Buying a used car is a great way to save money on a big purchase. But those savings can go away if the car isn’t reliable, or if you don’t enjoy driving it.
Consumer Reports is out with new results about which used cars will cost you less over time and keep you on the road for thousands of miles.
Consumer Reports polled more than 200,000 subscribers to see how satisfied they are with their vehicles and whether they’d buy them again.
“In addition to being reliable, they were fun to drive, had great fuel economy, and had high tech features or luxurious cabins,” said Jon Linkov from Consumer Reports.
There are some exceptions to the rule. For example, the Toyota 4Runner consistently scores high marks from owners but its unsettled ride and clumsy handling hurt it in Consumer Reports tests.
Besides the initial price of the car, Consumer Reports says you need to take a hard look at maintenance costs to see if the vehicle will work for your budget.
“We broke down our data to look at three and ten year old vehicles. The three year old models are a little more expensive but they’ll have the latest safety and comfort features. On the other hand while a ten year old model is less expensive to buy you have to figure in the cost of repairing it,” said Linkov.
For example, a mid-sized favorite - the Toyota Camry Hybrid - will cost you about $13,500 to $18,000 and about $55 in maintenance and repairs in year three. At year 10 expect to pay around $6,500 to $7,800 but $370 in annual maintenance costs.
No matter the age Consumer Reports tests and satisfied owners alike found you can’t go wrong with these two small SUVs - the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4.
Need a minivan for the family? Consider the Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna both of which are likely to make it to two-hundred thousand or more.
And finally, subscribers liked the Toyota Tundra Pickup truck for its driving and reliability.
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