The Best Used Cars to Buy Right Now
Criteria for voting: reliability, safety and availability.
Only used cars originally sold from 2004 to 2009 are eligible for these awards. Older vehicles usually have logged too many miles, and newer ones haven't yet felt the large depreciation that makes a low mileage 2- or 3-year-old car the best value.
Editors looked first at consumer ratings, as well as personal experience and judgment.
Second, they considered how these vehicles performed in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests.
Third, they looked at availability; the bigger the model year spread the better.
The following vehicles won for 2011:
Vehicle Class | Winner |
Compact Sedan | 2004-2009 Hyundai Elantra |
Midsize Sedan | 2004-2009 Nissan Altima |
Large Sedan | 2006-2009 Hyundai Azera |
Coupe | 2004-2009 BMW 3 Series |
Convertible | 2004-2009 Mazda Miata |
Wagon | 2004-2009 Pontiac Vibe |
Compact SUV/Crossover | 2004-2009 Honda CR-V |
Midsize SUV/Crossover | 2004-2009 Ford Explorer |
Large SUV/Crossover | 2004-2009 Chevrolet Tahoe |
Minivan/Van | 2004-2009 Honda Odyssey |
Compact Truck | 2004-2009 Toyota Tacoma |
Large Truck | 2004-2009 Ford F-150 |
Luxury | 2004-2009 Infiniti G35/G37 |
Hybrid | 2004-2009 Toyota Prius |
Sport Compact | 2004-2009 Subaru Impreza WRX |

Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author

Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
August 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Aug 14, 2025
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars August 2025 Aug 14, 2025
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Right Now Aug 14, 2025
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Aug 14, 2025
- Best 0% Finance Deals August 2025 Aug 07, 2025
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Aug 07, 2025
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Aug 07, 2025
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Aug 07, 2025
July 2025
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Jul 31, 2025
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Jul 31, 2025
- Which Cars Better to Lease or Buy Jul 31, 2025
- Largest Hidden Dealer Rebates Jul 31, 2025
- Best Car Deals by Category Jul 24, 2025
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Jul 24, 2025
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Jul 24, 2025
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Jul 24, 2025
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared July 2025 Jul 17, 2025
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Jul 17, 2025
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Jul 17, 2025
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Jul 17, 2025
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Jul 10, 2025
- Best Car Deals for 4th of July 2025 Jul 03, 2025