Is Lexus Maintenance More Expensive Than Toyota?
When looking to purchase a car, it’s important to not only consider things at face value, such as the appearance of the car, the bells and whistles it offers, the price of the car, and other potential risks later down the road. One such thing to look into when purchasing a car is the price for maintenance you’ll have to pay each year so your car functions at the highest possible capacity.
Is Lexus maintenance more expensive than Toyota?
Lexus maintenance is more expensive than Toyota, but the difference is not extreme. Both brands have a relatively low yearly maintenance cost. Lexus is the luxury brand for Toyota, so maintenance and parts are more expensive for Lexus vehicles than for Toyota vehicles.
Maintenance costs per year for Lexus cars are only about $90 higher than Toyota maintenance costs according to RepairPal.
Let’s look into more similarities and differences between Lexus and Toyota cars, including reliability and cost.
Is it Cheaper to Service Your Lexus at a Toyota Dealership?
While it would seem that a Toyota dealership may be cheaper than a Lexus dealership, they are surprisingly similar in costs. For non-engine-specific problems, there is not much difference between the cost of a Toyota dealership and a Lexus dealership.
The listed price for a 4-wheel alignment at a Lindon Lexus dealer is $149, whereas the price for the same service at the nearest Toyota dealer is listed as $129. Not much of a price divergence.
Keep in mind that this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. Ask around to understand the rates of various dealers, since every dealership’s prices will vary based on the local economy and employees.
Some Toyota and Lexus dealerships may offer the same cost for the same services, while other services may cost much more at a Lexus dealership.
However, where differences do occur, you’ll typically find that Toyota dealerships will not be more expensive than a Lexus dealership.
Also, consider the severity of help you need from the dealership. While a Toyota dealership can help with any Toyota or Lexus car, a Lexus dealership can only help with Lexus vehicles.
This means that Toyota may be a cheaper dealership (depending on the dealership you go to), but if you need a very specific issue to be solved in your Lexus, it may be best to go to a Lexus dealership as that’s their specialty.
Your local Toyota dealership may not know how to solve the issue or have the necessary parts on hand.
However, be careful when considering going to a dealership for every issue your car has—especially a Lexus dealership.
If you’re looking to get your oil changed, user Stroock639 on ClubLexus’s forum suggests considering going to your local maintenance shop, as it will be far cheaper there and will have workers there that regularly do oil changes, and thus are more experienced than the Lexus dealership workers.
Is Lexus or Toyota More Reliable?
In 2019, RepairPal ranked Lexus as the sixth most reliable car, with Toyota as a close number seven.
They determined this ranking system based on cost, frequency (of visits), and the severity (judging the urgency of the visit) of yearly maintenance visits.
The average yearly visit for a Lexus costs $551, with a frequency of 0.53, and a severity of 8%.
In contrast, the average yearly visit for a Toyota costs $441, with a frequency of 0.34, and a severity of 12%.
Both car brands are very reliable though, with Toyota ranking very high for popular brands and Lexus ranking very high for luxury brands. Depending on what you want out of a car, your definition of reliability may differ as to if you would prefer a Lexus or a Toyota.
Are you looking for something that is inexpensive (compared to other cars) that fits “function over form”? If so, a Toyota may be a perfect fit for you. If you’re wanting to invest in a luxury brand, a Lexus is an excellent vehicle to start with.
It doesn’t cost a fortune like some other luxury car brands, but you still get the benefits of a higher-end model vehicle.
Are Lexus as Reliable as Toyota?
As mentioned by RepairPal, Lexus cars inch just ahead of Toyota as the more reliable vehicle. Lexus cars have the durability and longevity of base model Toyotas, but with the added aspect of finer quality.
Unlike other luxury cars that lose value as soon as they drive off the lot and can require overly specific maintenance— like BMW, which is sometimes known among mechanics as “Big Money Waster”— your Lexus will be good for years to come, whether you use it for those many years or decide to sell it down the road.
Toyota is a brand that is valued for its dependability, a feature that carries over into the luxury brand. The detail and care put into a Toyota build are also put into Lexus vehicles, but finer specifications and materials are used.
However, when comparing the two, Lexus models often surpass Toyota models in terms of performance, which is something you should consider.
Which Car Brand is the Cheapest to Maintain?
Out of all the car brands on the market, Toyota ranks number one as the cheapest to maintain. Since it only costs an average of $441 each year, with a frequency of only 0.34 visits per year—with the average frequency for all cars being 0.4—this is certainly appealing to those who don’t want to spend a fortune fixing their car.
Even when you look at the cheapest car models, the first six ranks are all taken by Toyota brands.
However, if you don’t want a Toyota, there are still plenty of car brands to choose from. Just behind Toyota in the ranking of cheapest maintenance are Mitsubishi, Honda, Mazda, and Nissan.
However, don’t forget that a cheap maintenance cost is not the only thing that you need to consider when looking for a car to buy.
You want to keep in mind the mileage, safety, appearance, your budget, and the cost to insure the car you will purchase.