Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study

RahulNagaraj · 18th January 2023, 15:33

According to a new study, Toyota cars are said to be the least expensive to maintain over the course of a decade.

The study stated that over a 10-year period, Toyota cars need an average of $5,996 in terms of maintenance costs. In fact, the study also showed that Toyota cars locked out the top 6 spots in the list of least expensive cars to maintain, with the Prius securing 1st place.

Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study-toyotaprius1.jpg

The Toyota Prius is said to have maintenance costs of just over $4,000 over a 10-year period. The plug-in hybrid is followed by the Toyota Yaris, Corolla, Prius Prime, Camry & Avalon. The Honda Fit came in seventh, with the Mitsubishi Mirage, Toyota Supra & Honda Civic closing the top 10.

Among the brands, Mitsubishi came second with an average maintenance cost of $7,787, followed by Honda ($7,827), Mazda ($8,035) and Nissan ($8,088), occupying second to fifth place, respectively.

Among the luxury brands, Tesla occupied the top slot, with Lexus, Acura, Infiniti & Lincoln completing the top 5 brands. The Tesla Model 3, Model S and Model Y locked out the top 3 places among the luxury cars, with the Lexus ES350 and ES300h taking up the fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Recently, a similar study also ranked Toyota & Lexus in the top 3 most reliable car brands in the world list, with Lexus taking the top slot while Toyota came in third.

Source: CarEdge

Link to Team-BHP news

shyampsunder · 18th January 2023, 19:03

The most interesting takeaway in this report has been missed. While Toyota's maintenance costs for 10 years are the lowest in the mainstream segment at $5996, across segments, it is Tesla that is cheapest to maintain at $5867!

Tesla beats its nearest luxury rival which is Lexus by a whopping 25%! Lexus on average costs $7786.

The EV revolution will hit the core of Toyota's USP which is reliability

Raghu M · 18th January 2023, 19:16

They should add India to the market too. Maruti will top the list hands down.

V.Narayan · 18th January 2023, 19:52

As a Toyota-Lexus customer I am not at all surprised at this. Innova, Camry, ES300h in India and Yaris in USA - four cars and a collective experience of about 30 years between them. Toyota's approach is not only design but the process of manufacturing and their 'stop the line' practise if any defect is found in any unit on the assembly line by any worker. Workers are praised and rewarded for finding genuine defects and stopping the line.

Many years ago before buying the Camry I asked for a walk through of one of their A.S.S, centres which they obliged. Now a car service centre usually looks like and is organized like a dump compared to an airliner service centre {called an MRO}. But I noted that the care with which they stored and tracked their inventory, broken parts, and checked for completeness of work done was as close to an aviation MRO as one can expect from a mass car garage. Garages of Skoda, General Motors, Honda and even Volvo don't even begin to come close. Such dedication to process and quality doesn't come easy and takes years to build. It has to be in the DNA of the organization. Mercedes used to have it till c.1990.

I only hope Toyota doesn't lose it as the world moves to EVs.

indian21r · 18th January 2023, 20:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by shyampsunder

The most interesting takeaway in this report has been missed. While Toyota's maintenance costs for 10 years are the lowest in the mainstream segment at $5996, across segments, it is Tesla that is cheapest to maintain at $5867!

Tesla beats its nearest luxury rival which is Lexus by a whopping 25%! Lexus on average costs $7786.

The EV revolution will hit the core of Toyota's USP which is reliability

Till the EV's come for battery replacement, I am sure they will be cheap to maintain. Again considering that the report is over a 10 year period, a few of them must have crossed the 160000 kms mark. So if battery replacement is not needed, then EV's are indeed a boon for heavy users.

shyampsunder · 18th January 2023, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by indian21r

Till the EV's come for battery replacement, I am sure they will be cheap to maintain. Again considering that the report is over a 10 year period, a few of them must have crossed the 160000 kms mark. So if battery replacement is not needed, then EV's are indeed a boon for heavy users.

Modern EV batteries will exceed the life of the car in most cases. No wonder you see brands like Mercedes offering 10 year warranties on their brand new EV tech but shying away from even offering extended warranty on their tried and tested engine and transmission beyond 7 years. Manufacturers already know the reliability numbers. Data is only proving it.

VikramCS · 18th January 2023, 22:31

Well, nothing surprising! Toyota builds the most reliable cars that hardly breakdown or need major replacement (if maintained as per prescribed schedule). As a former T owner, i was delighted to see my yearly service bills hover around Rs.3.5K. It stood true to the line 'Fill it, shut it, drive it'.
Major Japanese brands are pocket friendly to maintain. However, to assess and conclude regarding maintenance costs of EVs in India over a ten-year period is still some time away...will have to wait for enough examples on roads

DicKy · 18th January 2023, 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by shyampsunder

The most interesting takeaway in this report has been missed. While Toyota's maintenance costs for 10 years are the lowest in the mainstream segment at $5996, across segments, it is Tesla that is cheapest to maintain at $5867!...Tesla beats its nearest luxury rival which is Lexus by a whopping 25%! Lexus on average costs $7786....The EV revolution will hit the core of Toyota's USP which is reliability

I would see it otherwise. It is Tesla with a full BEV range that really shouldn't have anything other than brakes/ cabin filters maintenance vs the Lexus range that has ICE, hybrid, BoF, FWD, RWD, AWD, 4x4, sedans, SUVs et al. And it is only 25% more expensive to maintain than the Teslas?

