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The 10 car brands most expensive to maintain over 10 years

Car maintenance has got to be one of the least fun things you can do with your free time, right behind going to the dentist and filing your taxes. However, depending on the brand you buy, your time spent at the shop could be much more than you bargained for. Consumer Reports’ new study on the most- and least-expensive-to-maintain car brands found that European car companies are most likely to break your wallet with costs nearly five times that of the automakers at the other end of the spectrum. Land Rover had the highest ten-year maintenance costs, at an average of $19,250. Porsche was second worst with $14,090 in costs. 10 car brands most expensive to maintain over 10 years: Land Rover: $19,250 Porsche: $14,090 Mercedes-Benz: $10,525 Audi: $9,890 BMW: $9,500 Volvo: $9,285 Infiniti: $8,500 Acura: $7,800 Mini: $7,625 Subaru: $7,200 The Euro brands at the “top” of this list arenÂ’t all that surprising. Land Rover has consistently landed as one of the most expensive vehicle brands to maintain for years now, though Porsche is generally viewed as being one of the more solid performance brands. That could suggest that some models donÂ’t always require more repairs, but the fixes they do need are significantly more expensive. Tesla, Buick, and Toyota were the three cheapest to maintain car brands, with 10-year maintenance costs of $4,035, $4,900, and $4,900, respectively. Consumer Reports noted that these numbers could be slightly skewed due to the fact that some automakers offer free maintenance for the first few years of ownership, and all companies cover their new vehicles for at least a few years after the purchase. Routine maintenance is a great way to avoid costly repairs over time, as itÂ’s much cheaper to catch a problem before it starts causing other issues. Check your oil, rotate your tires, and avoid driving like a wild person, and youÂ’ll likely fare much better than others, even if you own one of the scarier-to-maintain brands.

Race recap: 2016 Belgian Grand Prix is a dozen angry laps

The calm of the Formula One summer break ended with the tumult of the Belgian Grand Prix. The first two days included unusual tire pressures and grid penalties; Mercedes-AMG Petronas' Lewis Hamilton started 21st because of a 55-place grid penalty for engine and gearbox changes, McLaren's Fernando Alonso started 22nd due to a 60-place penalty for the same offenses. The bedlam rolled right into what was effectively an 11-or 12-lap race. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg took off from pole and the cameras barely bothered with him until he took the checkered flag 44 laps later. Red Bull's Max Verstappen bogged from second on the grid, got swallowed by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen on the way to Turn 1, then attempted to recover by sticking his Red Bull's nose between Raikkonen's sidepod and the apex at the first corner. Vettel, who didn't see Verstappen, turned into La Source leaving only enough room for Raikkonen. Three cars don't fit in a space for two cars. Vettel spun, Raikkonen and Verstappen clobbered one another and all three drivers had to pit for repairs. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg zig-zagged his way into second ahead of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, Williams' Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez in the second Force India. On Lap 6 Kevin Magnussen lost his Renault at Raidillon at the top of Eau Rouge and flew backward into an enormous crash. Magnussen escaped with just a cut ankle. The Safety Car paraded the field for four laps before officials red flagged the race to repair the barriers. When racing resumed on Lap 10, Rosberg led Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Hamilton. Ricciardo stayed ahead of Hamilton to keep second place at the end of the race, Hamilton easily got around Alonso and Hulkenberg to lock up third. Hulkenberg – who'd given up second to Ricciardo by pitting during the Safety Car period – earned another career-best fourth position ahead of teammate Perez in fifth, followed by Vettel and Alonso on recovery drives, Bottas, Raikkonen, and Felipe Massa taking 10th in the second Williams. Rosberg reignited his Driver's Championship charge with the victory, closing to nine points of leader Hamilton. We could argue that Hamilton had an equally good day by driving from 21st to third, limiting his loss to only 10 points. About that Verstappen, though... We've seen far more experienced drivers attempt the same move Verstappen made into Turn 1 – Raikkonen on Bottas in Russia in 2015, for instance.

Brabus luxes up new Mercedes V-Class

Looking for a luxury coach to get you around town in style and comfort, but don't need anything as big as a Sprinter? Mercedes will gladly point you towards the smaller V-Class, trading Stateside as the Metris. And now Brabus has released a full array of customization options for the van as well. The list of modifications available from the venerable Benz tuner include an aero kit to give the van a sleeker look while reducing front-end lift, a full complement of 18- and 19-inch wheel options, a retuned suspension, engine enhancements, exhaust upgrade, and a fully refitted interior. The first-class cabin on this show vehicle has been reupholstered in leather and Alcantara, offset by wood and carbon-fiber trim, and a complete entertainment system. It includes a pair of 15.6-inch LCD screens that drop from the headliner and WiFi. Finally, there's a touchpad integrated into the interior C-pillars to operate the system as well as the lamps, heated seats, power windows and curtains, and the sliding doors. Accommodation is clearly the emphasis here. But Brabus being Brabus, it has also optimized the BlueTec four-cylinder turbo diesel engine to produce 44 more horsepower and 52 pound-feet more torque. With output now up to 232 hp and 376 lb-ft, the van will reach 62 miles per hour from a standstill in 8.8 seconds and top out at 130 mph – and look that much slicker in the process. Related Video: Engine tuning, exclusive looks and entertainment: BRABUS Exclusive Program for the new Mercedes V-Class The new Mercedes V-Class as a sporty-elegant jack-of-all-trades: in a world premiere, BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, internet www.brabus.com) presents the exclusive refinement program for the new Mercedes V-Class. BRABUS upgrades the people mover with powerful engine tuning, an exclusive appearance package, tailor-made wheels and an individual entertainment concept. A sporty-elegant design is the trademark of the BRABUS aerodynamic-enhancement kit for the new Mercedes V-Class and Vito. All components are manufactured from PUR in OEM quality, giving them a precise fit and making them easy to paint. To give the vehicle an even more distinctive face, the BRABUS designers have developed attachments for the side air intakes, which can be complemented with auxiliary LED side markers, and a front spoiler that attaches to the lower section of the bumper.