Is it time to replace your old vehicle? Do you have a new driver in the family who needs their own wheels? We’ve got something for everyone in our roundup of the best used cars to buy for 2022.
Best Used Daily Driver
Need a car that can handle your daily routine without breaking the bank? Here’s our pick:
Chevrolet Spark When you need something to get you to work every day without eating up your paycheck, put the Spark on your shopping list. It gets outstanding fuel mileage, and you can park it just about anywhere. You can find a 2017 model for under $20k.
Best Used SUV
When buying a used SUV, you shouldn’t need to compromise on features and versatility. That’s why our choice is:
Jeep Cherokee If you’re looking for a good all-around SUV that is comfortable for commuting and can get you to your favorite remote campsite, the Cherokee is for you. You’ll get decent gas mileage, especially from the 4-cylinder engine. Depending on features, mileage, and condition, a 2017-18 should run between $23-28k.
Best Used Family-Sized Vehicle
Yes, we chose a minivan over a large 3-row SUV. Dollar for dollar, we think they’re a better value. If you want to avoid a daily game of Tetris getting the car loaded, our best used family-sized vehicle is:
Dodge Grand Caravan For big, busy families with a small budget, a used Dodge Grand Caravan is an incredibly good deal. Stow’ n Go second-row seats give you tons of flexibility for carting around kids and all their stuff. It’s also ideal for mobility if you have family members who use a scooter or motorized chair. A 2017 can be had for under $20k.
Best Used Truck
This is the most challenging category because the 150/1500 offerings from Ram, Toyota, Chevy, Ford, and even Honda, are all fantastic. But if we have to choose, we’re going with:
Ford F-150 There’s a reason the Ford F-150 is the best-selling pickup in the country. They’re robust and dependable. And with package options, you can configure a base model pretty well without spending Premium-level money, especially when you find one used. There are plenty of tie-down anchors in the bed, and, depending on the engine, the F-150 can pull around 9,000 pounds. Prices vary widely depending on mileage and configuration.
Best Used Sports Car
This is another challenging class of cars because people tend to be ride-or-die with their favorite models. Our favorite may surprise you, but you shouldn’t sleep on it.
Subaru WRX People who scoff at the WRX being a sports car haven’t driven a Subaru WRX. It sprints from 0-60 in under 6 seconds, and you can get one with a manual transmission. If you need an agile daily driver and a blast to drive, test drive a used WRX. The Subaru WRX runs from the mid-to-upper $20s to the mid-30k range for a 2016-2017 model.
These are a Few of Our Favorite Used Cars
Even with the challenges of finding used cars over the past couple of years, there are lots of great deals to be found with a little sleuthing. If you’re having trouble finding the vehicle you want, your local dealership may be willing to tap their network to track it down for you.
