The Electric Car That Offers The Best Maintenance Cost Savings Over Gas Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) have many advantages, whether in fuel costs or sustainability; this unique platform offers some characteristics that others can’t. But what happens when you stack up an EV against a gas-powered car over areas such as maintenance and repairs? EVs get a bad reputation in such categories, and many myths are thrown their way. While most of the accusations have been debunked, and they do many things better than a gas-powered car, maintenance is the main area to dive into.

It’s pretty straightforward when diving into maintenance costs on vehicles. Thankfully, with the numerous credible organizations that keep track of ownership costs, you’ll be able to uncover if there’s an EV out there that keeps maintenance and repairs lower than a gas-powered car. Many vehicles are on the market, leaving EVs to go up against some infamous heavy hitters.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including the EPA and CarEdge.

The 2025 Tesla Model 3 Costs $1,817 In Maintenance After Five Years

The 2025 Tesla Model 3 is the electric vehicle to keep maintenance and repairs at the lowest. It shouldn’t be all too surprising because this electric sedan is possibly the most well-known EV on the market. Sure, notoriety doesn’t always mean that the platform will be perfect, but maintenance doesn’t seem like an issue when it comes to the Model 3.

Maintenance Costs: CarEdge estimates that the 2025 Tesla Model 3 will cost $1,817 in maintenance after five years. If you were to own this vehicle for 10 years, the price would jump up to $5,381. This may seem hefty, but it is $4,344 less than the average luxury sedan and its maintenance cost.

2025 Tesla Model 3 5-Year Ownership Costs

A Dive Into The Other Ownership Costs

So, the 2025 Tesla Model 3 does well in maintenance and repairs, but how does it do in the other categories?

Insurance: When it comes to insurance, you can expect to pay $2,967 annually. After five years, this will total to around $14,835. Of course, these are estimates and averages, and insurance is one of the many factors that can change based on the owner. CarEdge based their rates on a 40-year-old with full coverage, a good driving record, and good credit. If that doesn’t sound like you, for good or worse, you can expect higher or lower, with various companies willing to give you a quote.

Fuel Costs: In terms of fuel economy and fuel costs, the 2025 Tesla Model 3 is actually one of the best EVs on the market. After five years, the Model 3 is projected to cost $3,337 for fuel, which comes out to $667 annually.

Financing: Similar to insurance, there isn’t a set number when calculating the financing cost. CarEdge makes it as straightforward and unbiased as possible, with the assumption of a 72-month loan with an APR of 6.99% and a 20% down payment. There are tons and tons of financing deals, and your credit and time of the year will affect this. The average cost to finance a new Tesla Model 3 would be $8,482 after five years.

Depreciation Hits Hard On The Model 3

Maintenance: The last area with the biggest downside to the 2025 Tesla Model 3 is its depreciation. With everything added together, including depreciation, the five-year costs came out to $52,970. Funny enough, depreciation was nearly 50 percent of this, reaching 46.5 percent of the 5-year ownership costs. A new Tesla Model 3 is expected to lose $24,499 of its value after five years. It is commonly known in the car world that many electric vehicles are prone to relatively high depreciation, with the Model 3 being just one example.

How The Model 3 Stacks Up Against Gas-Powered Sedans

The 2025 Tesla Model 3 looks to keep costs low in all fields, with depreciation being a minor letdown. In the car world, people tend to favor gas-powered platforms, which leads to a great opportunity to see how the 2025 Tesla Model 3 stacks up against some gas-powered sedans. It’s hard to compare an EV to a gas-powered vehicle because they compete in their own categories. The Tesla Model 3 is considered a luxury sedan, and many ICE cars give off the same vibes, whether premium or luxury. It’s also beneficial to see how an affordable Sedan looks compared to the Model 3.

Tesla Model 3 Versus Sedans; 5-Year Ownership Costs

2025 Nissan Altima

One sedan that carries similar characteristics to the Model 3 is the 2025 Nissan Altima. This may seem like a stretch at first, but surprisingly enough, this is one of Tesla’s rivals in terms of gas-powered cars. The 2025 Nissan Altima nearly depreciates $10,000 less than the Model 3, so it’s already off to a good start. It’s also the sedan that comes closest to its maintenance cost, with a 56-dollar difference. The Altima is the one that costs a bit more in maintenance costs, but it still looks to be a versatile sedan that keeps ownership costs low.

