There is no denying that the Porsche 911 is the zenith of sports cars for many people, regardless of whether you are into German cars or not. The 2025 model line is available with very powerful engine choices; it combines oodles of racing heritage and on-road chops; it looks the business across the board, and it represents the most reliable new German car you can buy in 2025. However, there is no escaping the fact that it is not for the budget-minded. CarEdge doesn’t hold any information on costs for the Porsche 911, but we have worked out the true cost of owning a Porsche 911 to be approximately $107,335 over five years.
The cheapest model you can buy this year is the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera with a 3.0-liter inline-six under the hood, at approximately $132,000. If you were to buy a 911 Carrera on finance, leaving a 10 percent deposit ($13,200), at the steep end, the interest over 60 months would amount to $37,590 alone. Then there is insurance at $2,089 per year, on average ($10,445 over five years); $3,000 a year for fuel for the inline-six ($15,000 over five years), $1,072 a year for maintenance ($5,360 over five years), and depreciation rates of roughly 19.5 percent over five years ($25,740). If you were to buy outright, the five-year costs come down to roughly $57,000 (excluding purchase price), but you would have to stump up over $130,000 outright. If you were to purchase one outright, the total costs and price (including outright purchase) are a massive $188,545 over five years.
We are not saying that buying a Porsche 911 isn’t worth the money, but you do have to have deep pockets. However, there are plenty of cheaper-to-run alternatives to the 2025 Porsche 911 that will certainly bring the fun to your everyday drive. We presume that if you are in the market for a fun, sporty number that costs a bit of money, it will be brought with finance, so these Porsche 911 alternatives are all cheaper than the $107,335 five-year costs we have worked out.
Models are listed in descending order, from the highest five-year ownership costs to the lowest.
2025 BMW M3
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $94,901
With a starting price of just over $77,000 and equipped with a 3.0-liter bi-turbocharged inline-six good for 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque as standard, the 2025 BMW M3 is an animal for its price point. You can opt for a new BMW M3 with a manual transmission for a visceral feel; the front end is as snarling as you’d expect, and underneath the M3 is built for serious canyon spanking.
Equipped are steel M brakes, Adaptive M Suspension, a staggered wheel setup, with 18-inch wheels at the front and 19-inch wheels at the rear, and a lightweight build of 3,840 pounds to complement BMW’s racing heritage in road cars. At the entry level, this translates to 4.1-second 0–60 mph times and a very engaging feel behind the wheel. The top-trim M3 Competition xDrive gets the most juice, at 523 horsepower and all-wheel drive, and can reach 60 mph in as little as 2.9 seconds. It is a beast in all descriptions of the word.
But let’s be real, it’s not just the power that impresses. The 2025 BMW M3 gets some serious help from its race experience. They’ve used technology and methods way above my pay grade, like using a “wire-arc sprayed iron coating” on the cylinder bores. They even 3D-printed the core for the cylinder head. What?! Evidently, this allows for optimal cooling of the engine. And get this: they divide the turbos amongst the engine cylinders. Each turbo contributes to three of them.
– Bradley Hasemeyer. HotCars Journalist
- Depreciation. $40,896.
- Insurance. $24,090.
- Interest. $13,000.
- Fuel. $12,160.
- Maintenance. $4,754.
2025 Audi S6
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $88,900
Boasting five seats, an animal of an engine, and a respectable cargo capacity of 13.7 cubic feet, the $77,000 2025 Audi S6 has more room than a 911, is cheaper to buy and own, and can still hit 60 mph in four seconds. Whether you are a fan of German sports cars and luxury sports sedans or not, there is no denying the prowess the Audi S6 brings to the party.
There are three grades available: the Premium, the Premium Plus, and the Premium Prestige, all of which come equipped with a 2.9-liter V6 paired with a 48-volt hybrid rig that powers an e-supercharger. This translates to 444 horsepower and a thumping feel when you drop your right foot. You also get the Quattro all-wheel drive system fitted as standard, so if you live in a wet or snowy part of the country, it doesn’t mean you miss out on back-road fun.
- Depreciation. $37,748.
- Insurance. $25,315.
- Interest. $12,051.
- Fuel. $10,050.
- Maintenance. $3,375.
2025 Lexus LC 500
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $81,722
The 2025 Lexus LC 500 is one of the sports cars that makes a case for buying Japanese instead of German. It boasts a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 that shifts out 471 horsepower at 7,100 rpm and 398 pound-feet of torque; it can get to 60 mph in around 4.5 seconds, and it is rear-wheel drive only, so you get some back-end fun to go alongside the sporty-cum-serene cabin and Lexus sports car heritage.