Yes, the EV revolution will level the playing field with regards to reliability in the powertrain area. About other areas? Poor fit and finish, doors not working properly, software issues are all problems of Teslas that have not been yet fixed properly. And they sell the Tesla in exactly how many markets? Contrast that with Toyota/Lexus where a panel won't be seen astray and they are being sold in places where there are roads or not.

Btw, did they just assume the maintenance over 10 years? Asking cause except the Model S, all other Tesla models are surely less than five years old.

souvikjana83 · 18th January 2023, 23:35

All the cars in the list belong to Japanese brands which tells how much pocket friendly and reliable these brand have been for customers. No wonder these brands are the top brands especially Toyota and Honda.

RRM · 18th January 2023, 23:41

Not surprised at all. As the Innova owner both 2005 (sold) and 2012, I never had to worry, frankly, about the service cost. I just did 1.25L service and the cost was approx 1.5k with tax (no additional requests like wb/wa, any specific checks etc). The cost remains low provided the vehicle is loved and maintained as per manual. Of course I don’t service/repair/paint etc other than A.S.S.

It’s been 10 yrs since I am owning 2 Innovas (pre owned) and absolutely no complaints thus far of product or service and stands true to what it is known for!

Formula1 · 19th January 2023, 05:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by shyampsunder

Modern EV batteries will exceed the life of the car in most cases. No wonder you see brands like Mercedes offering 10 year warranties on their brand new EV tech but shying away from even offering extended warranty on their tried and tested engine and transmission beyond 7 years. Manufacturers already know the reliability numbers. Data is only proving it.

The true life of a car isn't a simple value.

They can give out warranties all they want..., but in the end what matters will be the resale value. 10-15 years from now, we will be seeing the real data points for EV vis-a-vis ICE.

androdev · 19th January 2023, 13:15

If you consider the maintenance costs AFTER the decade mark, Toyota will mop the floor with the competition.

Jeroen · 19th January 2023, 14:13

Does not surprise me in the least. All Japanese cars are built to last.

I will share a funny story that reiterates this fact. In the early 80s we lived in the UK. A good friend of ours was moving back to Barbados and he left me his Datsun 120Y. It was a bit rusty but drove well otherwise. I bummed around in it for almost four years with virtually no maintenance other than the very bare minimum.

In 1986 we moved to the Netherlands. I needed to get rid of the Datsun very quickly. As it was old and rusty I decided to take it to a scrap yard. None of them wanted to take it. They all told me the same. Nothing goes wrong on these Datsun’s. Nobody ever comes to our yard looking for Datsun parts.

In the end I had to pay them 100 quid to leave my Datsun with them.

Jeroen

theMAG · 20th January 2023, 21:23

Scotty Kilmer (https://www.youtube.com/@scottykilmer) is probably doing back flips with this news article! He is a big Toyota fan-boy master mechanic in the YouTube world - much to the chagrin of all other brand owners and the numerous war of words that are known to exist between the two sides.

slamnos · 23rd January 2023, 17:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raghu M

They should add India to the market too. Maruti will top the list hands down.

Its a myth that Maruti is cheapest in India, Even here Toyota is cheaper.

The number of wear and tear parts changed in every service in Maruti vs Toyota makes all the difference, even though part cost of Maruti spares might be cheaper

18th January 2023, 15:33	#1
RahulNagaraj Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,536 Thanked: 24,102 Times	Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study According to a new study, Toyota cars are said to be the least expensive to maintain over the course of a decade. The study stated that over a 10-year period, Toyota cars need an average of $5,996 in terms of maintenance costs. In fact, the study also showed that Toyota cars locked out the top 6 spots in the list of least expensive cars to maintain, with the Prius securing 1st place. The Toyota Prius is said to have maintenance costs of just over $4,000 over a 10-year period. The plug-in hybrid is followed by the Toyota Yaris, Corolla, Prius Prime, Camry & Avalon. The Honda Fit came in seventh, with the Mitsubishi Mirage, Toyota Supra & Honda Civic closing the top 10. Among the brands, Mitsubishi came second with an average maintenance cost of $7,787, followed by Honda ($7,827), Mazda ($8,035) and Nissan ($8,088), occupying second to fifth place, respectively. Among the luxury brands, Tesla occupied the top slot, with Lexus, Acura, Infiniti & Lincoln completing the top 5 brands. The Tesla Model 3, Model S and Model Y locked out the top 3 places among the luxury cars, with the Lexus ES350 and ES300h taking up the fourth and fifth place, respectively. Recently, a similar study also ranked Toyota & Lexus in the top 3 most reliable car brands in the world list, with Lexus taking the top slot while Toyota came in third. Source: CarEdge Link to Team-BHP news Last edited by RahulNagaraj : 18th January 2023 at 15:36.
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18th January 2023, 19:03	#2
shyampsunder BHPian Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Chennai Posts: 390 Thanked: 1,979 Times	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study The most interesting takeaway in this report has been missed. While Toyota's maintenance costs for 10 years are the lowest in the mainstream segment at $5996, across segments, it is Tesla that is cheapest to maintain at $5867! Tesla beats its nearest luxury rival which is Lexus by a whopping 25%! Lexus on average costs $7786. The EV revolution will hit the core of Toyota's USP which is reliability
	(7) Thanks

