Despite the extreme volatility in prices over the past few years, used cars are still a great way to save money on your next vehicle purchase. That said, the sweet feeling of getting a good deal on a used car can turn sour pretty quickly as things break and expensive maintenance bills pile up. Consumer Reports (CR) recently compiled a list of the best used car models, where members are surveyed to determine the vehicles with the highest reliability and other featuresand some of the higher ranked models might surprise you.
Winners in these categories include:
- Car under $10,000: 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
- Car under $15,000: 2019 Hyundai Elantra
- SUV under $15,000: 2018 Honda HR-V
- Hybrid under $20,000: Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2021
- Small SUV under $20,000: Kia Sportage 2021
- Hybrid under $20,000: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
- Three-row SUV under $20,000: 2020 Mazda CX-9
- Luxury SUV Under $20,000: 2020 Buick Envision
- Pickup truck under $20,000: 2015 Toyota Tacoma
- Sports car under $20,000: 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata
It’s a bit surprising to see vehicles like the Chevy Cruze outperform their segmentsBut CR generated its rankings by evaluating a range of criteria that went beyond basic factors like reliability. The publication evaluated ride quality, acceleration, fuel economy and advanced driver assistance systems, noting that the Crotch has a smooth ride and a spacious interior. At the same time, other models scored high on reliability and technical equipment.
CR also ranked the best brands to buy used, relying on reliability rankings to generate the list. Lexus and Toyota took the top two spots, with scores that beat out Mazda in third place by a significant margin. The publication cited Toyota and Lexus’ slow, deliberate vehicle updates as major factors in their reliability. Interestingly, the scores for new vehicles from some brands differed significantly from their used numbersMercedes-Benz ranked 29th for new car reliability, but its used car scores pushed the brand down to 10th place.