Interesting List: 10 Most Expensive Vehicles to Own

24/7 Wall St released a list about the 10 most expensive vehicles to own in America. They compiled this particular list based off of depreciation, fuel costs, and repairs. And I paraphrased off of their comments, because they looked at every aspect of owning a vehicle, something that most lists do not take into consideration.

10. Nissan GT-R
Style: Premium 2dr Coupe AWD (3.8L 6cyl Turbo 6AM)
True cost of ownership: $117,892
Purchase price: $91,830
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 19

"The GT-R ranks among the top 10 most expensive thanks largely to two additional costs on top of its depreciation. First is the car’s maintenance costs, which average $10,043 over five years — the highest amount among all models. The GT-R also has the second-highest insurance costs, at $22,334 for the five years." Now I'm thinking back to all of those GT-Rs I saw at SEMA.

9. Land Rover Range Rover
Style: HSE 4dr SUV 4WD (5.0L 8cyl 6A)
True cost of ownership: $118,158
Purchase price: $88,862
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 14

"Compared to other models, Range Rover’s biggest expense is repairs, which cost an average $4,214 altogether for five years. This amount is the third-highest. Also expensive for Range Rover owners are fuels costs. Over five years, owners will pay nearly $22,000 to fuel the car, which gets a mere 12 MPG in the city." Most of Los Angeles and Atlanta are in trouble...

8. BMW 750i
Style: 4dr Sedan (4.4L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 8A)
True cost of ownership: $122,076
Purchase price: $101,545
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 20

"The true cost of the car is much more than the $101,000 price tag. After five years, outside costs, including taxes and fees, insurance and financing interest, ownership of the vehicle averages more than $122,000. Sales also have been low, with only 118 registrations in the U.S. in 2011." The 750 as well as the 745 is the car people buy in Atlanta as soon as they get a little money.

7. Mercedes-Benz G550
Style: 4dr SUV 4WD (5.5L 8cyl 7A)
True cost of ownership: $126,714
Purchase price: $108,900
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 13

"The car has the third-most expensive fuel costs among all models examined, at approximately $23,500 for five years. The car gets a combined MPG of just 13, and just 11 MPG in the city. The G550 also has among the highest finance interest rates. Five years of ownership result in an average $12,000 in interest. Customers apparently do not mind paying these high costs, as the G-Class has been in production since 1979."

6. Lexus LS 600h L
Style: 4dr Sedan AWD (5.0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
True cost of ownership: $129,542
Purchase price: $119,019
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 20

"According to Edmunds, the full-size luxury sedan is the most expensive model that Lexus produces in large numbers. The car’s base price of $119,019 is the fifth-highest among all companies."

5. Mercedes-Benz SL500
Style: 2dr Convertible (5.5L 8cyl 7A)
True cost of ownership: $129,588
Purchase price: $106,718
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 17

"Although it is the seventh-most expensive when ranked by purchasing price alone, it ranks the fifth-most expensive model for overall cost of ownership because of its particularly costly financing interest and insurance. Total registrations of the car have dropped dramatically from more than 5,600 in 2007 to less than 1,500 in 2011." I never saw the big deal behind this body style. I think it's the ugliest one out of the house of Mercedes Benz.

4. Mercedes-Benz CL550
Style: 4MATIC 2dr Coupe AWD (4.7L 8cyl Turbo 7A)
True cost of ownership: $142,558
Purchase price: $121,671
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 18

"The CL550 has the fourth-highest purchase price and finance interest. It also has the third-highest cost of maintenance. Sales of the car have steadily decreased over the years. There were more than 3,200 total registrations in 2007. In 2011, there were 980." Of course, this is the best body style out of the house of Mercedes Benz.

3. ALPINA BMW B7
Style: SWB 4dr Sedan (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 6A)
True cost of ownership: $153,150
Purchase price: $133,445
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 17

"The car’s purchase price alone exceeds $133,000. It also has among the most costly interest on financing and insurance."