18th January 2023, 19:16	#3
Raghu M Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Hyderbad Posts: 1,072 Thanked: 3,803 Times	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study They should add India to the market too. Maruti will top the list hands down.
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18th January 2023, 19:52	#4
V.Narayan Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Delhi-NCR Posts: 4,180 Thanked: 68,039 Times	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study As a Toyota-Lexus customer I am not at all surprised at this. Innova, Camry, ES300h in India and Yaris in USA - four cars and a collective experience of about 30 years between them. Toyota's approach is not only design but the process of manufacturing and their 'stop the line' practise if any defect is found in any unit on the assembly line by any worker. Workers are praised and rewarded for finding genuine defects and stopping the line. Many years ago before buying the Camry I asked for a walk through of one of their A.S.S, centres which they obliged. Now a car service centre usually looks like and is organized like a dump compared to an airliner service centre {called an MRO}. But I noted that the care with which they stored and tracked their inventory, broken parts, and checked for completeness of work done was as close to an aviation MRO as one can expect from a mass car garage. Garages of Skoda, General Motors, Honda and even Volvo don't even begin to come close. Such dedication to process and quality doesn't come easy and takes years to build. It has to be in the DNA of the organization. Mercedes used to have it till c.1990. I only hope Toyota doesn't lose it as the world moves to EVs. Last edited by V.Narayan : 18th January 2023 at 19:55.
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18th January 2023, 22:31	#7
VikramCS BHPian Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Bangalore Posts: 128 Thanked: 228 Times	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study Well, nothing surprising! Toyota builds the most reliable cars that hardly breakdown or need major replacement (if maintained as per prescribed schedule). As a former T owner, i was delighted to see my yearly service bills hover around Rs.3.5K. It stood true to the line 'Fill it, shut it, drive it'. Major Japanese brands are pocket friendly to maintain. However, to assess and conclude regarding maintenance costs of EVs in India over a ten-year period is still some time away...will have to wait for enough examples on roads
	(2) Thanks

18th January 2023, 23:35	#9
souvikjana83 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Del/Hyd/Pune Posts: 230 Thanked: 355 Times	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study All the cars in the list belong to Japanese brands which tells how much pocket friendly and reliable these brand have been for customers. No wonder these brands are the top brands especially Toyota and Honda.
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18th January 2023, 23:41	#10
RRM BHPian Join Date: Oct 2022 Location: KA51, KL9, KL3 Posts: 97 Thanked: 271 Times	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study Not surprised at all. As the Innova owner both 2005 (sold) and 2012, I never had to worry, frankly, about the service cost. I just did 1.25L service and the cost was approx 1.5k with tax (no additional requests like wb/wa, any specific checks etc). The cost remains low provided the vehicle is loved and maintained as per manual. Of course I don’t service/repair/paint etc other than A.S.S. It’s been 10 yrs since I am owning 2 Innovas (pre owned) and absolutely no complaints thus far of product or service and stands true to what it is known for!
	(2) Thanks

19th January 2023, 13:15	#12
androdev Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: bangalore Posts: 3,207 Thanked: 24,245 Times	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study If you consider the maintenance costs AFTER the decade mark, Toyota will mop the floor with the competition.
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19th January 2023, 14:13	#13
Jeroen Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Delhi Posts: 8,615 Thanked: 57,195 Times View My Garage	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study Does not surprise me in the least. All Japanese cars are built to last. I will share a funny story that reiterates this fact. In the early 80s we lived in the UK. A good friend of ours was moving back to Barbados and he left me his Datsun 120Y. It was a bit rusty but drove well otherwise. I bummed around in it for almost four years with virtually no maintenance other than the very bare minimum. In 1986 we moved to the Netherlands. I needed to get rid of the Datsun very quickly. As it was old and rusty I decided to take it to a scrap yard. None of them wanted to take it. They all told me the same. Nothing goes wrong on these Datsun’s. Nobody ever comes to our yard looking for Datsun parts. In the end I had to pay them 100 quid to leave my Datsun with them. Jeroen
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20th January 2023, 21:23	#14
theMAG Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Avon, CT Posts: 7,219 Thanked: 1,816 Times View My Garage	Re: Toyota cars are the cheapest to maintain over a decade, says new study Scotty Kilmer (https://www.youtube.com/@scottykilmer) is probably doing back flips with this news article! He is a big Toyota fan-boy master mechanic in the YouTube world - much to the chagrin of all other brand owners and the numerous war of words that are known to exist between the two sides.
	(2) Thanks