Toyota has become the most economical brand in terms of vehicle maintenance costs over a 10-year period, while BMW and Mercedes-Benz maintain their position as vehicles with the highest maintenance cost. To keep your vehicle on the road longer, you'll need to perform regular car maintenance, from tire rotations, oil changes, wiper replacements and more. Let's take a look at how much it can cost you to maintain certain brands in 10 years.

BMW: Luxury Cars with High Maintenance Costs

BMW offers a wide variety of vehicles, ranging from luxury crossovers to sports cars.

The price to replace essential car components and the complexity of performing maintenance can make owning this luxury car expensive for anyone. Like BMW, replacing the essential components of a Mercedes-Benz can require thousands of out-of-pocket costs for those without warranty protection. All vehicles have been manufactured by top engineers around the world, making repairs more complex to complete.

Cadillac: A Combination of Retail Cost and Maintenance

Cadillac is a well-known car manufacturer that many buyers turn to for comfortable, high-quality vehicles.

However, one thing that hasn't changed is the price of spare parts and repair times. Cadillac's overall costs come from a good combination of retail cost and maintenance. Although they have developed more economical vehicles, these vehicles are still a little more difficult to work with than others, which increases the cost of maintenance.

Audi: Impressive Technology with High Maintenance Costs

Audi has impressive technology built into its vehicles, which is also why it costs so much to maintain.

They will also have higher-than-usual replacement parts, which will increase the total cost of maintenance. Drivers maintain their cars longer than ever before, and the average age of vehicles on the road is almost 12 years old today. That's why maintenance is essential to keep your car running reliably and avoid costly breakdowns.

The True Cost of Owning a Car

Buying a new car can be an exciting but overwhelming process considering how many makes and models are available.

From Ford, Toyota, BMW, Nissan, Chevrolets and more, you can find something that fits your needs and budget. For as long as cars have existed, Americans have debated car ownership and issues of cost and reliability. Knowing the relative maintenance costs of brands can be informative, but it's also important to consider how car costs change with age. Although one of the most important aspects when it comes to car costs is its starting price, you should never forget about maintenance costs.

The Hyundai Accent has one of the lowest starting prices in its class at $14,995 but its 10-year maintenance cost is estimated at $7,400. However, ongoing maintenance and repairs will cost you about a third of that amount over a 10-year period, making the Accent one of the most expensive entry-level cars to maintain on the road. The most expensive car brands to maintain are those that need large sums of money for annual maintenance. You can use cash or a debit card to pay for maintenance on a luxury car if you have enough cash on hand or enough funds in your bank account.

The Kia Soul is another example of a vehicle with high maintenance costs. It's definitely a modern little machine that takes you where you want to go with arrogance, but cars also have to be taken care of, and the Soul's maintenance costs are some of the highest in its price range. This is likely because people repudiate their cars if the maintenance costs are higher than the value of their cars. Factors such as how well a car is maintained, how often you drive, where you drive and how you drive affect maintenance costs.

The true cost of owning a car goes far beyond the price of the label, beyond fixed costs like annual registration fees and monthly car insurance, even beyond the exquisite pain of an occasional parking ticket.