Best Used Car for Value
Buying a used car is tricky business. It is hard to know if you are getting a good deal because you really never know how the previous owner (or owners) treated the vehicle. And which cars are the best deals? While some vehicles may have ridiculously low prices after five years is that because they are also horribly unreliable? No question about it, wading into the used car pool can catch even the most hardened consumer unawares and put them into the equivalent of a modern day automotive money pit.
A true used car value is only found with vehicles that are reliable, have low insurance rates and for some reason never “clicked” with the buying public. Trust me, there are plenty of deals out there especially if you are not a brand snob who insists on a BMW or a Honda (both of which have stellar resale values). As follows are a list of five great used car deals based on the percentage of their value (projected by Edmunds.com and Forbes.com) after 5 years (15,000 miles a year average) and their general reliability in the past.
There are, of course, vehicles that come a lot cheaper than these after five years such as the Chrysler Sebring (which is at the bottom of the barrel resale wise) or the Dodge Caravan. But these vehicles suffer from below average quality and are made by a manufacturer with less than steady sea legs. Who knows if Chrysler will be around in 5 years? That is why these vehicles are not recommended.
You may notice a number of Korean cars on the list and that is because so many people buy them for the 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. Unfortunately for secondhand buyers that warranty drops to 5 years/60,000 miles (which is still a long time). But even without a warranty Kia and Hyundai products make great second hand buys as they consistently rank with Toyota and even Honda in the reliability race. As long as you can deal with that badge on the hood you could walk away with a huge bargain.
(Note: These are only estimates and do not guarantee any prices you will pay for a used car nor is it a guarantee of their reliability.)
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Why it's best:
(15% value after 5 years)—Need a minivan but don’t have much cash to spend? This minivan continually outranks U.S. minivans in quality and while it isn’t quite the dynamic equal of the Toyota or Honda vans, it does its job amicably. As long as you aren&rsqu...read full review
Why it's a best pick:
(18% value after 5 years)—This clone of the Hyundai Sonata might not be the most eye catching sedan on the market (actually, try to picture one and you probably can’t) but that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with it. Powered either by a fuel efficient... read full review
Why it's a best pick:
(28% after 5 years)—If fuel efficiency is your number one concern why not check out the Accent? This South Korean subcompact should easily give you over 30 miles per gallon in normal driving conditions. While it is no race car it is surprisingly peppy with either the m... read full review
Why it's a best pick:
(30.8% after 5 years)—The perfect car for anyone looking to terrorize other commuters on the freeway. Especially when equipped in white, this car will make everyone believe you are a cop coming to pull them over for speeding. It is an odd sensation of power that only d... read full review
Why it's a best pick:
(30.8% after 5 years)—Handsome and stylish, it is a shame that the poor Sonata suffers from such low resale value. This really is a great car that neatly balances comfortable ride with enough handling prowess for your average Jane or Joe. While this is a clone of the K... read full review
I agree. Used autos for sale are abundant in the automobile market today. Most of the searches can be done online itself by a customer. Online searches are both simple and time saving. Typically in a website of a used car dealer you can find a huge data base of cars that are classified under various heads. The most common classification is by make. Some people do have a budget constraint and have to stick to a price range only. But this certainly does not mean compromising on vehicle quality. By clicking on each of these links you can narrow down your search quite easily and get to the car of your dream quickly. Some of these dealers also help you get auto financing deals that are quite cheap.
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Linda Costner
auto glass
