Greatest Used Automobiles and Our High Picks for March 2025, says Shopper Stories

New automobile costs are nonetheless prohibitively excessive for many automobile consumers as costs proceed to hover across the $48,000 to $50,000 (on common) mark. And if you would like a brand new truck, you may anticipate to pay anyplace from $70,000 to $100,000.

Associated article: Shopper Stories Reveals Their High Choose Automobiles of 2025, Together with Two Ford Pickup Vans

However is paying inflated costs and going into debt obligatory to be able to personal an acceptable car?

By no means. CR automotive specialists are serving to consumers discover used-car choices that may save tens of 1000’s of {dollars} whereas nonetheless permitting consumers to personal a protected car with trendy security options and a confirmed observe file of reliability.

Shopper Stories Presents a New Choice Class

Shopper Stories is well-known for its informative new automobile opinions, through which it has highlighted distinctive vehicles, SUVs, and vans gleaned by intensive testing and buyer survey knowledge.

Nonetheless, their automotive analysts are making use of comparable choice rigor to used vehicles, SUVs, and truck fashions and have simply launched their up to date “10 Used Automobile Picks” suggestions.

With the traditionally excessive worth of latest autos nowadays, increasingly individuals are naturally trying to pre-owned market in quest of a greater discount,” says Alex Knizek, supervisor of automotive testing and insights for Shopper Stories. “However they should not need to sacrifice security, reliability, or gasoline economic system to remain inside their funds. That is why we created these Used Automobile High Picks and are increasing our used-car protection and insights.

Of their evaluation, CR automotive specialists contemplate the next elements:

1. Nice new vehicles do not all the time make nice used vehicles, particularly when factoring in depreciation and long-term reliability.
2. To establish good decisions, used vehicles had been chosen from a era perspective quite than a model-year perspective.
3. The good thing about a era perspective is that it persistently reveals the fashions that turned extra trouble-free over a era’s multiyear span; the final two years of a era are usually the most effective.
4. Security options in new fashions present in used fashions are one other qualifying consideration.
5. Automobile worth is important, as some fashions depreciate greater than others, making them a discount as a used car in comparison with different used automobile fashions of the identical age.
6. Used automobile consumers should keep in mind that every automobile is exclusive, has its historical past, and have to be inspected by knowledgeable mechanic earlier than shopping for.

The technique we make use of for choosing used vehicles emphasizes worth inside a worth vary, and it implies that the highlighted fashions could not have been the highest-scoring fashions when examined new. As a substitute, they’re typically good vehicles that depreciated greater than others, making them extra enticing as used vehicles than they had been when new.

THE BEST CAR TOP PICKS BY CONSUMER REPORTS

Sedan Underneath $10,000

Mazda 6 2016

Value Vary: $8,125 – $11,125

Proprietor Reported MPG: 29 mpg

Sedan Underneath $15,000

Toyota Corolla 2018

Value Vary: $12,275 – $14,875

Proprietor Reported MPG: 33 mpg

SUV Underneath $15,000

Honda CR-V 2016

Value Vary: $12,050 – $16,250

Proprietor Reported MPG: 27 mpg

Hybrid Underneath $20,000

Toyota Camry Hybrid 2019

Value Vary: $16,600 – $20,500

Proprietor Reported MPG: 45 mpg

Small SUV Underneath $20,000

Kia Sportage 2021

Value Vary: $14,925 – $19,375

Proprietor Reported MPG: 25 mpg

Hybrid SUV Underneath $20,000

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2018

Value Vary: $15,400 – $19,875

Proprietor Reported MPG: 32 mpg

3-Row SUV Underneath $20,000

Mazda CX-9 2020

Value Vary: $16,425 – $22,750

Proprietor Reported MPG: 24 mpg

Luxurious SUV Underneath $20,000

Lexus NX 2017

Value Vary: $16,550 – $19,625

Proprietor Reported MPG: 25 mpg

Pickup Truck Underneath $20,000

Toyota Tacoma 2015

Value Vary: $13,575 – $19,975

Proprietor Reported MPG: 19 mpg

Sports activities Automobile Underneath $20,000

Mazda MX-5 Miata 2019

Value Vary: $13,675 – $19,500

Proprietor Reported MPG: 32 mpg

Associated article: Shopper Stories’ Dependable Used Sports activities Automobile Suggestions for Underneath $25,000

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based mostly in Cincinnati who at the moment researches and works on restoring older autos with engine modifications for improved efficiency. He additionally experiences on trendy vehicles (together with EVs) with a concentrate on DIY mechanics, shopping for and utilizing instruments, and different associated topical automotive restore information. Observe Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites in addition to on Fb and his automotive weblog “Zen and the Artwork of DIY Automobile Restore” for helpful each day information and subjects associated to new and used vehicles and vans.

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