About the 5-Year Cost to Own awards
Kelley Blue Book’s 5-Year Cost to Own data takes into account the total vehicle-related costs an owner will encounter during the first five years of owning a car. This includes the Fair Purchase Price of a vehicle and its resale value. The 5-Year Cost to Own projections also factor in the insurance, fuel costs, and maintenance costs, as well as any state tax and registration fees. However, the biggest single item that affects what you’ll pay over the time you own your vehicle is depreciation. That significant number doesn’t affect most owners until the time comes to sell it or trade it in.
While most of the numbers, like expected fuel costs, insurance, maintenance, and repairs, are easy to digest, it’s the depreciation component that should be a critical element in your car buying decision. The value of your vehicle on the resale market can have a major impact on your overall expenses. That low initial price of a low trim vehicle may look good out the door, but a buyer of one with more features — or even a competing model with lower depreciation — may come out ahead when all is said and done.
That’s why we’ve identified the brands and individual models across such a wide range of vehicle classes. These are the ones that perform the best when it comes to protecting your automotive investment.
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2022 lowest 5-Year Cost to Own SUVs
2022 Hyundai Venue
Subcompact SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $30,555
Compared to segment average: -$6,982
2022 Subaru Forester
The 2022 Subaru Forester
Compact SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $39,473
Compared to segment average: -$1,957
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2022 Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback
2-row midsize SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $43,973
Compared to segment average: -$6,730
2022 Subaru Ascent
The Subaru Ascent
3-row midsize SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $48,383
Compared to segment average: -$4,121
2022 Nissan Armada
The 2022 Nissan Armada
Full-size SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $69,416
Compared to segment average: -$6,822
2022 Ford Bronco
The Ford Bronco
Off-road SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $47,961
Compared to segment average: -$3,059
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2022 Lexus UX
The 2022 Lexus UX
Subcompact luxury SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $46,424
Compared to segment average: -$3,224
2022 Lexus NX
The Lexus NX
Compact luxury SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $51,227
Compared to segment average: -$6,219
2022 Lexus RX
The Lexus RX
2-row midsize luxury SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $62,099
Compared to segment average: -$12,156
2022 Acura MDX
The Acura MDX
3-row midsize luxury SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $60,530
Compared to segment average: -$7,193
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2022 Lexus LX
Full-size luxury SUV
5-Year Cost to Own: $88,956
Compared to segment average: -$12,698
This story originally ran on KBB.com.