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The 10 car brands cheapest to maintain over 10 years

Buying a car can be fun and bring a lot of freedom, but things can go sideways when it comes time for repairs. Some car brands are better than others, however, and Consumer Reports recently ranked the least- and most-expensive brands for owners to repair. There are few surprises on this list, but the cheapest new car and the runner-up might come as a shock. Tesla and Buick were the cheapest new car brands to maintain and repair over 10 years, followed by Toyota, Lincoln, and Ford. 10 car brands cheapest to maintain over the next 10 years: Tesla: $4,035 Buick: $4,900 Toyota: $4,900 Lincoln: $5,040 Ford: $5,400 Chevrolet: $5,550 Hyundai: $5,640 Nissan: $5,700 Mazda: $5,800 Honda: $5,850 Consumer Reports noted that maintenance costs for some brands can look deceiving, as many offer free maintenance for a period after the purchase. New-car warranties also play a role, with the powertrain coverage spanning four or five years and 50,000 or 60,000 miles, depending on the company. It's also worth noting that Tesla only sells EVs, which don't require engine air filters, oil changes, and some other routine maintenance, lowering their average costs. Related: Cheapest electric cars Cheapest SUVs The most expensive brands to maintain might not come as a surprise, but the costs associated with owning them might. Land Rover was the worst, at $19,250 over 10 years, while Porsche came in second at $14,090. Mercedes-Benz’s average costs were $10,525 and AudiÂ’s $9,890. While this suggests that these brands need more frequent repairs over the 10-year period, it also points to higher labor and parts costs for the European automakers. If you own one of the more expensive brands to maintain and youÂ’re worrying as you read this, there are a few things you can do to prolong your vehicleÂ’s life and minimize unnecessary maintenance costs. The first is to follow the automakerÂ’s suggested maintenance periods, changing your oil, rotating tires, and doing all the “boring” stuff before it becomes a problem. ItÂ’s also a good idea to take care with the way you drive, avoiding potholes, accelerating gently, and trying not to abuse your brakes. Finally, donÂ’t modify your vehicle. Car companies spend billions on research and development, and most know better about how a vehicle is meant to operate than you do in your garage with third-party parts. Buick Tesla Auto Repair Driving Maintenance Ownership Consumer Reports

Tesla investigating the cause of Model S garage fire in Toronto

A Tesla owner in Toronto returned from a drive only to have his fire alarms go off shortly after powering down his Model S in an incident that is once again raising concerns about the electric hatchback's safety. Where previous cases of Model S combustion were anything but spontaneous -the car was always involved in an impact before going up in flames - this latest case has no obvious cause.
According to Bloomberg, as far as its owner knows, this particular Model S was not involved in a collision during the drive. It also wasn't charging when the fire started. According to Tesla, though, it wasn't any of the Model S' major components that caused the fire.
"In this particular case, we don't yet know the precise cause, but have definitely determined that it did not originate in the battery, the charging system, the adapter or the electrical receptacle, as these components were untouched by fire," said Tesla in an official statement.

Tesla says Model X will be able to tow, order now for 2016 delivery

Anyone out there curious what towing a two-ton boat will do to an electric vehicle's single-charge range? Going through the mud? Well, someone will be able to find out by next year. That's because the Tesla Model X all-electric SUV will indeed be the first all-electric vehicle have towing capacity. Granted, a tow hitch isn't exactly as sexy as the model's notable falcon-winged doors, but the upshot is that Tesla says the car will have the best aerodynamics of any vehicle its size, so that should help out that single-charge range a smidgeon. Tesla made the towing-capacity announcement in an e-mail, which we found on Cleantechnica. Additionally, the Model X will have dual-mode all-wheel drive, in case anyone wanted to tow that boat down a dirt road. Early reservation holders will likely start getting their Model X EVs the in third-quarter 2015, and beta versions of the vehicle are currently being built for crash testing and other fun stuff. People who haven't yet made that reservation will be waiting until 2016 to get their SUVs, though. The Model X, in some circles, is expected to make a pretty big splash. This summer, investment bank Morgan Stanley forecast that the Model X would be outselling the Model S sedan by the end of 2016.