According to a report by S&P Global Mobility, luxury crossovers and SUVs accounted for nearly 70% of the US luxury vehicle segment in terms of unit sales in 2021. Additionally, a study by Mckinsey & Company reveals that nearly 50% of premium and luxury vehicle buyers prefer SUVs for their next purchase, including those who currently own at least one.
The popularity of crossovers and SUV it’s more pronounced in the luxury segment than in the mainstream/mass market segment, mostly because there aren’t many pickup trucks that can take a piece of the luxury pie. As of 2021, crossovers and SUVs accounted for approximately 52% of total mass market vehicle sales in America, while pickup trucks accounted for approximately 20% share.
While the two consulting groups have yet to release newer, in-depth studies of this segment, they’ve been on point with their predictions so far. As of 2022, crossovers and ladder-frame SUVs accounted for approximately 55% of total vehicle sales in the United States.
When buying one luxury SUV, or any vehicle for that matter, all buyers should consider vehicle maintenance. Aside from depreciation and fuel costs, expenses related to vehicle repair and maintenance are among the biggest costs of vehicle ownership.
According to CarEdge, crossovers and SUVs are generally more expensive to repair and maintain than sedans and hatchbacks. Over a 10-year ownership period, mass-market sedans cost an average of $700 per year. The Kia Sportage, a mass-market compact crossover, is already fairly cheap to run (at $787 per year) compared to most SUV models in its segment.
Some luxury crossovers and SUVs, however, are surprisingly even cheaper to maintain than their mass-market counterparts. If you’re one of the many Americans currently looking for a new or used luxury SUV, you’ve come to the right place. Based on cross-referenced information from Kelley Blue Book (KBB), CarEdge, Edmunds and JD Power, here are 10 luxury SUVs with the lowest maintenance and repair costs.
10 Second-generation Infiniti QX60: $1,080 per year for the first 10 years
The Infiniti QX60 is a 3-row luxury midsize crossover SUV that earned a perfect 5/5 consumer rating from Kelley Blue Book (KBB) and an average reliability rating (72/100) from JD Power. A new Infiniti QX60 currently retails for roughly $50,000 to $65,000, depending on trim and optional extras.
Infiniti QX60 customers like the relatively low price of this mid-size crossover, considering that it also comes standard with many comfort, convenience and safety features. The deal is made even sweeter because the annual repair and maintenance cost of the Infiniti QX60 only comes to $10,805 for the first 10 years of ownership. That’s about $5,000 less than the average luxury crossover maintenance cost.
9 Second-generation Infiniti QX50: $1,066 per year for the first 10 years
The Infiniti QX50 is the QX60’s smaller, more compact luxury crossover sibling. The QX50 carries 5 passengers in a spacious, technology-laden premium interior with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces 268 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. Although the QX50 has a lower starting price ($40,000 to $57,000) than the midsize QX60, JD Power gave the smaller Infiniti crossover a slightly higher reliability score of 78/100.
The Infiniti QX50 has an average annual repair and maintenance cost of $1,066 over its first 10 years of operation. That’s about $130 less than the average annual maintenance cost of a luxury sedan.
8 Fourth-generation Acura MDX: $982 per year for the first 10 years
Not to be outdone by Infiniti’s QX60, the Acura luxury division of the Honda Group also has its own 3-row mid-size crossover SUV: the Acura MDX. With two V6 engine options (290 hp for the base option and 355 hp for the turbocharged mill), the Acura MDX can carry up to 7 passengers quite easily. The MDX’s interior is quite spacious and tech-rich, and its middle-row seats can be adjusted to make third-row passengers more comfortable.
The 2023 Acura MDX starts at $49,550 for the base front-wheel-drive trim, which you can upgrade to the AWD configuration for an additional $2,200. Across the range of trims, the 4th generation Acura MDX will have an average annual repair and maintenance cost of $982 over the first 10 years of operation.
7 Third-generation Acura RDX: $961 per year for the first 10 years
The Acura RDX is a 2-row luxury compact crossover that offers seating for five, plenty of convenience, comfort and safety features, FWD and AWD capability, and a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine (272 hp and 280 lb -ft of torque) for a starting price of $41,550. The RDX’s value for money proposition earned it a place on the podium at KBB’s ‘Best Compact Luxury SUV’ awards for 2023.
If you’re interested in driving home a third-generation Acura, you can expect to pay an average of $961 per year for repair and maintenance costs over the first 10 years. That’s roughly $600 less than the average luxury SUV will bleed you annually.
