Lowest True Cost to OwnSM Vehicles for 2006

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 sales weighted average MSRP of the relevant styles within each model and body type is used to determine their competitive segment.

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

Sedans

Sedan Under $15,000: Chevy Aveo

Sedan Under $25,000: Toyota Corolla

Sedan Under $35,000: Mercury Montego

Sedan Under $45,000: Lexus IS 350

Sedan Over $45,000: Acura RL

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Wagons

Wagon Under $15,000: Scion xB

Wagon Under $25,000: Chrysler PT Cruiser

Wagon Under $35,000: Subaru Legacy

Wagon Under $45,000: Saab 9-5

Wagon Over $45,000: Mercedes-Benz R-Class

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Coupes

Coupe Under $15,000: Ford Focus

Coupes Under $25,000: Volkswagen Rabbit

Coupe Under $35,000: Honda Accord

Coupe Under $45,000: BMW 3 Series

Coupe Over $45,000: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

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Convertibles

Convertible Under $25,000: Mazda MX5-Miata

Convertible Under $35,000: Chrysler Sebring

Convertible Under $45,000: BMW Z4

Convertible Over $45,000: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

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Trucks

Compact Truck: Chevrolet Colorado

Large Truck: Chevrolet Silverado 1500

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SUVs

SUV Under $25,000: Honda CR-V

SUV Under $35,000: Honda Pilot

SUV Under $45,000: Toyota Highlander Hybrid

SUV Over $45,000: Lexus RX 400h

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Vans

Minivan: Dodge Caravan

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