What’s the Cheapest Car to Own? Edmunds Lists Top Picks
By Chris Weiss
It’s easy to figure out what the cheapest car to buy is–just do a quick comparison of sticker prices, option costs and included/additional fees and you can determine your cheapest way off the car lot. But trying to figure out the cheapest automobile in the long run is a lot trickier. You’d have to read the reviews, talk to some owners and determine fuel, insurance, repair and maintenance costs, among other things–a task that not many consumers have the time or stomach for.
Luckily for us, we have good-natured folks at Edmunds doing all that work for us. Edmunds’ report puts together the costs of a vehicle over five years and considers things like “projected average depreciation, financing, taxes, fees, insurance premiums, fuel costs, regional variances, maintenance, and repairs for each model.” There are various categories based upon price and style.
Some winners include the 2010 Toyota Yaris (Coupe Under $25,000/Sedan Under $15,000), the Honda Accord (Coupe $25K to $35K) and the Jeep Wrangler (SUV $25K to $35K). You can see the rest of the winners and runners up on the full Edmunds list. [via InsideLine]
