One way your dealership could see customers beyond when they take delivery is by guiding them toward a vehicle that’s more affordable to insure and maintain.

That vehicle could be one of the 2023 model-year brand and category winners of the 5-Year Cost to Own Awards recently given by Kelley Blue Book.

Examining ongoing costs like fuel, maintenance, insurance and vehicle depreciation, KBB named Toyota as the top mainstream brand and Lexus as the top luxury brand for this award program that recognizes new vehicles with the lowest projected ownership costs over the initial five-year ownership period.

Janice Yoell, senior manager of valuations for Kelley Blue Book, explained why this list of award winners could help dealership promote their current inventory or aid in sales personnel working with customers to find the best vehicle for them and their budgets.

“Many car shoppers would be shocked if they understood that cost of ownership can vary in staggering amounts from one vehicle to the next, potentially to the tune of thousands of dollars over time,” Yoell said in a news release. “Paying attention to a vehicle’s cost of ownership is imperative to make a smart purchase decision.

“For the third year in a row, Toyota and its luxury sibling Lexus take home the top brand prizes for 5-Year Cost to Own in 2023. Both brands feature several models with high residual values — meaning the vehicle holds its value well over time — leading to low vehicle depreciation, which is a key factor in determining cost of ownership,” Yoell went on to say.

After Toyota and Lexus at the brand level, KBB also named 27 individual vehicle award winners, which include:

COMPACT CAR:  Subaru Impreza

FULL-SIZE SUV:  Chevrolet Tahoe

MIDSIZE CAR:  Honda Accord

LUXURY SUBCOMPACT SUV:  Lexus UX

LUXURY COMPACT CAR:  Genesis G70

LUXURY COMPACT SUV: Lexus NX

LUXURY MIDSIZE CAR:  Lexus ES

LUXURY MIDSIZE SUV – 2-ROW:  Lexus RX

LUXURY FULL-SIZE CAR:  Lexus LS

LUXURY MIDSIZE SUV – 3-ROW:  Acura MDX

SPORTS CAR:  Subaru BRZ

LUXURY FULL-SIZE SUV:  Mercedes-Benz GLS

HYBRID VEHICLE:  Toyota Corolla Hybrid

OFF-ROAD SUV:  Ford Bronco

ELECTRIC CAR:  Chevrolet Bolt EV

COMPACT PICKUP TRUCK:  Ford Maverick

ELECTRIC SUV:  Chevrolet Bolt EUV

MIDSIZE PICKUP TRUCK:  Ford Ranger

ELECTRIC TRUCK:  Ford F-150 Lightning

FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK:  Toyota Tundra

SUBCOMPACT SUV:  Hyundai Venue

MINIVAN:  Toyota Sienna

COMPACT SUV:  Subaru Forester

LUXURY ELECTRIC CAR:  Tesla Model 3

MIDSIZE SUV – 2-ROW: Subaru Outback

LUXURY ELECTRIC SUV:  Tesla Model Y

MIDSIZE SUV – 3-ROW: Subaru Ascent