10 Honda Cars That Are Dirt Cheap To Maintain - SlashGear (2024)

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Even after purchasing a car in full, you'll likely still end up paying for it in the long run. Once you inevitably find yourself needing oil changes or breaking down, maintenance and repair will still burn a hole through your wallet. This applies to almost every vehicle out there, making it important to know whether a new ride is worthwhile in terms of both immediate pricing and long-term costs. Luckily, anyone who happens to purchase a Honda likely won't need to worry too much about this in the long run.

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On top of being one of the most popular car makers in the U.S., Honda provides a wide range of vehicles that aren't very expensive to maintain. In fact, these costs go even lower than the dirt-cheap Chevy Truck maintenance costs, making Honda a fantastic option for more budget-minded buyers. Not every model is made equally, though, with some having plenty of potential to leave you without much leftover cash. Fortunately, there are ways to figure out which Honda vehicles are the cheapest to maintain, which can be done by looking at estimated maintenance costs over a 10-year period.

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While there have been some poor Honda Accord generations in the past, recent years have made it into one of the most reliable cars out there. For a modern Accord, Honda offers a hybrid powertrain and a turbocharged engine as part of its build options, and it also supplies it with plenty of high-tech goodies like a built-in touchscreen boasting Google Assistant functionality. Even versions of the Accord from a decade ago are still held in high regard, making it a fairly safe choice for a vehicle you can trust. Thankfully, you'll be able to keep this confidence when looking at maintenance costs.

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According to CarEdge, a Honda Accord will require about $5,643 over 10 years for the sake of maintenance. For the first three years, you won't need more than $1,000 to keep up with it, which is a trend shared by many other vehicles on this list. RepairPal notes that the average annual repair cost is around $400, so even if you run into some notable issues, you aren't going to spend too much to fix them.

Simply put, the Accord is one of the best Honda options for those who want to avoid spending more on fixing it than on owning it.

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The Honda Civic isn't just among the cheapest Honda cars when it comes to maintenance costs, but also one of the cheapest vehicles to maintain of any brand out there. You'll only need around $5,620 to maintain it over 10 years, with its average annual repair cost reaching just under $370. It also happens to have a smaller number of recalls compared to the Accord, helping you avoid needing to make those repairs in the first place. If the Accord is a good choice for those wanting to avoid high maintenance costs, the Civic is an excellent one.

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There are a number of different Civic models, as well, so your maintenance costs might vary depending on which one you get. The Civic Hybrid has an even better recall history, though the 2025 model year costs a few thousand dollars more than the non-hybrid version. Even with this in mind, you have a bit of freedom with which model you choose, as Honda drivers note the Civic's exceptional reliability. With any luck, those long-term costs could be as little as $0.

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The Honda Clarity is in a more precarious position regarding repair costs. It was discontinued just a couple of years ago, with the company ending production as of its 2021 model year. Considering how certain buyers had problems maintaining the Clarity even during its earlier years, this could lead to some major headaches down the line if you need to fix one of its more unique parts. This is especially true for the Fuel Cell version of the vehicle, which was quickly running into supply issues even just as production ended in 2022.

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Despite these issues, the Clarity is surprisingly affordable to maintain. CarEdge's estimation puts it at a price of $5,696 over 10 years of use, though it hasn't been long since the car's discontinuation. Previous models were also rated as reliable by outlets like JDPower, so if you want a specialized electric sedan from Honda, you can still feel pretty confident about getting your hands on a used Clarity. If the possibility of high repair costs are of greater concern, it might be better to focus on another model entirely.

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The Honda CR-V shares a notable similarity to the Honda Clarity. While it has a number of different models available, it also has a Fuel Cell version, relying on hydrogen refueling like the discontinued sedan. The CR-V additionally boasts some new unique features for anyone checking out its Fuel Cell model, including unique aesthetics and a 29-mile battery-only range. With this in mind, RepairPal estimates the average annual cost of repairing a CR-V to be around $407, though replacing certain parts like the airbag sensor or head gasket can increase this price dramatically.

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The CR-V also falls into the upper range of maintenance costs on this list. It's actually among the most expensive Honda vehicles in this regard, at a decade-long total cost of $7,367. A baseline of $1,000 might not even be enough to cover the first three years, and with enough miles, it might not be enough to cover even one. This still puts the CR-V in a decent position when compared to other car brands, so if you're willing to let go of a few extra bucks for this SUV, you won't lose out on too much.

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Like the CR-V, the Honda HR-V is a compact SUV, though it lacks the hybrid or fuel cell options offered by the similarly-named alternative. It also has a notably poor reputation from Honda drivers for being slow and feeling cheap, though it has fewer recallsas a base trim than any previous model on this list. It also has some incredible reliability rankings, so while the actual driving experience might not be so impressive, the HR-V itself will still last a long time.

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Fortunately, this reliability translates into its maintenance costs fairly well. It's still quite expensive at a cost of around $7,226 over 10 years, but its repair costs are some of the lowest you'll find. According to RepairPal, they will — on average — need about $301 annually, making the HR-V one of the cheapest cars to repair in general. This might not matter as much to you, considering its overall reliability and lack of recalls, but for accident-prone drivers out there, this can end up being a huge help down the line.

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Of all cars on this list, the Honda Fit is the cheapest one to maintain at a price of around $5,106 for 10 years. This even puts it as one of the top 10 cars with the lowest maintenance costs, with Toyota as the only other manufacturer able to beat it in that regard. Repair costs are another story entirely, with an annual estimate of around $390 being placed on this vehicle. It's far from the worst offender in this regard, especially thanks to its reliability, but there are other factors to consider before jumping on the Fit for yourself.

