I still remember buying my first used car like it was yesterday.
What a piece of garbage.
I’m sure the 90s-era maroon Ford Escort was a fine vehicle in its younger days, but by the time I got it around 2003, it was on life support.
I remember my sister came to visit shortly after I bought it and, on our very first ride, she tried to open the glove box and the whole thing fell into her lap.
“Ah, it’s just a glove box James, big deal!”
How about this: it was an automatic, but when you put it into gear you had to quickly feather the gas and get going or it would immediately stall.
She lasted about a year, her lifespan ending when she couldn’t operate without emitting an intense burning smell.
I remember I did do some research and the Escorts of the time were supposed to be decent used cars, but I guess by “used” the rating meant 3–5 years, not 10+.
I’m not in the market for a vehicle replacement right at the moment, but if I were, I feel like I’d do a bit more digging for the best option.
And one of the first places I would look is Consumer Reports.
Recently, I picked up their annual Top Picks of the Year issue on a trip to Costco and flipped immediately to the section promising to reveal the very best picks for used vehicles.
Looking to buy a conveyance with a secured glove box and the ability to start with the simple turn of a key?
Some of these might appeal to you.
Best used cars under $20,000
We’ll get to the best used car under $10,000 in a moment, but let’s quickly walk through a handful of the vehicle types that Consumer Reports rated as the best options under 20K.
Best pickup truck under $20,000: 2015 Toyota Tacoma
If I had my №1 choice of vehicle, I’d probably own a Toyota Tacoma.
And I say that as someone who never, ever considered himself a “truck guy”.
That was until a couple of years ago when our old Honda CR-V crapped out amid the COVID-19/supply chain/microchips vehicle shortage nightmare (very bad timing).
We wound up driving my in-laws’ Chevy Colorado for a couple of months while we hunted for a vehicle and I fell in love with the convenience and versatility of a pickup.
It was great for hauling around my kids’ sports equipment and I enjoyed sitting high on the road, where I could see everything happening well in front of me.
Add in my longtime love of the Toyota brand, and this would be the pick for me.
Best hybrid under $20,000: 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid or 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
I believe you simply can’t go wrong with Toyota (so too does Consumer Reports, evidently).
They might not be the most fun vehicles to drive or the most stylish (though they’ve made monster strides in that area since the early 2000s), but dollar-for-dollar I believe they’re the most reliable choice out there.
I have a gas-powered 2015 Corolla with close to 200,000 kilometers on it and not a single mechanical or electrical problem to speak of.
Said CR: “The Corolla sedan offers frugal pricing, solid reliability, and generous safety features. The hybrid got a stunning 48 mpg overall in our tests.”
Best used vehicles under $15,000
There are a handful of choices Consumer Reports identifies here, including the top small car under $15,000 (2019 Hyundai Elantra), but I’d like to focus on their pick as the top SUV: The 2018 Honda HRV.
Here’s what CR writes about that vehicle:
“This practical crossover has a large interior for the category, with a rear seat that can flip and fold easily, along with great fuel economy of 29 mpg overall in our testing.
“Handling is responsive and secure, but the ride is stiff and the cabin is loud.”
Remember when I said my choices were very limited when replacing a car during the COVID car market hiccups?
Yeah, well, a 2019 Honda HRV is the car I wound up buying out of desperation.
Here’s what I’ll say about it:
- I agree that the interior is surprisingly large with the seats down — I can easily get multiple bags of sports equipment in there and enough supplies to get through a long road trip
- It’s pretty gutless to drive: it has very little power and, as CR notes, it’s a stiff ride
- The electronics are a bit glitchy, which I’ve noticed is a common theme with Honda vehicles I (and others in my life) have owned before
I find Honda a bit overrated on the reliability front, but interior space is usually the best in the market.
That matters for someone who is 6-foot-2 like me and has two kids on track to hit (at least) that height.
Would I have chosen this vehicle if I’d had more options at the time?
Probably not.
Having said that, you could do a lot worse at that price point.
The very best used car under $10,000 in 2025
As I mentioned, the last time I drove a Chevy was a little while back with in-laws’ truck (OK to drive … interior felt a bit old-fashioned and clunky with a lot of plastic).
My only other experience with Chevrolet prior to the pick-up stint was with a rental Malibu in the very early 2000s.
As such, I couldn’t really tell you if newer models are good or not.
But according to Consumer Reports, it’s a Chevrolet vehicle that takes the crown as the best used car under $10,000 for 2025.
Specifically, it’s the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze.
Here’s what CR says about the frugal pick:
The Cruze stood out in our tests for its comfortable ride, relatively roomy interior, and gutsy power from a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
“Among the available conveniences at this price are Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, heated seats, and push-button start.”
If you want to pick up one of these, you’ll need to hurry.
Chevy discontinued the model in 2019 in a shift away from compact cars.