The secondary market has grown increasingly cautious when it comes to luxury SUVs like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Volvo XC90, and Land Rover Range Rover. For buyers analyzing long-term ownership costs, the financial reality of these models presents clear challenges.
Luxury SUVs currently experience some of the steepest value drops in the automotive market. Higher-end models often lose a significant portion of their original retail value within the first few years, while out-of-warranty maintenance and annual service bills can easily reach $1,500 or more. As a result, certain models linger on dealership lots for over seven months as buyers seek more cost-predictable alternatives.
With off-lease vehicles steadily entering the pre-owned market while demand softens, dealerships face growing pressure on inventory turn rates. This often leads to reduced trade-in offers or increased selectiveness when taking in specific high-depreciation models.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio
127 Days Supply / Five-Year Depreciation: $28,167
Folks probably bought an Alfa Romeo Stelvio for its sports-car-like agility and punchy turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque. Quick steering and powerful brakes made this Italian SUV a prime choice for driving enthusiasts. Still, shoppers were skeptical of the Alfa Romeo brand, especially in the second-hand space. Depreciation metrics vary from around 56% to 70% depending on the source, with Kelley Blue Book confirming that 2018 models originally sold at $42,990 now trade starting around $13,000, a 70% loss.
CarEdge projects five-year maintenance and repairs at $3,059, though longer-term forecasts aren’t available, likely because there just aren’t enough units out there for a substantial data set. Key scheduled maintenance milestones could cost $350–$600 every 30,000 miles, plus dedicated transmission drain-and-fill services around 80,000 miles that could run another $850. The Stelvio’s maintenance and repair needs are relatively easygoing, but retail resistance is a real factor. At this writing, 127 days of market supply means many second-hand shoppers are steering clear.
Infiniti QX80
136 Days Supply / Five-Year Depreciation: $53,787
The Infiniti QX80 has truck-based mechanicals, but they can’t save it from more than 4 months of lot rot, as buyers mostly avoid its dated V8 and cabin. Though the powertrain delivers old-school durability and a very comfortable ride, the 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine is several generations behind the competition and thirsty for its output. At today’s fuel prices, feeding an aging V8 that demands premium gas is an ongoing penalty in the eyes of most shoppers.
According to iSeeCars, the QX80 loses 62.8% ($53,787) over five years, making it one of North America’s fastest-depreciating nameplates. CarEdge shows lower repair frequency than many luxury rivals, with five-year maintenance and repairs estimated at $4,117 and just a 16% risk of a major repair. That’s fairly digestible.
Milestone servicing remains straightforward and manageable, too, but budget another $1,300 or so for cooling system flushes and spark plug replacements at 60,000 miles and 105,000 miles, respectively. If you’re willing to overlook the fuel consumption and dated interior tech, a second-hand QX80 might be a good choice, with plenty of selection and room to negotiate. Still, most buyers are skipping this model, which causes inventory to pile up and trade-in values to drop.
BMW X5
45 Days Supply / Five-Year Depreciation: $36,318
Compared to the Infiniti, the BMW X5 has greater long-term financial exposure for servicing and maintenance. However, buyers are actively seeking out the X5, and inventory is turning over quickly enough for a 45-day supply. This means that while there’s a high potential for a major repair, a second-hand X5 still delivers a solid result because it sells quickly.
With engines and features deployed to deliver the segment’s gold standard of luxury performance SUV motoring, the X5 is now posting a five-year depreciation rate of 53.2% ($36,318), with some sources pointing to 2021 models that have tumbled 65% from the original $66,000 stickers down to $21,000 in some examples.
CarEdge estimates five-year maintenance and repairs at $6,116 (with a 26.37% major repair risk), so watch your long-term financial exposure and be sure to familiarize yourself with the cost and frequency of required maintenance before you buy. Customer demand keeps the X5 turning over quickly, though owners face some of the highest odds of pricey problems on this list after the five-year mark.
Aging engines are known for brittle plastic cooling fittings, leaking oil filter housing gaskets, and weeping valve covers past 75,000 miles. These labor-intensive repairs can see routine fluid leaks turn into pricey teardowns in quick order, contributing to those higher-than-average repair costs.
Audi Q5
152 Days Supply / Five-Year Depreciation: $29,074
Shoppers loved Audi’s crisp Virtual Cockpit, Quattro all-wheel drive, and the punchy 2.0-liter turbo four. When new, the Q5 set the standard for understated, tech-forward daily driving with a sporty character along for the ride. Sounds great, right? So why are used copies sitting on dealer lots for more than 5 months?
Despite moderate service bills, the Q5 is moving slowly as off-lease returns have saturated the market, lowering trade-in values as some buyers grow weary of direct-injection carbon buildup and possible suspension repairs to address aging parts. CarEdge projects five-year maintenance and repairs at $4,061, with a 17.51% risk of major repairs. Key scheduled service milestones at 55,000 and 115,000 miles add up to $788 apiece to the bill. According to iSeeCars, the Q5 drops 55.1% in value ($29,074) over five years.
Volvo XC90
207 Days Supply / Five-Year Depreciation: $34,081
People loved the Volvo XC90 for its minimalist Scandinavian interior, astounding Bowers & Wilkins audio system, top-tier safety tech, and skilledlong-distance comfort. It paired segment-topping safety scores with whisper-quiet, three-row highway comfort. Today, although its five-year maintenance costs are moderate ($4,199), low demand is trapping XC90s on dealer lots for nearly seven months, which is poison for the dealership balance sheet.
The XC90 is rotting on the lot after 55.8% ($34,081) of its MSRP over five years. CarEdge projects five-year maintenance and repairs at $4,199 with a 17.51% major-repair risk. Routine milestones hit hard at higher mileage brackets, where mandatory timing belt replacements and transmission fluid flushes land at 105,000 miles and 120,000 miles respectively, potentially costing you another $1,000 or more apiece. Shoppers seem a little apprehensive about the long-term prospects of the highly complex twin-charged hybrid powertrain, and inventory levels show it.
Land Rover Range Rover
106 Days Supply / Five-Year Depreciation: $30,922
The XC90 might sit around longer, but the Land Rover Range Rover pairs a slow 106 days of supply with the highest predicted five-year repair and maintenance costs among this group, at $6,591.
Buyers once spent six figures for the multi-chamber air suspension, mild-hybrid-assisted turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, and Terrain Response 2 tech that delivered class-leading presence and capability. According to iSeeCars, the cost of that complexity is a 48.7% loss of value after five years, combined with some equally serious repair bill potential.
CarEdge estimates five-year maintenance at $6,591, with a 23.97% major-repair risk. By year seven, major repair risks climb to 29%, and on to over 51% by year 10, with aging air suspension valve blocks causing anxiety. The demanding maintenance schedule includes 30,000-mile fluid and spark plug changes that could cost you $1,500 per visit.
Base Trim Engine
3L I6 Hybrid
Base Trim Transmission
ZF 8-speed automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
395 HP @5500 RPM
Base Trim Torque
406 lb.-ft. @ 2000 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
19/24/21 MPG
Base Trim Battery Type
Lithium ion (Li-ion)
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
Sources: Caredge.com, iSeeCars.com
