A Tesla may be your best choice if you want to save cash on maintenance and repairs over a vehicle's lifetime. A new study from the nonprofit outlet Consumer Reports found that Elon Musk's electric vehicles cost less to maintain over a 10-year period than cars from any other brand.

Tesla owners typically spent just $4,035 over a decade, Consumer Reports found. That's an average of $403.50 per year. 

The findings mirror what we already know about EVs. Since electric motors and batteries have far fewer moving parts than internal combustion powertrains, they require less regular maintenance. There's also a lower potential for things to break, so EVs tend to be more reliable. 

To arrive at the ranking, Consumer Reports asked car owners how much they spent on maintenance and repairs in the last 12 months. By analyzing the results for vehicles in the 2014 through 2023 model years, researchers were able to estimate maintenance and repair costs for each brand over a five-year and 10-year span. They used the 75th percentile figures to approximate typical costs. 

Buick and Toyota came after Tesla, tied at $4,900 for 10-year costs. The bottom nine spots were dominated by luxury brands. Land Rover brought up the rear with a long-term maintenance bill of a whopping $19,250. Consumer Reports cautions that the early ownership costs are impacted by warranties.