Pin the go-pedal and the throaty V-8 puts down its power honestly and predictably. The journey from idle all the way to redline is an event every single time. It’s power that’s reliable, and you can actually use all of it. The Lexus LC500 is still a mighty quick car, any way you look at it.
– Garret Donahue for TopSpeed
The Lexus LC 500 has a starting price of $101,000 for the coupe and just under $108,000 for the drop-top flavor, and while the starting price is high, there are not many sports cars left today with a NA V8 under the hood that combine hands-on driving feels and a sumptuous and fun GT experience. There are strong rumors that the 2026 MY will be the final one for the Lexus LC 500 as well, so before collectors’ prices start to really outprice the market, now may be the right kind of time to look for one of these awesome Japanese sports cars.
- Depreciation. $30,972.
- Insurance. $18,820.
- Interest. $16,486.
- Fuel. $12,835.
- Maintenance. $2,609.
2025 Audi RS5 Sportback
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $78,385
With a starting price of just under $82,000, the 2025 Audi RS5 Sportback combines luxury sedan comfort with road menace guts for a lot less money than the new 911. Think the Audi A5, but on roids. There is ample front and rear legroom, at 41.3 inches and 37 inches, respectively; the trunk holds 21.8 cubic feet of stuff, and standard fare includes Nappa leather seat trimming, bucket seats, adaptive cruise control, Wi-Fi hotspot, and heated front and rear seats.
The Audi RS5 Sportback really does embody both sides of driving: fun and comfortable. For the fun side of things, a 2.9-liter V6 sends its 444 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed auto box to the Quattro all-wheel drive system. Rest-to-60 times are rapid for its size, at around 3.8 seconds, and the adaptive dampers on each corner provide good cushioning on the highway, and let you really stick it into a corner at speed.
- Depreciation. $34,922.
- Insurance. $15,970
- Interest. $12,676.
- Fuel. $11,550.
- Maintenance. $3,267.
2025 Audi RS3
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $69,604
There is just one Audi RS3 model this year, but we don’t think you’ll mind the lack of other options. This aggressive sports hatchback packs a 2.5-liter turbo-four good for 401 horsepower, Quattro all-wheel drive, a torque-vectoring rear diff, and a fighter-jet-esque cabin, with very purposeful athletic trim everywhere you look.
0–60 mph times have been clocked at 3.2 seconds, and the 2025 Audi RS3 has set an 11.7-second quarter mile time at 118 mph. It is no slouch in any way, and it is half the starting price of a 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera, with the RS3 boasting a low starting price of just $65,000. The fastest 0–60 mph time for a base-level 911 is around 3.7 seconds, if you have the Sport Chrono Package fitted. So, if straight-line speed at a lower cost is your bag, the Audi RS3 is the model for you.
- Depreciation. $31,000.
- Insurance. $15,425.
- Interest. $9,897.
- Fuel. $10,045.
- Maintenance. $3,237.
2025 Mercedes-Benz E 350
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $68,259
As the base level of this year’s Mercedes-Benz E-Class lineup, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E 350 doesn’t scrimp on everything that makes the E-Class a force to be reckoned with in refinement and available performance. The E 350 comes equipped with a 255-horsepower turbocharged inline-four paired with a mild-hybrid system.
4MATIC all-wheel drive is an optional extra for the 2025 E 350, and takes the price up to just over $66,000 from the MSRP of $63,600, but offers a lot more sure-footed drive in the wet. The E 350 4MATIC can hit 60 mph in around 5.6 seconds, so luxuriously useful, not unbelievably fast, but you do get a very luxe cabin that includes 64-color ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, synthetic luxury upholstery, and a 14.4-inch MBUX touchscreen.
- Depreciation. $30,578.
- Insurance. $15,220.
- Interest. $10,189.
- Fuel. $8,555.
- Maintenance. $3,717.
2025 Ford Mustang
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $62,776
That’s right, the American icon that is the Ford Mustang is cheaper to buy, run, and own than a Porsche 911; some models at least. If you are thinking of a Mustang GTD, it won’t be because of the starting price alone, but some of the lower trims can be seen as a lot of bang for your buck. The 2025 Ford Mustang is available for prices as low as $34,000. This small amount of money gets you the Mustang EcoBoost, a 315-horsepower, inline-four-equipped Pony. However, the top trim, before you get to the supercar level of the GTD, is the Mustang Dark Horse Premium.
