Buying a new car means spending quite a bit of money at once – but buying a used car could prove to be even more expensive in the long run. Your vehicle is one of the most expensive assets you own, after all, and it’s a good idea to start off on the right foot with your wallet and buy the one that will cost you the least in maintenance costs. Here is a roundup of the cars that might break the bank and the ones that will stay in your good books for years to come. Luxury Cars: Steer away from imports The chances are, that you’re already up to date on its maintenance costs if you’re looking for a luxury car. It is self-explanatory as a vehicle with expensive parts is most likely imported from abroad, which automatically adds a bit to the repair expenses. Yet, you don’t have to shy away from the fancy types as some of them will cost less to maintain than others. Imports from Germany, such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz tend to be the most expensive of these, so if you’re dreaming about a luxury car but don’t want to spend half your salary whenever it needs a repair, you should look at other models. Lexus, for example, is one of these – together with Toyota and Scion. You can easily find excellent cars behind these brands too, and they don’t have to come from Germany to be fancy enough. The truth is that some cars will cost you more in maintenance not only due to its requirements to routine maintenance but also because they keep bugging you with the same type of problem. If you have an old vehicle with recurring problems, it could be an idea to sell car for cash rather than to spend more money on it. Have a look at this article for some of the best cars for the money in 2017, and you’ll find both Toyota and Lexus on the list. Family Cars: Familiar brands There are a lot of decent family cars on the market with more than enough space for your family – but some of them are a lot more cost-effective to maintain than the rest. The top three cars from last year that will cost you the least to maintain over ten years are Toyota Camry, Kia Soul, and Toyota Prius. Hopefully, we have all noticed the pattern in inexpensive car brands to keep – whether it’s a luxury model or not. The latter costs, according to YourMechanic, around $4,700 to maintain over a decade, while the cheapest of them is going to cost you about $4,300. Similar family-friendly versions that barely made it to their list will cost you almost twice the amount on maintenance over ten years, so there is a lot of money to be saved with a bit of research. Mercury is at the top of the list with problems related to fuel pump replacements occurring repeatedly. Chrysler lands right underneath Mercury, with exhaust gas recirculation issues returning to haunt the owner several times.