2. Audi R8
Style: 5.2 quattro 2dr Coupe AWD (5.2L 10cyl 6M)
True cost of ownership: $193,429
Purchase price: $170,175
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 15

"The two-door sports car also has the second-most expensive maintenance costs, reaching $7,370 over five years. It also has particularly high fuel costs, thanks to its 13 MPG fuel efficiency in the city. The R8 does relatively poorly by JD Powers’ standards, scoring a three out of five for both overall quality and design. Despite this, there were 1,173 registrations for the car in 2011 — the most of any year." I'm a little biased about this vehicle, since someone close to me bought one.

1. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Style: 2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl 7AM)
True cost of ownership: $245,469
Purchase price: $210,875
Combined (city and highway) MPG: 16

"After depreciation, finance interest, insurance, fuel costs and maintenance over five years, the car’s true cost of ownership during those years is nearly a quarter million dollars. This cost has not prevented the SLS AMG from being popular; total registrations of the automobile increased from 470 in 2010 to 707 in 2011." I'm sure that owning this vehicle isn't hurting Kanye West.

So the one thing we learned is that Mercedes Benz are the biggest car hustlers of all. If you don't believe me, look at this list again...

Top 10 Cars That Old People Buy

According to The Street.com, they compiled a list of the Top 10 Cars That Old People Buy. In any case, a recent study by TrueCar indicates that seniors in America, defined as age 65 and over, "chose vehicles from brands they grew up with." The study reviewed purchases by more than 200,000 car buyers in 2009 and 2010.

"Seniors are looking for a luxurious and comfortable vehicle from a brand they are familiar with and trust, and many seniors grew up with these iconic American luxury brands in their parents' garage," said TrueCar analyst Jesse Toprak, in a prepared statement.

TrueCar.com compiled a list of the top brands purchased by seniors in 2009 and 2010, by percentage of buyers. Topping the list of brands were Buick, Lincoln and Cadillac.

Presenting the Top 10 Cars That Old People Buy according to True Car

10. Toyota Avalon, MSRP: $29,876

According to TrueCar.com, 53.7% of Avalon buyers are seniors.

No other Japanese manufacturer has a single vehicle among geezer's top ten vehicle preferences, although Lexus is ranked as the No. 9 favorite geezer brand. Seniors account for 27.6% of Lexus sales.

9. Lincoln MKZ, MSRP: $32,575

TrueCar's survey shows that 53.8% of all MKZ buyers were seniors.

Seniors love Lincolns, their second-favorite brand. Seniors buy 47.7% of the Lincolns that are sold.

8. Buick LaCrosse, MSRP: $26,044

The survey shows that 58.9% of LaCrosse buyers were seniors.

Although it has been gaining buyers in all segments, Buick leads all brands in the percentage of senior buyers, with 57.5%. For the first seven months, Buick sales rose 27.2%, leading all GM brands, while the average age of the brand's buyers is falling.

7. Chevrolet Impala, MSRP: $23,515

The survey shows that 51.3% of Impala buyers are 65 or older.

Chevrolet is the sixth favorite brand for seniors, who account for 31.2% of its sales.

6. Hyundai Azera, MSRP: $24,230

Seniors accounted for 64.7% of Azera buyers, TrueCar said.

Hyundai was seniors' No. 10 favorite brand, with 25% of sales coming from the group.

5. Cadillac STS, MSRP: $36,000

Seniors accounted for 71% of STS buyers.

4. Cadillac CTS Wagon, MSRP: $36,349

Seniors accounted for 74.2% of all CTS buyers.

3. Cadillac DTS, MSRP: $43,500

Of DTS Buyers, 84.8% were seniors.

2. Buick Lucerne, MSRP: $26,044

The survey shows that 86.8% of Lucerne buyers were older than 65.

And number 1......

Lincoln Town Car, MSRP: $44,355

The survey shows that 89.6% of Town Car buyers were seniors.

Top 10 "Manly" Cars, According to AskMen.com

Looking at lists like this makes me laugh. So the guys at Ask Men.com decided to compose a list of the top 10 "manly" cars, or what they think falls into that category. According to their site, the manly cars that did make this list are’t exclusively new cars or old cars, and a few aren’t even cars at all. And just so we’re clear, this isn’t all about horsepower or raw performance numbers. The 10 manly cars that make this top 10 are here because of their character, whether they’re among the fastest in the world or they struggle to keep up on the freeway.

