CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -

Late last week, vehicle research and shopping site CarGurus.com doled out a list of the most ideal used vehicles for a group of shoppers whose budgets are often tight, especially given today’s economy: recent graduates.

On its list, two brands in particular — Volkswagen and Ford — led the way.

In determining the group of used cars, CarGurus considered vehicles that it found to be safe and fuel-efficient, with price tags at less than $20,000.
CarGurus scoured millions of listings posted by dealers for units that were available as of May 1. The site tried to find vehicles that were less than six years old. CarGurus also required vehicles to have the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top safety billing and eliminated pickups, SUVs and convertibles from the search.

The site also only considered vehicles that would cost drivers $40 or less per week in gas based on $4 per gallon fuel and 200 miles driven each week. The company said it only recommended cars with “ample inventory.”

The seven vehicles the site recommends are:

2006 Volkswagen Jetta
2006 Volkswagen Passat
2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
2009 Ford Fusion
2008 Scion xB
2009 Honda Accord
2007 Ford Edge

CarGurus provided the following table to illustrate its findings in more detail:

 

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Year/Vehicle/Trim

 

DealFinder Instant Market Value (IMV) for a car with average mileage

 

Average mileage for DealFinder listings

 

IIHS Safety Ratings (1)

 

MPG (city/highway)

2006 Volkswagen Jetta Value Edition

 

$11,300

 

59,200

 

Top Safety Pick 2006

 

22/29

2006 Volkswagen Passat Value Edition

 

$12,800

 

60,800

 

Top Safety Pick 2006

 

21/29

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer DE

 

$12,900

 

31,100

 

Top Safety Pick 2009 for models with electronic stability control (ESC)

 

22/28

2008 Scion xB Base

 

$14,000

 

44,500

 

Top Safety Pick 2008

 

22/28

2009 Ford Fusion S

 

$14,100

 

44,300

 

Top Safety Pick 2009 for models with optional ESC

 

20/28

2008 Honda Accord LX

 

$16,700

 

34,900

 

Top Safety Pick 2008 for 4-door models

 

22/31

2007 Ford Edge SE

 

$17,400

 

51,300

 

Top Safety Pick 2007

 

18/25