6 Third-generation Lexus LX 570: $829 per year for the first 10 years
Before Lexus launched the 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 LX 600 in late 2021, there was the third-generation LX 570, which was powered by the Toyota Group’s good 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine. The LX line is Lexus’ largest model in its SUV lineup, and is acclaimed for both urban prestige and off-road prowess. If you’re looking for a full-size luxury SUV, you can hardly go wrong with the Lexus LX, with excellent build quality, premium interior materials, great comfort and convenience features, and good resale value. JD Power gave the 2021 Lexus LX 570 a great reliability score of 83/100.
As the icing on the cake, the Lexus LX 570 costs just $829 to service and maintain annually for the first 10 years. That’s a very impressive running price for such a large luxury vehicle and serves as a good benchmark for all the smaller Lexus SUVs that rank higher on this list.
5 Second-generation Lexus GX 460: $765 per year for the first 10 years
The Lexus GX is a truck-based luxury SUV that straddles the mid-large and full-size categories. The second-generation Lexus GX 460 packs decent power from its naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V8 engine (301 hp and 329 lb-ft of torque) and also comes in AWD configuration to haul 7 passengers around the city streets as well as off-road trails with confidence. JD Power gave the 2023 Lexus GX 460 an excellent reliability score of 86/100, and KBB customer reviews of this Lexus SUV came in at a respectable 4.4/5.
The 2023 Lexus GX 460 starts at $57,575, and its annual repair and maintenance will only cost an average of $765 over the first 10 years of operation.
4 Fourth-generation Lexus RX 450h: $763 per year for the first 10 years
The Lexus RX 450h is a mid-size SUV with a hybrid engine that comes in a short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase configuration. This Lexus crossover SUV delivers a total of 308 hp from its 3.5-liter V6 engine and three electric motors, more than enough to carry up to 7 passengers and still achieve an excellent fuel economy of 29 miles per gallon ( MPG). Lexus doesn’t skimp on the RX’s build quality and reliability either, as evidenced by JD Power’s high quality and reliability score of 85/100. In 2022, the Lexus RX was the best-selling luxury SUV in the United States.
You can drive home a 2021 Lexus RX 450h from the used car market for between $45,000 and $59,000, depending on trim and configuration. The Lexus RX450h retains its resale value very well, in part because it’s so cheap to maintain: just $763 per year for the first 10 years.
3 Lexus RX 350 5th gen: $740 per year for the first 10 years
Compared to the RX 450h, the Lexus RX 350 is the most affordable trim in the nameplate lineup. The 2023 RX 350 uses a turbocharged 2.4-liter I-4 engine that produces 275 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, quite impressive for an engine that can still deliver 25 MPG fuel efficiency.
The RX350 currently starts at $48,550 and has an expected annual maintenance cost of $740 for its first decade of use. It’s a great SUV, and the only downside to buying one is that it’s so popular that it’s somewhat common on the streets.
2 First-generation Lexus NX 300: $714 per year for the first 10 years
The first-generation Lexus NX 300, also known as the NX 200t in other markets, is a compact luxury crossover with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces 235 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, but still offers an economical fuel economy of 25 MPG. qualification The Lexus NX is based on the best-selling Toyota RAV4, but the former has a very different Lexus design and more luxurious features.
A 2021 Lexus NX 300 still sells for $36,000 to $45,000 on the used car market. Don’t worry too much about the initial purchase price, because this Lexus compact SUV will only cost you an average of $714 per year in repairs and maintenance. It’s even cheaper to maintain than a Honda CR-V.
1 First-generation Tesla Model X: $572 per year for the first 10 years
Topping that list, and by a wide margin, is the Tesla Model X mid-size crossover. It’s also the only all-electric model here, which is the main reason why it has the lowest annual repair and maintenance cost of just $572 for the first 10 years. The Tesla Model X does not need a regular oil change, does not clog any engine oil, fuel and air filters, does not burn gaskets, and generally does not have as many moving parts as an internal combustion engine vehicle. normal (ICE) has. As a result, maintenance costs remain low, roughly $1,000 lower than the average luxury SUV.
CarEdge data aside, however, recent Consumer Reports survey data shows that the Model X is a pretty unreliable SUV. If you’re willing to turn a deaf ear to these consumer-driven ideas to enjoy the lowest maintenance of any luxury SUV, you should also brace yourself for the Tesla Model X’s $95,000 base price.
Sources: Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, CarEdge, JD Power
