Lowest True Cost to OwnSM Vehicles for December 2008

Have you ever wondered which new vehicles are the least expensive to own? We're talking about the vehicles not necessarily with the lowest purchase price, but with the lowest total ownership cost? Well, Edmunds.com's editors and data analysts decided to roll up their sleeves and figure that out.

We started by gathering all of the necessary data, and then used our proprietary True Cost to Own^SM (TCO^SM) algorithms to estimate the five-year cost of owning each new vehicle currently in the market. The result is our list of those vehicles with the lowest overall ownership cost in their respective segments. A vehicle's competitive segment is determined by body type and the sales-weighted average MSRP of all styles within the model/body type combination.

For more information on how we calculate TCO, and the assumptions that we use, see our About TCO article.

The models listed on this page are updated monthly.

Sedans | Wagons | Coupes | Convertibles | Trucks | SUVs | Vans | Exotics

Sedans

Sedan Under $15,000: Nissan Versa

Sedan Under $20,000: Honda Fit

Sedan Under $25,000: Volkswagen Jetta

Sedan Under $30,000: Nissan Altima Hybrid

Sedan Under $35,000: Chrysler 300

Sedan Under $45,000: Acura TL

Sedan Under $60,000: Lexus GS 350

Sedan Over $60,000: Lexus LS 460

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Wagons

Wagon Under $15,000: Kia Rio

Wagon Under $20,000: Scion xB

Wagon Under $30,000: Chevrolet HHR

Wagon Under $40,000: Volkswagen Passat

Wagon Over $40,000: Mercedes-Benz R-Class

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Coupes

Coupe Under $20,000: Toyota Yaris

Coupe Under $30,000: Mini Cooper

Coupe Under $40,000: Volkswagen R32

Coupe Under $60,000: BMW Z4

Coupe Over $60,000: Jaguar XK-Series

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Convertibles

Convertible Under $25,000: Chrysler PT Cruiser

Convertible Under $35,000: Volkswagen New Beetle

Convertible Under $45,000: Honda S2000

Convertible Under $60,000: Saab 9-3

Convertible Over $60,000: Lexus SC 430

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Trucks

Compact Truck: Mazda B-Series Truck

Large Truck: Honda Ridgeline

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SUVs

SUV Under $25,000: Jeep Patriot

SUV Under $35,000: Saturn VUE

SUV Under $45,000: Buick Enclave

SUV Over $45,000: Lexus GX 470

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Vans

Minivan: Mazda MAZDA5

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Exotics

Exotic: Dodge Viper

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