A study of 50 new cars found that the compact but stylish Fiat 500e was America’s cheapest car to own and drive, beating out the Honda Civic Hybrid by nearly $1,300 per year.
And the second most affordable EV to own? It’s also from Stellantis.
A recent study Self.Inc looked at the total cost of ownership (TCO) of 50 new cars, the little Fiat 500e showed that the Italians really do know a thing or two about building affordable cars easily beating the next-most-affordable option, the Honda Civic Hybrid, with average annual costs of just $3,557 compared to $4,833 for the Civic.
Self says its study takes into account the average costs for four factors: annual fuel or energy costs, annual maintenance costs, annual insurance costs, and annual fees and taxes – the average of the 50? A stout $6,913 per year (up $451 from Self‘s last such study from 2024). Interestingly, the study found that the hybrid cars it tested were the most affordable to own at $5,734 per year, compared to $6,189 battery electrics and $7,025 for ICE-powered vehicles.
And, if that surprises you, wait until you read this next bit …
Charged up at number 2
The Fiat 500e may not have been too huge of a surprise, given its low entry price, small size, and general efficiency, but if anything is going to convince you that All Lists Are Weird (© Jo Borrás, 2026), it’s this little nugget: the second most affordable EV to own on Self‘s list is the also by Stellantis: the also retro-styled Dodge Freakin’ Charger Daytona.
The study found that the Dodge Charger EV cost “just” $911 for a year’s worth of energy, $1,364 in annual maintenance (almost all of that tires), $1,907 in insurance, and $1,117 for annual taxes and fees for a total annual cost of operation of $5,298 – about $200 less than a Tesla Model 3 or a Hyundai IONIQ 6, and about $200 less than the Honda Accord.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Porsche 911 and Audi RS7 topped the list with annual running costs well over $10,000, while the Lucid Air came in as the most expensive EV to own, at $10,049 per year.
You can check out the 20 most affordable new cars to own in 2026 (according to Self.inc, anyway) in the table, below, then let us know what you think of their findings in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
20 most affordable new cars to own
| Rank | Brand | Model | Type | Annual Fuel Cost | Annual Maintenance | Annual Insurance | Annual Fees & Taxes | Annual Running Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiat | 500e | Electric | $779 | $1,275 | $779 | $724 | $3,557 |
| 2 | Honda | Civic | Hybrid | $996 | $1,683 | $1,541 | $613 | $4,833 |
| 3 | Hyundai | Elantra | Gasoline | $1,400 | $1,278 | $1,661 | $564 | $4,904 |
| 4 | Nissan | Versa | Gasoline | $1,558 | $1,579 | $1,425 | $387 | $4,949 |
| 5 | Toyota | Camry | Hybrid | $966 | $1,681 | $1,745 | $640 | $5,031 |
| 6 | Honda | Accord | Hybrid | $1,017 | $1,699 | $1,610 | $721 | $5,047 |
| 7 | Honda | Civic | Gasoline | $1,324 | $1,682 | $1,509 | $548 | $5,062 |
| 8 | MINI | Cooper | Gasoline | $1,509 | $1,329 | $1,543 | $709 | $5,090 |
| 9 | Kia | K4 | Gasoline | $1,421 | $1,498 | $1,635 | $538 | $5,092 |
| 10 | Mazda | Mazda3 | Gasoline | $1,534 | $1,552 | $1,605 | $518 | $5,208 |
| 11 | Dodge | Charger Daytona | Electric | $911 | $1,364 | $1,907 | $1,117 | $5,298 |
| 12 | Tesla | Model 3 | Electric | $699 | $1,378 | $2,370 | $1,017 | $5,464 |
| 13 | Hyundai | Ioniq 6 | Electric | $884 | $1,271 | $2,284 | $1,037 | $5,476 |
| 14 | Acura | Integra | Gasoline | $1,486 | $1,705 | $1,606 | $699 | $5,496 |
| 15 | Honda | Accord | Gasoline | $1,464 | $1,843 | $1,604 | $598 | $5,509 |
| 16 | Volkswagen | GTI | Gasoline | $1,726 | $1,336 | $1,663 | $815 | $5,540 |
| 17 | Kia | K5 | Gasoline | $1,584 | $1,666 | $1,768 | $704 | $5,722 |
| 18 | Hyundai | Sonata | Gasoline | $1,756 | $1,404 | $1,891 | $724 | $5,776 |
| 19 | Mazda | MX-5 Miata | Gasoline | $1,610 | $1,719 | $1,767 | $700 | $5,797 |
| 20 | Ford | Mustang | Gasoline | $1,756 | $1,608 | $1,888 | $837 | $6,089 |
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