One of the most important aspects of owning a car is maintaining it. This is what ensures your vehicle can meet, or even exceed, its life expectancy. If you’re lucky, this maintenance comes in the form of things like oil changes and tire rotations. However, most vehicle owners don’t have that luxury.

Some cars, and even entire car brands, simply require much more upkeep than others. This is due to design flaws or even simply the nature of that particular car. While this may not be a deterrent for some, it can be quite costly, depending on the specific circumstances. This is why detailed research into any potential car purchase is extremely important.

What may surprise some people is that many of the most expensive cars to maintain are considered luxury vehicles. This is partly due to some materials for these cars costing more, but that’s not the end of the story. Some are just super complicated in terms of how the engines are designed.

We looked at the average car maintenance costs over ten years and have examined four of the most expensive (we also considered the cost of maintenance versus that of purchase in determining our four unlucky contenders). Hopefully, your dream ride doesn’t make this list, but here they are...

Two In One From BMW

BMW pic3
From Facebook

According to Motor1.com, the BMW X1 is the most expensive to maintain relative to its price tag. This popular beauty from one of the most famous luxury carmakers is priced at an average of $39,675 when purchased new. While that cost may seem low for a luxury SUV, it’s not really a bargain when you find out how much it costs to keep it running.

The BMX X1 cost an average of $17,691 over ten years to maintain. This cost exceeds the industry average for luxury SUVs by $2,056. More alarmingly, there is a 54.61% chance this car will need a major repair during the first ten years of being on the road.

Of course, it should be noted that these costs will only increase over time as the car ages.

We decided not to make a separate entry for it, but another BMW is right behind the X1 as being the second most expensive car to keep on the road, according to Motor1.com. This one is, surprisingly enough, the X2. The X2 costs an average of $43,486 when purchased new but will cost an average of $17,764 to maintain over ten years. This is about $2,142 more than other SUVs in the same category, and this car is 54.61% likely to require a major repair.

We love BMW, but you should think twice about these two options.

RELATED: A Detailed Look At The 2020 BMW X1

The Ram 1500 Requires A Ton Of Work

Dodge Ram 1500
Via: Facebook

One of the most popular trucks on the market is the Ram 1500. Ram has a long tradition of quality and innovation, but their 1500 will cost you in the long run when it comes to maintenance. One of these beasts will cost you, on average, $44,555. It will also cost an extra $18,072 over a ten-year period on average to keep it running the way it’s supposed to.

This ride will cost about $7,612 more than other popular pickup trucks to maintain. To further put this into perspective, there is a 54.80% chance your Ram 1500 will need a major repair during the first ten years. That is 33.30% worse than trucks of the same class.

The Ram 1500 is still a great truck, but if high repair costs may set you back too much, maybe you should look elsewhere.

RELATED: The Warlord: This Insane Ram 1500 TRX 6x6 Is Ready For The Zombie Apocalypse

A Mercedes-Benz Can Be Costly in More Ways than One

Benez
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Owning a Mercedes-Benz is a goal for many people. These rides are pretty sweet in practically every category. However, some of them cost a lot to maintain. One of them is the Mercedes -Benz GLA- Class. Much of this is due to the cost of parts for these cars as well as the specialty servicing they receive, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the upkeep is pricy.

You can get a new Benz GLA Class for an average of $35,294, but of course, the costs don’t end there. It will cost you almost $1,400 per year in routine service and repairs. On average, that’s $13,911 for the first ten years. This is a great deal of money to put into maintaining a vehicle with such a relatively low starting price.

On the bright side, these figures beat prices for other luxury SUV models by $1,679. There is a 42.69% chance this car will need a major repair within the first ten years.

RELATED: Here's What Makes The GLA 250 4MATIC The Best Mercedes-Benz SUV

A Bargain Isn’t Always A Bargain

BMW
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Cars have to be taken care of for them to properly serve their purpose. This cannot be avoided, so it is best to understand a vehicle’s needs before purchasing one. Some will be simple and not require very many repairs, but many will not be. The overall cost of maintenance can depend on the cost of parts, any potential design flaws, or even simply the complexity of the engine in the car.

Keep in mind most luxury vehicles will cost a great deal more to maintain. This is because they often require special servicing, and as said before, the parts required are often more expensive.

If money is no object, you should still go for the car of your dreams. However, these repairs can be costly, so that bargain you found for an awesome BMW may not be so much of a bargain after all.