fuel, maintenance and repairs. Also tallied are the major factors of purchase price — the exclusive Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price — and projected depreciation, derived from our benchmark residual-value analysis,” explained the outlet.
KBB also named Hyundai as having the most affordable vehicles overall to own for a five-year period. As far as luxury automakers are concerned, that title went to Acura. Hyundai nabbed the awards for the second time in a row, while Acura was given the award for the third consecutive year.
To see the full list of the 22 cheapest cars to own, check out the list below.
Subcompact Car: Chevrolet Spark
The Chevrolet Spark EV may have been discontinued, but the little city car continues on with an emphasis on affordability. Five-year cost of ownership for the Spark comes in at $29,171.
Compact Car: Toyota Corolla iM
At the beginning of 2016, the Scion brand as a whole died, leaving all of the manufacturer’s vehicles to be absorbed by Toyota. Scion was all about having vehicles that were affordable to own, which is something that Toyota apparently maintained. The Corolla iM costs $30,856 to own for five years.
Sporty Compact Car: Honda Civic Si
The Honda Civic Type R is all of the rage at the moment, but people forget that the Civic Si is a great all-rounder. Not to mention it’s incredibly affordable with a five-year cost of ownership of $33,484.
Mid-Size Car: Hyundai Sonata
Hyundai’s been killing it recently with its new vehicles, and the Sonata’s an excellent option in the mid-size segment. A face-lifted version of the Sonata is expected to come out at the Chicago Auto Show, which should bring some more attractive styling to the vehicle. The Sonata costs $36,800 to own over a five-year period.
Full-Size Car: Chevrolet Impala
The modern Chevrolet Impala has always been further down on the list of vehicles to purchase in the full-size sedan segment. The makeover that the vehicle went through back in 2014 changed that. And with the Impala’s lost cost to own, it’s an even better option in the segment. The Impala has a five-year cost to own price of $46,057.
Entry-Level Luxury Car: Acura ILX
On the face of it, the Acura ILX looks like a fancy Honda Civic. And unfortunately, it’s not worth the extra money when compared to a nicely-loaded Civic. Still, owners have something to look forward to, as the vehicle only has a five-year cost of ownership price of $38,293.
Luxury Car: Lexus GS
Some people are still complaining about Lexus’ spindle grille, but the GS lineup was one of the most reliable cars for 2017. There’s also no denying the fact that the GS F is a proper performance car. We highly doubt that the V8-powered GS F is the vehicle KBB is referring to when it claims that the GS line of vehicles only costs $60,012 to own over five years, but it might not be that far off.
High-End Luxury Car: Porsche Panamera
The new Porsche Panamera is arguably the ultimate one-car garage for enthusiasts. It now looks good, has the performance of a high-end sports car, and comes in so many flavors that you could go crazy with choosing options. The fact that it also happens to be the most affordable option to own in the high-end luxury segment is just the icing on the cake. The Panamera costs $100,412 to own over a five-year period.
Sports Car: Chevrolet Camaro
Is it a sports car? Is it a pony car? Who cares anymore. The new Chevrolet Camaro is The Camaro is leaps above previous generations and blends the line between what constitutes as a pony car anymore. Heck, even the Camaro 2.0T is a good car. It’ll cost an owner $43,629 to own a Camaro over five years.
High Performance Car: Dodge Challenger SRT
The Dodge Challenger SRT is a full-on muscle cars, like from the good ol’ days. It’s not very good at doing anything besides going down a straight line, which is part of its charm. Fuel economy will probably be the most expensive aspect of the Challenger SRT lineup, as V8s are thirsty engines. The cost to own the muscle car for five years is priced at $53,656.
Hybrid/Alternative Energy Car: Toyota Prius c
The Toyota Prius is one of the most iconic hybrids every made. So it’s not surprising to see the compact version of the vehicle on the list. The Prius c costs $33,454 to own over five years.
Electric Vehicle: Nissan Leaf
The new Nissan Leaf will be a persistent splinter in Tesla’s plan for electric-vehicle domination. With an updated cabin, more range, and a sharper design, the Leaf might draw some sales away from the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3. For ownership over a five-year period, the Leaf will cost owners just $38,258.
Subcompact SUV/Crossover: Honda HR-V
The Honda HR-V is the U.S.’s best-selling retail subcompact SUV. From its specs, it’s easy to see why. It has an affordable price tag, the high-up seating position that everyone wants, and a good amount of features. The HR-V’s five-year cost to own price of $32,874 probably helps its case.
Compact SUV/Crossover: Subaru Crosstrek
Wagons are making a comeback, but with more ground clearance and some rugged exterior cues. The Subaru Crosstrek is the perfect example of a modern wagon and only costs $34,724 to own over five years.
Mid-Size SUV/Crossover: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is the last of a dying breed. Everything about the Wrangler Unlimited is about off-roading first and daily items second. It’s a recipe that’s allowed the Wrangler to stick around forever and be one of the most-loved vehicles on the road. Owning a Wrangler Unlimited for five years costs $36,244.
Full-Size SUV/Crossover: Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevrolet Tahoe, especially in its RST guise, is a SUV that everyone can enjoy. It’s big, it’s luxurious, its powerful, and it’s also, surprisingly, relatively cheap to own. The cost for owning a Tahoe for five years is $62,167.
Luxury Compact SUV/Crossover: Buick Encore
Buick’s attempting to change its image and the new Encore is helping the American automaker do just that. The compact crossover was Buick’s best-selling model in the U.S. in 2015, which was probably spurred on by its compact size and affordable price tag. The Encore has a five-year cost to own price of $38,607.
Luxury Mid-Size SUV/Crossover: Infiniti QX60
There are numerous SUVs on the market that are capable of seating up to seven passengers, but the Infiniti QX60 is a good buy because it has everything people are looking for at the moment. The QX60 costs $51,517 to own over five years.
Luxury Full-Size SUV/Crossover: Infiniti QX80
The new Infiniti QX80 is a monstrous boat of a SUV. As the flagship SUV from the automaker, it’s opulent in every way possible. Luxury, though, doesn’t come cheap, as the QX80 has a five-year cost to own price of $78,170.
Mid-Size Pickup Truck: Toyota Tacoma
Everyone knows that the Toyota Tacoma is one of the best midsize pickups on the market. It’s bulletproof, practical, and holds its value incredibly well. There’s just so much to like about the Tacoma. Incredibly, the Tacoma costs less to own over five years than the Leaf with a price of $37,083.
Full-Size Pickup Truck: Ford F-150
There’s a reason why the Ford F-150 continues to be the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. Americans love pickup trucks and the F-150 is one of the most capable offerings in the full-size segment. The F-150 costs $48,362 to own for five years.
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
The Honda Odyssey is one of the few vehicles owners keep for more than 15 years and that’s because it’s an excellent alternative to a SUV. There’s plenty of interior space, the minivan has high crash test scores, and is nearly a flawless vehicle. The Odyssey has a five-year cost to own price of $45,279.