10 Best and Most Reliable Used Cars That Fit Your Budget in 2025

One way to ensure the most bang for your buck when car shopping is to buy a used vehicle rather than a new one. For one thing, used cars are cheaper than new cars in an apples-to-apples comparison. For another, much of the depreciation is already baked in, meaning that when you purchase a used car, its value doesn’t immediately shrink the second you drive it off the lot.

That doesn’t mean used cars are necessarily cheap these days. The average used car listing in 2024 is $25,571, according to the latest data from CarEdge. That’s a considerable sum of money for most Americans. But’s it’s still well below the average price of a new car, which Kelley Blue Book estimates was $48,401 in July 2024.You can also find much lower used-car prices if you scout around.

Here are 10 of the best and most reliable used cars that can fit your budget heading into the new year.

• Price Range:  $7,475-$9,925
• Owner reported MPG:  33 mpg

Consumer Reports gives this second-generation Cruze high marks for its “comfortable ride, relatively roomy interior, and effortless power.” Its reliability “improved in its second year” making the 2017 model year more attractive than the 2016 model year.

• Median price: $14,000-$17,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 46-50 mpg

The Prius was chosen as a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and won Cars.com’s 2016 Eco-Friendly Car of the Year. Cars.com gives it high marks for offering “ultra-frugal gas mileage” in a budget-friendly hatchback.

• Price Range: $6,850-$7,250
• Owner reported MPG: 32 mpg

This generation of the Fit was redesigned in 2009 to make it “quicker, safer and more modern” than previous models, according to Consumer Reports. In addition, the Fit “feels responsive, with a smooth and willing engine and agile handling.”

• Median price: $13,000-$17,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 25-29 mpg (gas-only); 38 mpg (hybrid)

Here’s another IIHS Top Safety Pick. This version of the Acura features upgraded suspension and steering and offers decent handling and ride quality, according to Cars.com.

• Median price: $15,000-$16,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 42 mpg as a hybrid after 53 miles of all-electric range on a full battery charge

In addition to being an IIHS Top Safety Pick, the Volt has “useful all-electric range for daily driving and good fuel economy,” Cars.com noted.

• Price Range:  $6,275-$9,925
• Owner reported MPG: 32 mpg

Changes to the Mazda3’s powertrain that were introduced in 2012 improved its fuel economy, Consumer Reports noted, while its road-test score put it near the top of Consumer Reports’ small-car rankings for the model year. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine “delivers smooth and ample performance,” and it also earns high marks for its handling.

• Median price: $15,500-$17,000
• EPA combined fuel economy: 30-34 mpg

The 2017 Corolla got an “impressive infusion of standard safety and driver-assistance features,” according to Cars.com. Those features include a backup camera, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, lane departure steering assist, automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control. These features helped the Corolla earn a Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS.

• Price Range: $9,500
• Owner reported MPG: 24 mpg

If you’re looking for an affordable luxury car, the Lexus ES offers a “comfortable ride” and good fuel economy, according to Consumer Reports. Rear-seat side airbags are standard.

• Median price: About $16,500
• EPA combined fuel economy: 28-29 mpg

As Cars.com reported, this vehicle “earned a reputation as a carpool SUV” because of its wide door openings, low step-in height and ample cargo floor. The CR-V is an IIHS Top Safety pick and gets good gas mileage.

• Price Range:  $7,525-$8,125
• Owner reported MPG: 30 mpg

The Corolla offers “excellent fuel economy” as well as “sound” handling and a suspension system that “soaks up bumps very well,” according to Consumer Reports.

_{Photo Disclaimer: Images may not match specific makes and model years listed.}