Top 10 Most Expensive Cars to Maintain in 2022

Cars come in all shapes and sizes, and all have their own expenses when it comes to owning and maintaining them.

Generally, cars that cost more to buy also cost more to maintain. You need to consider this before buying!

AutoGuru helps hundreds of thousands of Aussies each year better care for their cars, and we’ve got a pretty good idea of what the most expensive models to maintain were in 2020.

Take a look, and see if the car you’ve got your eye on has made the list!

Note - The cars on the list must have had at least 100 bookings through in the past year to be listed. So no, don’t expect this list to be dominated by Ferraris and Lamborghinis. This list is also based on average booking values, so it’s not the be-all and end-all.

1. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

A brand new addition to the Most Expensive Cars to Maintain list, we say hello to the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport!

The Pajero Sport is based on the same platform as Mitsubishi’s dual cab ute, the Triton, however adopts a wagon body shape.

The most common service interval for the Pajero Sport was the 75,000km / 60 month service, which on average cost $455. The good news for Pajero Sport owners is that we didn’t really see them being booked for many major repairs! But, we assume that considering they’re relatively new and the fact Mitsubishi offers a 10 year warranty, any major repair work would be going through the dealership.

2. Mitsubishi Triton

I guess it would make sense for the Pajero Sport’s twin (not identical) to be a close second on this list, considering they use most of the same running gear.

The most common service in 2022 was also the 75,000km / 60-month interval - funny that - and on average came with a price of $470. The most common repairs for the Triton was for a timing belt replacement, which owners were forking out an average of $1,200 for.

3. Jeep Grand Cherokee

You bought a Jeep! The Jeep Grand Cherokee rises up one spot from fourth on last years list to round out the top three of 2022.

2022 saw Grand Cherokee owners most commonly book in for 120,000km / 72-month logbook services. On average, they paid around $881! The most common repair was for an AC Condenser replacement, and that set owners back about $1,100 on average.

4. Volkswagen Amarok

After two years in a row taking out the top spot on this list, Volkswagen's entry into the highly competitive 4x4 ute category has dropped down to fourth.

The most common service interval for the Amarok in 2022 was the 75,000km / 60-month service which set owners back about $348 on average. The most common repair was for timing belt replacements (about $1,000 on average).

5. Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi’s third appearance on this list and it’s the slightly older and outgoing version of their popular Pajero platform.

Pajero owners used AutoGuru to mostly book 105,000km / 84-month logbook services with an average cost of $474, and timing belt replacements were the most common repair, coming in at over $1,000 on average.

6. Holden Colorado

Holden’s one and only appearance on the list is their Colorado, a 4x4 ute.

The Colorado is no longer for sale in Australia as a new vehicle, thanks to the end of Holden, but it is still for sale in some international markets. With the exit of Holden from Australia, aftermarket servicing and repairs might be a big concern for Colorado owners.

The most common service that was booked in 2022 was the 120,000km / 72-month service. On average, this was setting owners back $530. When it comes to repairs, we saw a lot of timing belt replacements at roughly $750, which is fairly decent considering the prices of a timing belt replacement for other vehicles on this list!

7. Volkswagen Passat

The Volkswagen Passat’s entry onto the list bucks the trend a bit, being the first non-4x4 ute/wagon/SUV.

If you’re wondering how much a Passat will set you back in terms of maintenance, well, here you go! The most common service was the 105,000km / 84-month interval, at roughly $830 a pop. For repairs, timing belt replacements take the cake at over $800 on average.

8. BMW 1-Series

BMW make an appearance on our 2022 list with their 1-series range.

The interesting thing about BMW servicing is that it’s all ‘condition based’. For each service, simply put, the car is plugged into a computer and it tells you what it needs to be replaced. They don’t adhere to traditional logbook servicing. The average cost of this ‘condition-based’ service was $802.

For repairs, the most common was for a Rocker/Valve Cover Gasket Replacement.

9. BMW X5

The BMW X5 makes its way onto this list for the second year in a row. As a luxury European SUV, I’m not sure anyone will be completely surprised to see it here, but let’s see how the stigma actually shapes up.

From a servicing perspective, the X5 also uses ‘condition based servicing’, as explained above. A scan tool is plugged in and your car basically tells the technician what needs to be replaced then and there. The average price for this service for the X5 was $930 in 2022, however they can all vary in terms of tasks completed.

The most common repair booked for the X5 was for a starter motor replacement. This cost owners $520 on average.

10. Toyota HiLux

Making its debut on the Most Expensive Cars to Maintain list is Australia’s best-selling car, the Toyota HiLux!

Toyota sells a huge number of their 4x2 and 4x4 utes, and have been at the top of new car sales list for quite a few years. So how do they stack up when it comes to maintaining?

The most common service was the 80,000km / 48–month service at an average cost of $600. For repairs, timing belt replacement was the most common, coming at about $900 each.

So there we have it. The top 10 most expensive cars to maintain in 2022, based on having at least 100 AutoGuru bookings. Did your current or next car make the list?

As a bonus. I’ll add the five most expensive cars to maintain, irrespective of how many bookings they had, just in case you were curious.

Lexus SC
Audi S6
Audi RS3
Renault Megane
Mercedes-Benz GLE