![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/05\/07\/PDTN\/bb3cff22-75aa-4d61-bf06-2b7009e2284a-jeep_fr3-4.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/p>\nIndeed, Volvo and Subaru \u2014 which also perpetually rank below average on J.D. Power\u2019s\u00a0Vehicle Dependability\u00a0Survey\u00a0\u2014\u00a0also placed multiple vehicles on a\u00a0sprawling podium culled from 22 vehicle categories projecting the lowest ownership costs over the\u00a0initial five-year ownership period.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s going on?<\/p>\n
Turns out that cost of ownership is about more than the cost of maintenance, repairs, fuel, and insurance (all factors in KBB’s evaluation). Depreciation \u2014 that is, the resale value of your asset after five years \u2014 is also a big part of your\u00a0car\u2019s cost.<\/p>\n \u201cDepreciation tends to be a strong component for total cost to own, so cars that win typically have strong residual values,\u201d said Eric Ibarra, KBB\u2019s director of residual consulting, in an interview. \u201cThe Charger has\u00a0very strong performance\u00a0in the full-size car segment and carries strong residual values. Performance is a strong attribute when you\u2019re looking at how it will retain value. Wrangler is an iconic vehicle and\u00a0wins years after year in the off-road segment.\u201d<\/p>\n So, too, the Volvo XC90 SUV and S90 sedan are hardly volume sellers but have a rabid fan base for the vehicles’\u00a0Scandinavian styling and tank-like safety reputation. Subaru, another below-average performer\u00a0on J.D. Power\u2019s quality ratings, tied Stellantis and Lexus for the most vehicles on the list (three) thanks to strong residuals. As the ads say, customers \u201clove\u201d their Subies.<\/p>\n The Lexus RX, NX\u00a0and UX won in their respective SUV categories as Toyota’s luxe brand\u00a0has been a perennial favorite in sales and reliability scores. Ford, which typically gets good grades\u00a0in reliability class, also gained cost-of-ownership gold medals for\u00a0its two red-hot picks: the F-150 and Ranger.<\/p>\n There were upsets on the list as well.<\/p>\n Proving good things come in small packages, the wee Mazda MX-5 Miata won the sports car category over supercars like the Porsche 911 that is not only super-fast\u00a0but also super-reliable. Porsche routinely vies with Lexus for durability crowns.<\/p>\n \u201cThe overall\u00a0price of vehicle is a factor,\u201d said Ibarra noting the that the Porsche 911 stickers north of $100k while the Miata starts at $27,825. \u201cPorsche produces vehicles that hold value well, (but)\u00a0overall depreciation on a 911 will be greater than a Miata.\u201d<\/p>\n There were surprises at the other, mega-tron end of the vehicle scale\u00a0too. The Nissan Armada beat out the Chevy Tahoe\/Silverado and Ford Expedition for best full-size SUV despite inferior sales volumes and an older design compared with its Detroit peers. Its sister Infiniti QX80 full-size luxury SUV also beat out the iconic Cadillac Escalade.<\/p>\n The list of winners was a smorgasbord of brands, an indication of how competitive the U.S. market is today.<\/p>\n Other notable winners include the Subaru Forester compact SUV in the market\u2019s best-selling, non-pickup category and\u00a0the VW Passat in the best-selling, midsize sedan category.\u00a0The Nissan Leaf topped Tesla in the electric vehicle niche,\u00a0while the Hyundai Venue won in the subcompact SUV segment \u2014 one of the industry\u2019s fastest growing segments as first-time buyers switch from entry-level sedans to utes.<\/p>\n Car shoppers understandably tend to focus on the purchase price when buying. But, in truth, you could score a great price deal \u2014 and still end up paying more over five years just because you didn\u2019t factor maintenance, insurance costs, and resale value.<\/p>\n “Choosing a car with low ownership costs can help shoppers save a significant amount of money over time \u2014 often several hundred and sometimes even thousands of dollars \u2014 so it’s worthwhile to research the cost to own details of any new car you’re considering,” said Ibarra.<\/p>\n![\"Who](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/05\/07\/PDTN\/efe886f9-cda2-4825-a5a6-bd65b643f413-charger_scat-fr3-4.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Topless.](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/05\/07\/PDTN\/925f36f7-82c1-40b4-9c38-8239e094d3f5-miata_side.jpg?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
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