Study: These are the best models to buy used

Despite the extreme volatility in pricing over the last few years, used cars are still an excellent way to save money on your next vehicle purchase. That said, the sweet feeling of getting a good deal on a used car can go sour pretty quickly when things start breaking and expensive maintenance bills pile up. Consumer Reports (CR) recently compiled a list of the best used car models, polling its members to determine the vehicles with the strongest reliability and other attributes, and some of the higher-ranked models might surprise you.

Category winners 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: 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Small SUV under $20,000: 2021 Kia Sportage
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 little surprising to see vehicles like the Chevy Cruze top their segments, but CR generated its rankings by evaluating a range of criteria beyond basic factors like reliability. The publication evaluated ride quality, acceleration, fuel economy and advanced driver assistance systems, noting that the Cruze has a smooth ride and a spacious interior. At the same time, other models ranked highly for reliability and tech equipment.

CR also ranked the best brands to buy used, leaning on reliability rankings to generate the list. Lexus and Toyota took the top two spots, with scores that beat Mazda in third place by a significant margin. The publication cited Toyota and Lexus’ slow, deliberate vehicle updates as key factors in their reliability. Interestingly, some brands’ new-vehicle scores notably differed from their used numbers. Mercedes-Benz ranked 29th for new-car reliability, but its used scores pushed it into 10th place.