10 Most Reliable Used Cars Under $20K
If you’ve been in the market for an affordable used car, there are some specific ones you may want to consider.
Consumer Reports has put out its latest brand ranking on used vehicles, including its best individual used cars that are priced under $20,000.
“With the historically high price of new autos these days, more and more people are naturally looking to pre-owned market in search of a better bargain,” Alex Knizek, manager of automotive testing and insights for Consumer Reports, said in a statement. “But they shouldn’t have to sacrifice safety, reliability, or fuel economy to stay within their budget. That’s why we created these Used Car Top Picks and are expanding our used-car coverage and insights.”
Here’s a look at the top 10 used car picks from Consumer Reports:
Hybrid Small Sedan Under $20K: 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Small SUV Under $20K: 2021 Hyundai Tucson
Hybrid SUV Under $20K: 2018 Toyota RAV4 hybrid
Three-Row SUV Under $20K: 2017 Toyota Highlander
Luxury SUV Under $20K: 2018 Lexus NX
Pickup Under $20K: 2020 Honda Ridgeline
Sports Car Under $20K: 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Used Car Under $10K: 2016 Mazda6
Used Car Under $15K: 2019 Toyota Corolla
SUV Under $15K: 2019 Nissan Rogue
Find More: 6 Dependable Car Brands Drivers Are Most Likely To Keep for 15 Years or More
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Selecting the Best
Among other things, you may notice that Toyota and Mazda models accounted for quite a bit of this list of reliable used cars.
How did Consumer Reports select the most reliable used cars?
“With the historically high price of new autos these days, more and more people are naturally looking to the pre-owned market in search of a better bargain,” says Alex Knizek, associate director of auto test development at Consumer Reports. “But they shouldn’t have to sacrifice safety, reliability, or fuel economy to stay within their budget. That’s why we now present Used Car Top Picks and have expanded our used-car coverage and insights.”
Looking at Generations
Here’s something to keep in mind when looking at this list: Keep in mind that exact model year may not matter all that much.
“If you can’t find that exact used vehicle model year, don’t fret,” reported the Detroit Free Press. “Consumer Reports said it studied from a ‘generation perspective,’ meaning the years that a single design was offered, to identify the best options. It then narrowed the field by targeting specific price categories. Consumer Reports said within the price range, its top choices are based on the newest model year because they tend to have fewer miles on them.”
Looking at Value
If you were to research the models included on the list for most reliable used cars, you may find they didn’t always have the best scores when tested new. Consumer Reports noted that the strategy used this time emphasized value and not necessarily the highest-scoring models when they were new.
“Instead, they’re often good cars that depreciated more than others, making them more attractive as used cars than they were when new,” Consumer Reports noted. “This is exemplified by the Buick Envision, Chevrolet Cruze and Mazda CX-9. All three were solid choices when new, but now they’re relative bargains as used cars.”
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice.
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