While a vehicle’s MSRP can be a good starting point for researching prices, they are often misleading. Edmunds measures what they call “True Cost to Own” – which includes many factors people often forget to calculate into the price of their car. True Cost to Own includes things like depreciation, gas and maintenance costs, interest, taxes, fees and more. Toyota Corolla, Camry, Highlander and RAV4 ALL have lower True Cost to Own prices than Kia Forte, Optima, Sorento and Sportage.
| Toyota Highlander | Kia Sorento | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Year True Cost to Own | $41,145 | $45,013 |
| 5 Year Depreciation Cost | $14,423 | $17,973 |
| Toyota RAV4 | Kia Sportage | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Year True Cost to Own | $34,564 | $35,060 |
| 5 Year Depreciation | $10,380 | $11,284 |
| Toyota Corolla | Kia Forte | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Year True Cost to Own | $27,236 | $29,075 |
| 5 Year Maintenance Cost | $3,306 | $3,680 |
| Toyota Camry | Kia Optima | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Year True Cost to Own | $31,900 | $32,200 |
| 5 Year Maintenance Cost | $3,390 | $4,057 |