Best Used Cars to Buy: Reliable, Safe Picks Starting Under $15,000
Our expert buying advice and recommendations will help you get a good deal
Used cars trade factory freshness for up-front savings. The financial benefits are significant, but they’re not as great as they once were. As with new cars, used-car prices remain elevated and inventory is tight, making it hard to find just the right one at the right price.
Blame the ripple effect of the pandemic, which had an impact on the number of new cars made and drove prices up. Compounding the cost of car buying are elevated interest rates. Fewer cars are returning to the market. This is complicated by the current economy, which is causing people to hold on to their cars. (The average age for passenger vehicles on U.S. roads is now about 13 years.) Even still, there are millions of used cars that are less than six years old—the sweet spot for many buyers.
- Used Car Buying: Review the Vehicle History Test Drive the Used Car Get the Used Car Inspected Check for Recalls on the Used Car Prepare to Negotiate the Price
- Best Used Cars Under $15,000
- Best Used Cars Priced $15,000 to $20,000
- Best Used Cars Priced $20,000 to $25,000
- Best Used Cars Priced $25,000 to $30,000
- Best Used Cars Priced $30,000 to $40,000
Used Car Buying Guide and Ratings
CR’s tests and exclusive member surveys can steer you to the most reliable used cars with a track record of reliability, satisfaction, and safety.
Review the Vehicle History
Why it’s important: Vehicle history reports from providers like AutoCheck and Carfax can alert you to signs of trouble, such as a spotty maintenance history or a car that has been in a crash or a flood. A Carfax report lists the number of owners the car had and the dates and mileage for oil changes, brake and tire replacements, as well as emissions inspections.
What to remember: These reports might not include repair work that wasn’t submitted to a shared database. The National Insurance Crime Bureau offers a free vehicle identification number (VIN) check tool that can flag cars that have been stolen or salvaged.
Test-Drive the Used Car
Why it’s important: Only with a test drive can you experience how a car handles, identify potential problems, and make sure it’s a good fit for you.
What to remember: Make sure you can adjust the seat and steering wheel for comfort and visibility. And make sure that the infotainment system isn’t difficult to use and that it pairs with your phone. CR’s experts advise avoiding playing the radio while driving, so you can listen for telltale sounds of trouble, like rough engine rumblings or any ticking or clattering. Any play in the steering, pulsation from the brakes, or creaking suspension noises can indicate that the car needs an expensive repair.
Get the Used Car Inspected
Why it’s important: An inspection can reveal problems that the seller, dealer, and history report won’t.
What to remember: Go to an independent mechanic who won’t profit from the sale. If you don’t have one, search online for a local mobile mechanic who can come to inspect the car. For example, Lemon Squad, a nationwide network of mobile technicians, charges $220 for a prepurchase inspection, including a complete report for most cars.
Check for Recalls on the Used Car
Why it’s important: All car recalls involve safety issues.
What to remember: Open recalls are common and shouldn’t be considered a deal breaker. Still, you should have any recall work, especially involving vehicle safety, done promptly by a dealership that sells the brand you’re buying. Check recalls by year, make, and model with CR’s Car Recall Tracker or on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Recalls & Investigations, using the VIN located at the base of the windshield. Sign up for recall notices at either website.
Prepare to Negotiate the Price
Why it’s important: Having a basic negotiation strategy can save you money up front and over time if you’re financing. This is particularly important now because interest rates on auto loans have crept upward.
What to remember: You can get a good idea of a fair used-car price by finding the private party sale price with CR’s Car Value Estimator. “Ultimately, the private party price is your negotiation target,” says Mike Quincy, who has bought over 170 new cars for CR’s test track over the years. “Negotiate up from this figure when buying from a dealership rather than down from their listed price. Be respectful, honest, and prepared to walk away.”
Learn how to beat the “four square” and other car dealership sales tactics.
Best Used Cars
We show a variety of reliable models, representing a range of car types and organized by price. These cars performed well in Consumer Reports’ rigorous testing when new and have stood the test of time with above-average reliability scores, based on our extensive surveys of thousands of owners. We list alternative choices when other vehicles meet the qualifications. The specific years matter. You’ll see in some cases a range is used, and in others, certain years may be skipped due to reliability data.
Click on the model names to access the model pages with detailed reliability data, road-test results, and more.
See all used cars, from A to Z and learn how Consumer Reports tests cars.
