Top 10 Most Expensive Vehicles to Own

Mercedes-Benz CL-Class Coupe Starting MSRP: $99,900 Five-year cost of ownership: $174,264 Four models in this list have starting prices higher than the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class. But after five years of ownership, the CL-Class swallows more dollars than any mass-produced vehicle you can buy. That's because pricier models ***

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan Starting MSRP: $85,750 Five-year cost of ownership: $171,130 Like the two Mercedes models that fall before it on this list, the S-Class expenses run high because its ultra-high performing AMG version elevates the average cost of ownership for the entire car line. Considered alone, the S65 AMG Sedan duns its owners for an astonishing $243,491 over five years. If you took it out of the mix, the other three S-Class versions sold by Mercedes ***

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Convertible Starting MSRP: $94,800 Five-year cost of ownership: $168,203 The top-shelf AMG versions of Mercedes ***

BMW M6 Convertible Starting MSRP: $104,900 Five-year cost of ownership: $150,565 The M6 Convertible is the last of three pricey, high-performance, low-volume BMWs to make the list. Fuel cost is its most conspicuous downfall. At $18,313 over five years, the M6 Convertible ties with its M6 Coupe twin for the second-worst fuel efficiency on the list, eclipsed only by the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. All that fuel returns low 0-60 mph times: 5.0 seconds for the convertible and 4.6 seconds for the coupe. ***

BMW Alpina B7 Starting MSRP: $115,000 Five-year cost of ownership: $149,809 The rare Alpina B7 is the highest-priced BMW among the three on this list, and the second-highest priced overall, second only to the Porsche 911 Turbo. It costs $10,000 more than the M6 Convertible, but that car depreciates more swiftly, losing 62 percent of its base price in five years, as opposed to the B7 ***

Porsche 911 Turbo Starting MSRP: $122,900 Five-year cost of ownership: $149,574 The 911 Turbo is the most expensive 911 variant sold by Porsche, as of publication time, and has the highest starting price on our list. It's also the fastest, with a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds. Surprisingly, the 911 Turbo has the lowest five-year fuel cost of the list, $12,551. ***

BMW M6 Coupe Starting MSRP: $99,100 Five-year cost of ownership: $144,265 The BMW M6 Coupe is so intimately related to the M6 Convertible that their five-year costs for fuel, maintenance and repairs are identical. But the hardtop version lands three spots lower on this list because it costs $5,800 less. It depreciates at nearly the same rate as the convertible, but that depreciation claims a smaller sum. Its lower purchase price also demands lower finance fees, thus stealing less cash from other potential investments. ***

Mercedes-Benz G-Class Starting MSRP: $83,700 Five-year cost of ownership: $137,314 The military-inspired G-Class is the only SUV to make this list. Mercedes sells two versions of this luxurious off-roader that ***

Audi S8 Starting MSRP: $92,000 Five-year cost of ownership: $136,368 Audi is the only brand with vehicles in both the top and bottom 10 for cost of ownership. The large, fast, technology-laden S8 makes the most expensive list mostly because of high depreciation ***

Porsche 911 GT3 Starting MSRP: $106,000 Five-year cost of ownership: $129,458 Although not as potent as the 911 Turbo also on this list, the 911 GT3 is designed for serious racetrack use. And with a proportionally lower price than the 911 Turbo, the 911 GT3 requires fewer dollars to maintain and drive. It also retains its value rather well, depreciating just 50 percent over five years. So even with a lofty base price of $106,000 ***