So you bought that car you’ve been pining after for ages. Outstanding. That said, there’s a chance you haven’t taken every financial burden of your new ride into account, like just how much it costs to keep that beast fueled up, maintained, and insured. That’s how a vehicle like the hulking Chevrolet Tahoe can cost nearly twice as much as a Tesla Model 3 in terms of ownership and running costs. 

A vehicle ownership study suggests that running a Chevrolet Tahoe could be nearly twice as expensive as a Tesla Model 3

When it comes to popular makes and models, the Chevrolet Tahoe took the top spot among the priciest vehicles to own and run. The Tahoe may cost an eye-watering $8,644 to run every year. Conversely, a sensible compact sedan like a Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corolla might save a car buyer $2,500 in running costs alone.

According to Self Financial, the Tahoe’s appetite for gasoline makes it one of the priciest popular nameplates to fuel and run. On average, keeping your Tahoe topped up could cost around $3,276. That figure puts the Tahoe toe-to-toe with the Ford F-Series like the perennially popular F-150 and the Toyota 4Runner.

On the other hand, the Tesla Model 3 has the lowest average running costs of any popular vehicle model in the country. The study suggests that running the baby Tesla could cost around $5,061 per year, a staggering $3,583 less than a 5,866-lb Tahoe. As you might imagine, the low “fuel” cost for the Model 3 puts it just ahead of low-cost compact sedans like the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte. 

That being said, the Model 3’s insurance costs are higher than many of the other popular vehicles on the list, including the Chevrolet Tahoe. On average, it may cost around $2,058 to insure a Tahoe, whereas a Model 3 may demand a bit more at $2,241. Moreover, a Model 3 may cost around $848 less to maintain than a Chevrolet Tahoe and its nearly $2,000 maintenance budget.