Tesla Model 3 vs Toyota Camry: the real 5-year cost

On the sticker, the Camry is the cheaper car. Add up five years of fuel, financing, insurance, maintenance, and lost resale value, though, and the gap changes shape. Here's how the two actually compare.

The 5-year cost, side by side

These estimates assume 12,000 miles a year for 5 years, national-average gas ($3.45/gal) and electricity ($0.16/kWh), a 60-month loan at 6.9% APR, and a $3,000 down payment. Your local prices and driving habits will move these numbers — that's exactly what the interactive calculator is for.

Figures are rounded estimates using evornot's default national assumptions and are illustrative, not a quote. Depreciation here counts the resale value lost over the period. Run the live calculator for numbers tailored to your state, mileage, and the exact trims you're considering.

Where the Model 3 wins

Fuel and maintenance. Charging at home is dramatically cheaper than filling a tank, and an EV skips oil changes, transmission service, and most brake wear. Over five years that's often a $4,000–$5,000 swing in the Tesla's favor — and it grows the more miles you drive and the higher local gas prices climb.

Where the Camry wins

Upfront price, insurance, and resale. The Camry costs far less to buy, is cheaper to insure, and Toyota's legendary resale value means it gives back more when you sell. The Model 3's faster recent depreciation — driven by price cuts and a young used-EV market — is the single biggest reason the gas car often comes out ahead at average prices.

So which is cheaper?

At national-average prices and typical mileage, the Camry comes out ahead. But that lead is thin, and it flips in a lot of real situations: higher local gas prices, cheap overnight or solar charging, more miles a year, a longer time before you sell, or a state rebate can each tip the result to the Model 3. The average is a starting point. Your own numbers settle it.