Is Maaco or Car-X cheaper to open?

Maaco costs $196,000–$644,000 and Car-X costs $396,200–$582,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Maaco has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Maaco or Car-X?

Maaco reports $1,615,904 average annual unit revenue vs $792,382 for Car-X (FDD Item 19). Maaco is higher. For Maaco: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.

Which is safer, Maaco or Car-X?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 17.4% for Maaco and 18.2% for Car-X. Lower is safer, so Maaco has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Maaco or Car-X?

FranchiseVerdict grades Maaco B and Car-X B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Maaco vs Car-X

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Maaco and Car-X are automotive franchises. Maaco requires an investment of $196K – $644K while Car-X requires $396K – $582K. In terms of revenue, Maaco reports higher average unit revenue at $1.6M. Note: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. On SBA loan performance, Maaco has a lower charge-off rate (17.4%) compared to Car-X (18.2%). FranchiseVerdict rates Maaco B (Above average) and Car-X B (Above average).

Metric	Maaco	Car-X
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	BAbove average
Investment Range	$196K – $644K	$396K – $582K
Franchise Fee	$45K	$35K
Royalty Rate	8.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.6MOutlet subset	$792K
SBA Charge-Off Rate	17.4% (612 loans)	18.2% (14 loans)
Total Units	363	97
Unit Growth (YoY)	-13 units	-1 units
Year Began Franchising	1972	2015
FDD Year	2025	2026