Greatest Used Vehicles and Our High Picks for March 2025, says Shopper Studies

New automobile costs are nonetheless prohibitively excessive for many automobile customers as costs proceed to hover across the $48,000 to $50,000 (on common) mark. And if you’d like a brand new truck, you’ll be able to count on to pay anyplace from $70,000 to $100,000.

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

However is paying inflated costs and going into debt essential so as to personal an appropriate automobile?

Under no circumstances. CR automotive specialists are serving to customers discover used-car choices that may save tens of hundreds of {dollars} whereas nonetheless permitting customers to personal a secure automobile with fashionable security options and a confirmed monitor file of reliability.

Shopper Studies Affords a New Choice Class

Shopper Studies is well-known for its informative new automobile opinions, during which it has highlighted distinctive vehicles, SUVs, and vans gleaned by means of intensive testing and buyer survey information.

Nevertheless, 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 Automotive Picks” suggestions.

With the traditionally excessive worth of latest autos as of late, increasingly persons are naturally seeking to pre-owned market looking for a greater discount,” says Alex Knizek, supervisor of automotive testing and insights for Shopper Studies. “However they should not need to sacrifice security, reliability, or gas financial system to remain inside their finances. That is why we created these Used Automotive High Picks and are increasing our used-car protection and insights.

Of their evaluation, CR automotive specialists take into account 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 selections, used vehicles have been chosen from a technology perspective slightly than a model-year perspective.
3. The advantage of a technology perspective is that it constantly reveals the fashions that grew to become extra trouble-free over a technology’s multiyear span; the final two years of a technology are typically the perfect.
4. Security options in new fashions present in used fashions are one other qualifying consideration.
5. Automotive worth is important, as some fashions depreciate greater than others, making them a discount as a used automobile in comparison with different used automobile fashions of the identical age.
6. Used automobile customers should do not forget 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 might 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 have been when new.

THE BEST CAR TOP PICKS BY CONSUMER REPORTS

Sedan Beneath $10,000

Mazda 6 2016

Value Vary: $8,125 – $11,125

Proprietor Reported MPG: 29 mpg

Sedan Beneath $15,000

Toyota Corolla 2018

Value Vary: $12,275 – $14,875

Proprietor Reported MPG: 33 mpg

SUV Beneath $15,000

Honda CR-V 2016

Value Vary: $12,050 – $16,250

Proprietor Reported MPG: 27 mpg

Hybrid Beneath $20,000

Toyota Camry Hybrid 2019

Value Vary: $16,600 – $20,500

Proprietor Reported MPG: 45 mpg

Small SUV Beneath $20,000

Kia Sportage 2021

Value Vary: $14,925 – $19,375

Proprietor Reported MPG: 25 mpg

Hybrid SUV Beneath $20,000

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2018

Value Vary: $15,400 – $19,875

Proprietor Reported MPG: 32 mpg

3-Row SUV Beneath $20,000

Mazda CX-9 2020

Value Vary: $16,425 – $22,750

Proprietor Reported MPG: 24 mpg

Luxurious SUV Beneath $20,000

Lexus NX 2017

Value Vary: $16,550 – $19,625

Proprietor Reported MPG: 25 mpg

Pickup Truck Beneath $20,000

Toyota Tacoma 2015

Value Vary: $13,575 – $19,975

Proprietor Reported MPG: 19 mpg

Sports activities Automotive Beneath $20,000

Mazda MX-5 Miata 2019

Value Vary: $13,675 – $19,500

Proprietor Reported MPG: 32 mpg

Associated article: Shopper Studies’ Dependable Used Sports activities Automotive Suggestions for Beneath $25,000

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter primarily based in Cincinnati who at the moment researches and works on restoring older autos with engine modifications for improved efficiency. He additionally experiences on fashionable 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 Automotive Restore” for helpful every day information and matters associated to new and used vehicles and vans.

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