{"id":3203,"date":"2025-03-06T15:50:57","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T20:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/?p=3203"},"modified":"2026-06-30T03:12:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T07:12:05","slug":"used-cars-best-most-affordable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/used-cars-best-most-affordable\/3203\/","title":{"rendered":"49,750 reasons Americans are buying used: Consumer Reports names the 5 most affordable picks for March 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Used cars are becoming more attractive options as the price of a new vehicle reaches an all-time high. The <a href=\"https:\/\/carbuzz.com\/average-vehicle-price-record-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">average price of a new car in 2025<\/a> has hit $50,326, and this is outside of many people&#8217;s financial comfort range.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>top 5 second-hand cars<\/strong> have been rated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerreports.org\/cars\/best-used-cars-10-top-picks-a8027733372\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Consumer Reports<\/em><\/a> and there are some familiar brands on the list that you won&#8217;t be surprised to see. Others, however, are models that most people may not have considered and as such, you may pick up a quality vehicle at a bargain if you know what you&#8217;re looking for.<\/p>\n<h2>The highest average price of a new vehicle is forcing drivers to consider used cars<\/h2>\n<p>The number of used cars sold in the United States in 2024 reached approximately 35 million, which was a 13% increase in the number sold the previous year. This is an even more significant number if one considers the supply challenges that dealers had to contend with.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s also an indication that Americans are feeling the pinch of inflation with less disposable income available and are opting for second-hand cars rather than newer, flashier, more technologically advanced options.<\/p>\n<h2>How did <em>Consumer Reports<\/em> judge the best used vehicles fairly?<\/h2>\n<p><em>Consumer Reports<\/em> has been providing insightful, <strong>reliable reviews of all kinds of vehicles<\/strong> for decades (such as this review of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/adas-cars-safety-ranked-drivers\/1888\/\">cars with the safest ADAS systems<\/a>), and now its data has been compiled to focus on the top choices of used vehicle models to consider in March 2025.<\/p>\n<p>To make the list, the used cars had to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Excel in road tests when new<\/li>\n<li>Show above-average reliability for multiple years as indicated in member surveys<\/li>\n<li>Have standard electronic stability control (ESC)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><em>Consumer Reports<\/em> has a list of top 5 used cars you can rely on<\/h2>\n<p>Below are the top 5 models that Consumer Reports feels will be excellent choices in varied price ranges when shopping for a new vehicle.<\/p>\n<h3>2016 Mazda 6: Under $10,000<\/h3>\n<p>These are the highlights of the 2016 <strong>Mazda 6<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Smooth four-cylinder engine<\/li>\n<li>Nimble handling<\/li>\n<li>Good fuel efficiency at 32 mpg<\/li>\n<li>Comfortable, supportive seats<\/li>\n<li>Reduced cabin noise in the updated model<\/li>\n<li>Safety features: Forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert<\/li>\n<li>Sporty aesthetics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2018 Toyota Corolla: Under $15,000<\/h3>\n<p>The <strong>Toyota Corolla<\/strong> has been a winner for decades, and the 2018 model is the best pick in this price range, according to <em>Consumer Reports<\/em>. Here are the features that make it a top choice:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All around decent sedan performance<\/li>\n<li>Roomy back seat<\/li>\n<li>Smooth drive experience<\/li>\n<li>Sportier handling in the SE XSE models<\/li>\n<li>Safety features in the 2018 upgraded model: Forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic braking, lane keeping assist<\/li>\n<li>Reliable<\/li>\n<li>Efficient<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2016 Honda CR-V: SUV under $15,000<\/h3>\n<p>The manufacturer delivered a strong showing in the fourth-generation <strong>Honda CR-V<\/strong> for these reasons:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Improved space, power, and safety<\/li>\n<li>Fuel economy of 24 mpg overall<\/li>\n<li>Safety features: Forward collision warning, automatic braking, lane departure warning<\/li>\n<li>Adaptive cruise control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Hybrid under $20,000<\/h3>\n<p>Toyota&#8217;s second model on the list is the 2019 <strong>Camry Hybrid<\/strong>, which impressed consumers for these features:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fuel efficiency of 52 mpg and a range of 610 miles, which beats the Prius<\/li>\n<li>Nimble handling<\/li>\n<li>Comfortable ride<\/li>\n<li>Apple CarPlay in models from 2020 onwards<\/li>\n<li>Safety features: Forward collision warning, automatic braking, lane departure warning<\/li>\n<li>Adaptive cruise control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>2021 Kia Sportage: Small SUV under $20,000<\/h3>\n<p>Consumer Reports named the <strong>Kia Sportage<\/strong> the best in its small SUV price range and this may come as a surprise to consumers considering the top brands available in this price range. It delivers these perks for drivers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Refined powertrain<\/li>\n<li>Sporty handling<\/li>\n<li>Spacious interior<\/li>\n<li>Improved infotainment system in the 2020 updated model<\/li>\n<li>Powered front seats with the LX trim<\/li>\n<li>Safety features: Automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist in the updated model<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is not the only list that <em>Consumer Reports<\/em> has compiled, and a different one educates car buyers about the worst vehicles. More of its reliable data was put together to deliver a review of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/suv-buy-cars-experts\/1014\/\">five SUVs to avoid buying in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Used cars are becoming more attractive options as the price of a new vehicle reaches an all-time high. The average price of a new car in 2025 has hit $50,326, and this is outside of many people&#8217;s financial comfort range. The top 5 second-hand cars have been rated by Consumer Reports and there are some &#8230; <a title=\"49,750 reasons Americans are buying used: Consumer Reports names the 5 most affordable picks for March 2025\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/used-cars-best-most-affordable\/3203\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about 49,750 reasons Americans are buying used: Consumer Reports names the 5 most affordable picks for March 2025\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":3223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"used cars,Consumer Reports,Mazda,Kia,Lexus,Toyota,Honda","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Drivers in the United States are increasingly looking to buy used cars rather than new and Consumer Reports has listed the top five in their price ranges.","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobility"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3203\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecoportal.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}