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The 5 most expensive popular cars to own — and the 5 cheapest

With nine in 10 American households owning at least one car, many are looking at their vehicles as a place to save

With rising prices, an affordable housing crisis, and the specter of looming tariffs, Americans are looking to save money just about everywhere.

And with nine in 10 American households owning at least one car, many are looking at their vehicles as a place to save.

Self, a credit-building toolkit, looked at the 50 best-selling cars between 2022 and 2024 and ran the numbers to find the most and least expensive ones to run. It didn’t consider the vehicle’s purchase or lease price and instead looked at average annual gas costs, maintenance, insurance, fees, and taxes.

Continue reading to see which are the most expensive to run per year and which are the least expensive.

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5th Least Expensive: Honda Civic, $5,282

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4th Least Expensive: Kia Forte, $5,235

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3rd Least Expensive: Toyota Corolla, $5,182

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2nd Least Expensive: Hyundai Elantra: $5,104

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Least Expensive: Tesla Model 3, $5,061

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5th Most Expensive: Chevrolet Silverado, $7,699

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4th Most Expensive: Toyota 4Runner, $7,820

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3rd Most Expensive: RAM Pickup: $7,981

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2nd Most Expensive: Lexus RX: $8,046

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Most Expensive: Chevrolet Tahoe: $8,644