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Due to low sales, the Honda Fit was discontinued back in its 2020 model year. The reason it was discontinuedhas to do with the HR-V, which managed to outperform it in sales despite its higher maintenance costs. Though discontinued, its lack of specialized parts makes the Fit fairly simple to keep running, with some Honda drivers noting how it can go thousands of miles without needing much maintenance. If these long-term costs are what you care about most, even a used Honda Fit might be your best bet.

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Honda fans who have been out of the loop might be wondering whatever happened to the Insight. Like other vehicles on this list, it was discontinued and replaced with a new hybrid version of the Civic to make up for its absence. Luckily, it lacks the unique fuel cell system of the CR-V and Clarity, so it probably won't be as difficult to actually find parts for the Insight if it breaks down. It's still an expensive car to repair, however, with annual costs estimated to be around $392 — even higher than the Fit.

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The Insight is actually comparable to the Honda Fit in more ways than one.Though it has a high repair cost, its decade-long maintenance cost is only around $5,508. This makes it the second-cheapest Honda to maintain, beating out both the Civic and Accord. Because it's a hybrid, it manages to be a great alternative to the Fit as well. The latter also has a hybrid version, but it's only available overseas, making the Insight the next best option for American drivers who want some electric additions to their ride.

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Even if you rely on the best years for the Honda Odyssey, you'll still be paying a lot to keep it up with the times. Partially thanks to its status as a minivan, it's the most expensive "dirt cheap" vehicle on this list, needing around $7,769 for a decade of maintenance. This staggering price also translates beyond simple scheduled maintenance, with annual repair costs reaching a staggering $547 average. Even with all this in mind, the Odyssey still makes the list of thetop 100 cheapest non-luxury vehicles to maintain, and it's far from the worst Honda choice in that regard.

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Being Honda's only minivan, it's no wonder that the Odyssey is still in production today. It's also no wonder that its base price of $41,920 manages to climb above most other Honda vehicles, which have only been beaten out by the Passport and Prologue.This makes its high maintenance cost not too far-fetched in comparison, and it's really the only option you have if you're looking for a minivan. Outside of this one specific need, you're better off focusing your money on Honda cars that are more affordable both immediately and in the long term.

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As previously mentioned, a modern Honda Passport will cost even more than an Odyssey despite the former being an SUV and the latter being a minivan. For context, previous baseline Honda models mentioned on this list and still in production only reached as high as around $30,000 — not counting the Odyssey, special trims, or build options. The Passport, on the other hand, is the second-most expensive brand-new Honda model, starting at $42,400. Our 2024 Honda Passport review noted how it succeeds when it comes to dependability and safety, but you're going to need that dependability when it comes to maintenance anyway.

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Though it isn't as high as the Odyssey, the Passport is still remarkably expensive to maintain, with its decade-long maintenance cost reaching up to around $7,557. Surprisingly, this high expense doesn't translate as heavily to repair costs, only reaching an annual average of around $371. For those who happen to find themselves more accident-prone than usual while still needing the extra space, the Passport is a fine alternative to the Odyssey. Just be prepared to spend a lot of money even after the initial purchase.

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The Honda Pilot is yet another SUV alternative to the Odyssey, offering some benefits over the Passport while also coming with its own downsides. To start with the positives, the Pilot is cheaper than either one of those options, with a base price of $39,900and a decade-long maintenance cost of $7,476. When it comes to overall specs, the Pilot also happens to be bigger than the Passport, offering greater cargo capacity and a larger number of passengers. If you need the extra size but can't manage the expense of a minivan, the Pilot is going to be the best choice you can find.

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Unfortunately, the Pilot also has some incredibly high repair costs, set at an annual average of around $542. Reliability for the Pilot also seems to be mixed, with morerecalls than the Passport and older models having lower reliability rankingsoverall. You're taking a risk if you decide to go with the Honda Pilot, but if you manage to avoid troublesome encounters or harsh environments, it could still be a less expensive choice than other vehicles.

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While it's hard to recommend as a vehicle with "dirt-cheap" maintenance costs, the Honda Ridgeline still deserves a mention.It doesn't have a proper place because its 10-year maintenance cost is around $8,557, on top of an annual repair cost of around $502. While the latter is far from the most expensive cost in this article, the former makes the Ridgeline the only Honda to miss the list of top 100 cheapest non-luxury cars in terms of maintenance. With numbers like that, it's hard to see anything about the Ridgeline as cheap.

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However, there are still some ways in which the Ridgeline still manages to be appealing financially. Modern models are under $40,000, making them cheaper than the Odyssey or Passport. Since the Ridgeline is also a truck, it also excels at having low maintenance costs when looked at alongside other vehicles of its type. It only really looks disappointing on this list when it's compared to other Honda models. If you look at the Ridgeline purely in terms of being a pickup, you'll be hard-pressed to find lower costs anywhere else.

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To estimate the expense of each vehicle on this list, maintenance costs from CarEdge were used with expected annual mileages of 12,000 for all of them. Annual repair costs were taken from RepairPal and measures of reliability were taken from both JDPower and community discussion forums. Additionally, alternative trims and hybrid variants are all given the same consideration as the base vehicle they're built from. There are other Honda models out there, such as the Prologue, but a lack of information regarding their long-term costs kept them from making it onto this list.

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This list only includes estimated values for each model mentioned. There will always be variables like sudden breakdowns or construction errors that might leave an Accord costing as much as a Ridgeline after just a few years. Of course, if you don't keep up with making sure your car is running well, you shouldn't expect to be taking advantage of "dirt-cheap" maintenance costs no matter what.