This is an unforgiving Ford built for speed. It’s almost civilized with the adaptive suspension, but just barely.
– Michael Frank, TopSpeed Journalist
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse has a starting price of $64,380, roughly half the price of a new 911. For that kind of money, you get a 500-horsepower Coyote V8 under the hood, the MagneRide Damping System underneath, a TREMEC six-speed manual transmission with rev matching, and an even gnarlier exterior design than the lower levels. Fuel costs for the 5.0-liter V8 are more than the base level engine ($2,500 a year), but it is still a lot cheaper than a new 911.
- Depreciation. $29,541.
- Insurance. $13,330.
- Interest. $8,125.
- Fuel. $9,240.
- Maintenance. $2,539.
2025 Cadillac CT5
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $57,181
With a starting price of just under $50,000, the 2025 Cadillac CT5 is a solid option if you are looking for a comfortable sedan that can also be a fun weekend toy. Up front is a wide, aggressive-looking grille and chiseled hood; the sloping rear and raked windscreen hint at some speedy credentials, and the standard-fit 237-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo-four gives the CT5 enough guts to get to 60 mph in around 6.6 seconds.
You can opt for the CT5-V and benefit from a limited-slip diff and a 360-horsepower turbocharged V6 good for 4.8-second sprint times, but expect higher fuel costs and potentially slightly more in maintenance down the line (accounting for more power going through the powertrain, which can have an effect after a while). 2026 looks to be the last year of the CT5, so now would be the time to get your hands on a proper American sedan before we say goodbye to yet another one.
The 350T and the Blackwing sit on polar opposite sides of the CT5 spectrum. But the brilliant chassis and superior suspension tuning remain a common ground.
– William Clavey for TopSpeed
- Depreciation. $20,209.
- Insurance. $15,090.
- Interest. $7,761.
- Fuel. $11,000.
- Maintenance. $3,121.
2025 Acura TLX
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $54,118
Being the luxury arm of Honda has its perks, and for the 2025 Acura TLX, that perk is being both useful and reliable. You get a seriously muscular look, low maintenance costs over five years, a low rate of depreciation, and an impressively potent engine under the hood. The Acura TLX comes equipped with a 272-horsepower turbo-four as standard, which can get you to 60 mph in as little as 4.9 seconds.
If you opt for the top-end trim, the Type S, you still get Honda-grade reliability, but also a perky 3.0-liter J30AC V6 that kicks out 355 horsepower, SH-AWD (Super Handling AWD), Brembo brakes, stiff suspension, and 4.6-second rest-to-60 times. Even the Type S only costs just shy of $60,000 without any extras, and alongside the potent performance and hardy build, you get the fanciest interior kit, with leather seating and heavily bolstered bucket seats up front.
The numbers might not seem that outrageous, but the TLX Type S certainly feels a lot quicker than its supposed five-second 0-60 MPH time suggests. Turbo lag is minimal, and while the TLX Type S didn’t feel quite as eclectic immediately off the line when giving it the full beans, it’s during rolling acceleration maneuvers and powering out of corners that the TLX Type S’s turbocharged V6 truly seemed to shine, with excellent Brembo brakes and a firm, yet totally manageable pedal to match.
– Chris Chin for TopSpeed
- Depreciation. $22,030.
- Insurance. $12,665.
- Interest. $7,637.
- Fuel. $9,240.
- Maintenance. $2,546.
2025 Cadillac CT4
Five-Year Ownership Cost: $48,758
As the smaller sibling to the nearly-gone CT5, the Cadillac CT4 is the compact luxury sedan that offers a lot of grit for its price point. Like the CT5, the CT4 is heading for the chop after 2026, so again, now would be the time to get one. The 2025 Cadillac CT4 boasts a low starting price of $36,490 for the Luxury trim, which gets you a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged inline-four that puts out 237 horsepower; you can also opt for a 2.7-liter flavor in the top-trim CT4-V, which kicks out 310 horsepower and takes 0–60 mph times down from 5.8 seconds to 4.7 seconds.
As standard, rear-wheel drive is equipped, but this can be upped to all-wheel drive; you get an eight-inch touchscreen; dual-zone climate control keeps things nice in the front and back, and roomy legroom of 42.4 inches in the front and 34.4 inches in the back is ample for comfortable driving.
- Depreciation. $15,599.
- Insurance. $14,895.
- Interest. $6,348.
- Fuel. $8,885.
- Maintenance. $3,030.
Sources: CarEdge, Kelley Blue Book, FuelEconomy.gov, RepairPal, and J.D. Power.