The average Mercedes owner pays around $1000 per year for maintenance and repairs. Some models like the S-class can cost upwards of $1,500 or even $2,500 per year to maintain, and the super sports cars like the GT can go even higher than that.
According to consumer reports, the lowest costing Mercedes model is the new A-class hatchback which only costs around $400 per year in maintenance costs. The base model C200 is the least expensive sedan model to maintain and the GLC SUV is the most reliable Mercedes SUV.
It’s hard to say which Mercedes model is the least expensive to maintain as many different variables can shift the costs.
Lowest maintenance Mercedes sedans
The 2020 Mercedes C200 is considered a decently reliable Mercedes model, and also a fairly affordable car to maintain when compared to other Mercedes models. Of course, the numbers here are higher than your typical Japanese car brand, but the C200 is still cheaper to maintain than most of its German Luxury competition.
For example, a simple oil change for a C200 will cost around $150 (parts and labor included), while an oil change for an S-class easily goes above $300. Furthermore, full service for a C-class costs around $500, but an S-class full service will set you back for around $1,400.
The popular Mercedes E-class is the midsize luxury sedan, and the costs of maintaining the E-class can also be quite expensive. For example, a 2017 Mercedes E300 costs an average of around $1,600 per year in the first 5 years of ownership, and the oil costs are somewhere around $200, depending on the dealer and the oil.
Lowest maintenance Mercedes hatchbacks
The cheapest Mercedes hatchback to maintain is the A-class, as it costs around $400 per year in maintenance costs. Mercedes has aimed at broadening the customer base of the A-class because the older models were not as attractive or cheap to run. The new A-class is much more affordable to maintain.
Changing up the oil in the A-class costs around $140-$150 (parts and labor included). A full service on the A-class could set you back around $210 to upwards of $315, which is a respectable cost result considering the badge upfront.
Lowest maintenance Mercedes SUVs
As far as SUVs are concerned, a used Mercedes GLK250 is the best bang for your buck in pretty much every aspect. The GLK250 costs around $850 per year in maintenance, while a G500 may cost you upwards of $2000.
Furthermore, the GLK is also considered a reliability champ, so the chances of paying for some unforeseen breakdowns are also not as likely compared to a G-class. The new GLC is basically the new version of the GLK. The GLC does not offer the same affordability as the GLK, but the costs of yearly maintenance are around $1000.
The variables that affect yearly maintenance costs
The numbers presented here are a result of many consumer reports worldwide, so they are decently reliable. However, maintenance costs for a specific car might vary greatly compared to these numbers.
For example, a 2017 E300 could costs you as much as $3000 in the first year of ownership if you don’t take advantage of any service and maintenance programs. But in the fourth year, the costs could be less than $800, and the average 5-year costs are around $1600.
Variables such as age, mileage, the way the car has been driven or serviced can also greatly affect the costs. Furthermore, a car with lots of optional equipment will probably cost a lot more to maintain than the same model without the equipment, as there are fewer things to go wrong.
Also, taxation for new car purchases, services, or parts varies between many locations. Variables such as these can greatly shift the costs one way or the other. The weather conditions, fuel, altitude, all of these can increase or decrease the bills.
Maintaining a Mercedes compared to other brands
How much does it cost to fix a Mercedes compared to a BMW or an Audi?
Maintenance costs are an important part of deciding which new car you should get, but an even more important consideration is the costs associated with a model, or a brand if the car breaks down, and let’s face it, all cars do break eventually.
These three German brands are considered premium brands in the luxury segment, but they do not offer the reliability to back it up when compared to cheaper Japanese brands.
Among these three, Audi is the most expensive to repair with an average quote of around $254. BMW is slightly better with an average quote of around $178, and Mercedes is the cheapest to fix at around $140.
Are Toyota or other Japanese brands less expensive to maintain than a Mercedes?
Yes, they are. Toyota costs around $600 per year on average, but the numbers can go even lower than that. Of course, this comparison isn’t that significant because a Toyota could never match Mercedes in any other segment besides affordability and reliability.
However, Lexus is a luxury brand owned by Toyota, and many believe that most Lexuses can go head-to-head with modern-day Mercedes models in many different aspects, while still offering greatly superior maintenance costs.
An oil change on a Lexus regularly costs less than $120 and the yearly maintenance costs of a Lexus are around $600, which makes the Lexus far more affordable to maintain than the Mercedes.
Are there any ways I can decrease the maintenance costs on my new Mercedes?
Yes, there are. You can always opt for a dealer-proposed maintenance and service package or try to find an independent shop that can offer you a better deal. It is always advisable to go through a dealer because it’s a lot easier to sell the car afterward.
There are many ways of decreasing the wear and tear of many parts in your car. Some ways to do this are a more relaxed driving manner, gentler decelerations and accelerations, keeping the intakes clean, and taking the car out on a regular basis.
