Study taps Chevy Trax, Toyota Avalon as best used cars for the money
![](https://www.autoremarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/iSeeCars-chart.jpg)
Image courtesy of iSeeCars.
With used-car prices still high and consumer’s budgets strained, car buyers are looking for value perhaps more than ever before.
So is iSeeCars, which released its latest study to identify the best used cars for the money.
“With the spike in used-vehicle pricing over the past five years, buyers are seeking the best value for their used-car dollars,” iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer said. “We’ve identified the models with the lowest purchase price and the longest remaining lifespan, providing shoppers with a list of used cars they can purchase and rely on for many years.”
The study analyzed more than 1.1 million five- and 10-year-old used cars sold from September to December 2023 and ranked them based on the lowest price for every 10,000 miles of remaining lifespan, as estimated by iSeeCars’ proprietary model using odometer readings from more than 312 million vehicles.
The Chevrolet Trax came out on top as the best five-year-old car for the money, with an average price of $17,274 and an estimated remaining lifespan of 119,833 miles for a cost of $1,442 per 10,000 miles.
The Trax was followed closely by the Honda Fit ($1,473 per 10,000 miles), Honda Insight ($1,485), Buick Encore ($1,492) and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport ($1,498).
The top 10 was rounded out by three Hondas – the Accord ($1,542), CR-V ($1,599) and Ridgeline ($1,647) – the Toyota Avalon ($1,694) and the Jeep Renegade ($1,716). The average cost per 10,000 miles of remaining lifespan for all 5-year-old used cars analyzed was $2,249.
Among 10-year-old vehicles, the Toyota Avalon was No. 1, with an average price of $16,986 and an estimated 124,119 miles in its remaining lifespan for a cost of $1,369 per 10,000 miles.
The rest of the list included the Honda CR-V ($1,417), Honda Accord ($1,427), Mazda CX-9 ($1,453), Lincoln MKX ($1,481), Lexus GS 350 ($1,513), Toyota Prius c ($1,539), Buick Encore ($1,550), Honda Ridgeline ($1,595), Lexus CT 200h ($1,623). The average for all 10-year-old vehicles was $1,924.
Half of the top 10-ranked 5-year-old vehicles and 12 of the top 20 are compact SUVs, including the top two. Four of the top 10 five-year-old vehicles have an average selling price of less than $20,000.
The study found the Ridgeline the best five-year-old used truck for the money, with an average price of $30,026 and a remaining lifespan of 182,000 miles. The CR-V led the way for 10-year-old SUVs with an average price of $15,726 and a remaining lifespan of 111,000 miles.
The full study results are available here.