2025 BMW 3 Series

Possibly, the closest gas-powered sedan that is comparable to the Model 3 is the BMW 3 Series. Ironically, this platform comes with a plug-in and EV setup, with the 3 Series giving the Model 3 a run for its money over the years. The 2025 BMW 3 Series does slightly better with its value retention, only losing $23,286 of its value after five years. This means the BMW 3 Series depreciates $1,213 slower than the Model 3. For its maintenance costs, it doubled in price compared to the Model 3 and the Altima, with an estimated $4,252 in maintenance after five years. This fuels the stereotype of German cars carrying high maintenance fees.

2025 Toyota Corolla

If you’re looking to pick up a Tesla Model 3 but want to explore other options, it’s very unlikely you’ll put a Toyota Corolla side-by-side due to these two vehicles being completely different. This doesn’t mean the Corolla is not worth purchasing because both its ICE and hybrid setups are some of the best on the market. It’s just a good idea to see what one of the best and most reliable cars looks like compared to the Tesla Model 3. You might need to sit back for this one because the 2025 Corolla only depreciated by $7,043 after five years. Toyota is well known for keeping most ownership costs low, so it shouldn’t be too surprising. This gas-powered sedan also keeps maintenance low, with a projection of $1,342 in maintenance costs after five years.

2025 Acura TLX

Just to throw one last one in the mix, the 2025 Acura TLX is a luxury sedan that pulls in similar numbers to the Tesla Model 3. The Model 3 depreciated $155 more than the TLX, with the TLX’s projected $24,344 5-year depreciation. Regarding maintenance, the Acura TLX sits in the middle of the models above, costing $2,396 after five years. As you can see, the non-electric sedans either did better, stayed the same, or did worse when compared to the Tesla Model 3. If you were to ask if the Model 3 offers lower maintenance costs than gas-powered cars, funny enough, the correct answer would be “I don’t know,” or a better answer would be, “It depends.” However, one more thing might help defend the Model 3’s low maintenance costs, which could change the answer to “Yes, the Model 3 is better”.

Tesla Is The Number One Brand Regarding The Least Maintenance And Repair Costs

At the start of the year, Tesla landed itself at the top of the list of other car brands when it came to automotive manufacturers with the lowest maintenance and repair costs. The Model 3 is practically the company’s golden child, and with one of the “models” reflecting a large chunk in sales, it’s no wonder why the Model 3 does well in maintenance. This also puts Tesla as the best EV brand to keep maintenance fees at a minimum. This should be reiterated again because Tesla has cleared all the mainstream car brands you know about when it comes to maintenance. Tesla wasn’t the only surprise, with Lincoln being the runner-up and Buick landing third. Then, some of the brands most people would’ve guessed, like Toyota, Hyundai, and Nissan, filled the fourth through sixth spots.

A Breakdown Of The 2025 Model 3

If you’re interested in this cost-effective EV, you’re likely waiting for a quick overview of this vehicle. Tesla offers unique setups on the Model 3, with its three trims. The Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is the base trim and starts at $42,490. This is the only setup that utilizes a single-electric motor, which generates 286 horsepower and 322 pound-feet of torque. If you’re worried about range anxiety, the starter trim is the one that will deliver with its 363-mile overall driving range.

2025 Tesla Model 3 Specifications

The middle trim is the Long Range All-Wheel Drive, and as you can see by the name, it upgrades the standard rear-wheel drive system to an all-wheel drive system. With the dual electric motors, this trim almost doubles in performance, offering 425 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. It doesn’t stray too far away with its range, proving a max of 346 miles. Tesla lists the middle grade at $47,490. Lastly, if you’re trying to squeeze as much power out of the Model 3, you’re likely to opt for the Performance All-Wheel Drive trim. This unit utilizes the same dual-electric motors but bumps the performance to 510 horsepower and 544 pound-feet of torque. It drops below 300 miles for its range, offering a max of 298 miles. For $10,500 over the middle trim, the Performance comes with an MSRP of $54,990.