When BMW debuted the X6 model back in 2016, it was immediately received with glowing praise. The SUV featured everything that made the German automaker great, from a powerful engine to incredible technology behind the wheel. In addition, the X6 is an all-weather, all-wheel drive vehicle, and it can drive on just about any off-road terrain (within reason).
Traveling off-road in one of these does have its costs though. SUVs and pickup trucks were meant to be thrashed around, so getting a luxury one feels almost like a sin. Repairs on the X6 are multiple times more expensive than your average SUV, and its gas mileage is 17 miles per gallon on the highway, which doesn’t help its annual costs either. Then again, she is a thing of beauty, so ultimately – you win some, you lose some.
Mazda6
Most people purchase Mazdas because they are considered highly affordable and relatively reliable and up-to-date. One of their flagship models is the Mazda6, which features quite modern technology and power in relation to its low price. The car is smart, sleek, and not too heavy on the wallet, making it a very popular choice among middle-class consumers.
Unfortunately, the Mazda6 model had quite a problematic past when it comes to reliability. The car had some serious faults, which ended up in massive recalls that affected hundreds of thousands of customers. Expect to pay a lot more on maintenance when it comes to the Mazda6, compared to the brand’s other popular vehicles, or better yet, just buy a new car. It may just be cheaper.
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
One of the better-looking Mercedes Benz models out there is undoubtedly the CLS Class. It has the iconic grille and looks extremely heavy and powerful. This is one of the most intimidating vehicles on the road, and it definitely has the engine to match. The most expensive version of the car contains a 5.5-L twin-turbo V8 engine, which sounds really great when you press that gas pedal.
As usual, Mercedes charges quite a bit of money for its repairs, but that’s really a repetitive theme at this point. Let’s jump instead to another major “fault” of the vehicle — the CLS Class has a gas mileage of 16 miles per gallon in the city. As terrible as this is in terms of fuel economy, you really can’t expect much from such a powerful and fierce engine.
Subaru Forester
The Subaru Forester is a popular option for many SUV enthusiasts, as it offers a fairly reliable truck that’s really not that expensive. With the rise of SUVs as a popular vehicle category, the company has definitely managed to find its way into the market. Still, owning one of these will cost more than $13,000 over a decade in repairs and maintenance alone.
Many of the car’s owners complain about faulty O2 sensors and catalytic converters that simply stop working. These are relatively minor issues, but it's important to note that if you don't have any friends at the car dealership, larger problems such as starter replacements will end up costing these SUV owners more than $500 to perform.
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 was always known as one of the coolest cars you could possibly own. It had everything that a luxury sports car needed — from a sleek and highly recognizable design to a growling engine that provided fast accelerations. The only problem (besides its huge upfront cost), was that it also had higher maintenance costs than most of your average entry-level cars.
Maintaining an unreliable car is usually quite expensive, but couple that with much larger premiums on parts and service, and you’ve got a recipe for a huge drain on your wallet. Everything about the 911 was extremely expensive, as even a simple oil change could cost more than $200. If you also count the abuse that most owners put on their Porsche, it’s clear why this is quite the expensive vehicle to own.