No.10 1960-1984 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser. I picture a country guy loving this truck, especially if they wear overalls everyday. "The original Land Cruiser was just as rugged and capable as the rival Jeep CJ, but with tougher looks and better reliability. The timeless demand keeps collector values high and has even inspired a re-creation from TLC, a California company specializing in the restoration of these manly cars."

No.9 2007-Present Bugatti Veyron. Seeing how the only people that I can think of that own this car happen to be men, I will have to agree with them. "Remember, though, this isn’t just about the seven-figure sticker price, the 1,001 horsepower or the ability to top 55 mph speed limits by almost 250 mph. As a manly car, the Veyron has the look of an assassin. It's not overtly tough like Rambo, but that’s because it doesn’t have to be. If James Bond were French, this would be his car."

No.8 1953-2002 Cadillac Eldorado. This particular year and model of the photo above (1950s) is hot. It reminds me of I Love Lucy when Lucy wanted this car as a convertible to drive to LA. "This manly personal coupe wasn’t meek, but its sizable proportions were neat and purposeful, managing to look more sophisticated than other models and more appealing to younger male buyers."

No.7 1981-Present Dodge Ram. I understand why this truck is on this list, seeing how nothing about it appeals to me. "On the basis of manliness, they were light-years apart. Buyers responded accordingly, and the years since kept enthusiasm going strong with variants featuring big diesels, crew cabs, dual rear wheels, and even a version with the Viper’s V10 under the hood. 2009 brings another update to the Ram, but Dodge has wisely chosen not to make radical changes, keeping this a manly car for a long time to come."

No.6 1974-1990 Lamborghini Countach. This exotic car screams "I'm a rich man who is having a Mid-Life Crisis". "To this day, the Countach is an uncompromising, temperamental brute with a “screw you” attitude. You’d better do everything just right when you’re stuffed behind the wheel (Mid-life crisis... told you) or things could get very ugly very quickly. Somewhere along the way, you realize the bull in the emblem is apt, and you’re just the matador with a fine line of uncertain control."

No.5 1953-Present Chevrolet Corvette. This car is for the average man who is having a mid-life crisis. But correct me if I'm wrong, but I've seen a lot of women who not only drive this car, but own it, and not just the new ones. "The 1953-’54 cars are excused from this discussion, and some odd color options on the C4 of ’84-’96 dilute the manliness. The manliest is the C2 Sting Ray of ’63-’67. Some see a Sting Ray and think “phallic symbol on four wheels.” Others attribute the manliness to its road manner, which doesn’t suffer fools. Whatever it is, things weren’t quite the same when the Sting Ray designation took a year off for the ’68 redesign and returned as the "Stingray" in ’69."

No.4 1962-1964 Ferrari GTO. This is a cute car. "It was built to win races, so the design was the result of wind tunnel and test-track refinement, not an attempt to appeal to customers. Nevertheless, the manly V12 dominated the track and has become a legend. To this day, it’s just your average streetable race car -- if you dare to attempt it after finding a willing seller and parting with many, many millions."

No.3 1992-2006 Hummer H1. "The look is unmistakable and intimidating. The toughness and off-road prowess is incredible. It may have generated more publicity than sales during its run of public availability, but it will always be one of the manliest rides ever."

No.2 1992-Present Dodge Viper "wholly a man’s car since it was launched as a 1992 model. It has always had a V10, and that’s always been tied to a manual transmission -- no paddle shifters here. What’s more, there isn’t much to save your bacon if you get too crazy -- no coddling electronic aids are going to make it all better. You either get it right or face the consequences -- truly the sign of a manly car."

No.1 1962-1967 AC Cobra. "The car was virtually unmatched by anything else on the track or the street, and its performance is still formidable over four decades later. Whether equipped with a 260 cubic-inch, small-block V8 or the fearsome 427, the AC Cobra is our manliest car for its aggressive and timeless looks, untamed character and association with Carroll Shelby."

All in all, I agree with most of the cars listed, except for the Corvette. Well at least this list made sense, compared to the "top 10 Chick Magnets"...