Muscle cars are changing, in that they are becoming increasingly competitive with the rest of the world and blossoming into a wonderfully multifaceted breed of car – something that was not always the case. Making sure that modern American muscle also ticks all the necessary quotas to make them reliable cars is another crucial cog in allowing them to sternly challenge competitor markets.
So nowadays, the comfort, performance, and reliability of American muscle are very much on par with the rest of the world's finest carmakers, but which cars are the most reliable? Which models will give you the least amount of headache, and therefore cost you the least amount of expenditure each year?
Below, we’ve compiled a list of what we found to be the 10 cheapest muscle cars, and while the vast majority of them will be American-made cars, we thought it would be fun to throw a few curveballs from other continents in there too. So, here’s what we found:
10 Dodge Charger (Estimated $680 Per Year)
Making our first entry is the Dodge Charger; remember when all it used to be was a big, shouty, powerful, and completely uncivilized muscle car? It’s still all of those things, but with a more practical body shape and a heap load of reliability thrown into the mix, the Charger is a firm leader in the American market at present. We’ve even got some Dodge Charger maintenance tips for longevity.
According to YourMechanic, Dodge Charger repair and maintenance estimates for a year come to approximately $677 which, combined with its solid reputation as a supremely versatile muscle car, means it more than justifies the price.
9 Chrysler 300C (Estimated $670 Per Year)
Despite the underwhelming nature of the first-gen, we think the current Chrysler 300C is the ultimate four-door muscle car. It’s a huge improvement over its predecessor, and in its most potent guise, offers a buoyant mix of useable speed and dependable engineering. So, a yearly repair and maintenance estimate for the Chrysler 300C of around $671 seems a bargain.
One of the prevalent reasons for its reliability is the fact that its 6.4-liter Hemi V8 is known for its durability, very rarely giving owners a headache and breaking down on them. What’s more, the electronics are just about as sturdy as anything European and Japanese competitors can throw together, and the build quality of these second-gens is equally commendable. It’s a shame that it will be retired at the end of this year.
8 Dodge Challenger (Estimated $660 Per Year)
You can opt for any number of trims and options with the Challenger, such is its popularity and scope for individual expression. For the average Dodge Challenger, repair and maintenance estimates currently sit at $663 per year.
Furthermore, a big contributor to that number would be an alternator repair, which comes in at around $1,100 per fix. Considering this is unlikely to be carried out annually, the remainder of the car is actually extremely reliable. In that regard, it definitely continues the reborn theme of the ‘modern’ American muscle. We also love the fact that it is the cheapest ‘true’ muscle car to buy in 2023, when the market is starting to flood with boring hatchbacks and EVs that are being thrown in our faces.
7 Mercedes-AMG C63 S (Estimated $630 Per Year)
The only European muscle car to make this list, which does make us sad, since it signals towards the fact that Europe is moving away from frequently blending American muscle with a sprinkling of European flair. The E92 M3 is a fantastic example of just that, but we think the W205 era C63 S took it up to a completely new level. Just look at this brutal 1,000-hp Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe at the drag strip for proof.
The annual maintenance cost for the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG comes up to around $636, but a huge chunk of that will come out in fuel. If you don’t know already, its 4.0-liter V8 is far from the most economical engine in the world, but rest assured, the performance it delivers will amount to nothing but smiles per gallon.
6 Dodge Viper (Estimated $450 Per Year)
No, you didn’t misread the figure in brackets, the Viper really isn’t as expensive to run as you’d be led to believe – provided you take extreme care in looking after it and maintaining it. If you can do that, you’d reap the rewards of the Dodge Viper’s repair, service, and maintenance cost of an estimated $450 annually.
But it must be said, this is very much a hit-and-miss; what else would you expect from such an audacious machine? From the moment the Michigan-based brand released the very first SR I, an overwhelming number of gearheads were hooked, and It's easy to understand why by just looking at it. It's also the reason we need the Dodge Viper to make a comeback in 2023.
5 Lexus RC F (Estimated $350 Per Year)
Japan’s first (and only) entry on our list, the RC F was considered to be something of an abysmal failure when it was first introduced. People needed time to get used to its styling, and Lexus needed time to refine its technical abilities. But boy, has it responded. The RC F is a real thorn to American manufacturers at present, and we even believe the Lexus RC F is the most underrated V8 muscle car in the game right now.
The average Lexus RC F repair and maintenance costs for a year comes to $354, which is a fair drop from the last entry. Everyone knows that Japanese cars are strong and reliable, and the RC F has demonstrated this brilliantly over the course of its life so far. It's a brash, bulbous muscle car externally, but doesn't lose any of the sensible engineering internally. It’s fast and won’t blow a hole in your pocket - what’s not to like?
4 Cadillac CT5-V (Estimated $330 Per Year)
The CT5-V is a supremely reliable car, but the one thing that isn’t set in stone here is the annual outlay. While we can reasonably estimate the yearly maintenance and repair cost for the remaining muscle cars on this list, this is a bit trickier. The first-year charge for Cadillac CT-5 maintenance should come in at around $330, but expect this to increase by a rolling amount every year.
If you’re happy with this, keep track of both your expenses and stay on top of your service intervals, the CT5-V won’t be harder to live with than a Honda Civic. Remember, $330 per year works out at $27.50 per month, and for a super hot sedan that masquerades as a muscle car, that’s more than reasonable. It's also why the Cadillac CT5-V is America’s sleeper agent of choice.
3 Chevrolet Corvette (Estimated $320 Per Year)
The new C8 Corvette has plenty to live up to, but not necessarily from a performance standpoint. On that front, the C8 is already leaps and bounds ahead of its previous iterations. Rather, we’re talking about the C8’s ability to keep owners happy with infrequent garage visits and minimal mechanical gremlins. The C7 was a masterclass in that regard, with Chevrolet Corvette annual maintenance costs coming to around $318.
In fact, the Chevrolet range has been doing so well over the last few years, we think the Chevrolet C8 Corvette killed the Camaro muscle car for good, with its success essentially posing a sibling rivalry that Chevrolet did not want to continue. There’s no way this would’ve happened if the Corvette hadn’t proven itself as a staunchly reliable muscle car, and who can argue that it’s now presenting itself as anything else?
2 Chevrolet Camaro (Estimated $290 Per Year)
Just missing out as the winner here is the Chevrolet Camaro, but it speaks volumes about how far one of the formerly most unreliable American cars has repositioned its social standing. Aside from being a genuine competitor to the other muscle cars in its class, the Camaro has also become extremely reliable, which means its running costs are low.
Chevrolet Camaro repair and maintenance costs average out to just $290 per year, which is astonishing for a car that's as dramatic as this. And with the Chevy Camaro facing retirement, this render shows new life as a hybrid for the old goat. But, like the Challenger, the uber-reliable Camaro has really come a long way over the course of its life, and can happily retire knowing that it has more than fulfilled a lifetime’s work.
1 Ford Mustang GT (Estimated $280 Per Year)
We’ve been here so many times before. It's frankly unfair that the 2015-2023 Ford Mustang (S550) always seems to comfortably have all of its competitors backed up against the ropes, regardless of the comparison metric in question. It’s easier to live with, cheaper to run and – in most situations – quicker than all of its rivals.
With the Ford Mustang’s auto repair and maintenance costs averaging to just $278 per year, it comes as no surprise that this is one of America’s very best-selling sports cars. The Mustang lineage, and the legacy it carries, is just about as legendary as any other moniker in the world. But while the earlier versions are considered to be status icons nowadays, the sixth generation is a reliable, popular muscle car that anybody can live with. How’s that for growth?