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
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
February 2026
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Feb 20, 2026
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Feb 20, 2026
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Feb 20, 2026
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Feb 20, 2026
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Feb 12, 2026
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Feb 12, 2026
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars February 2026 Feb 12, 2026
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Feb 12, 2026
- Best 0% Finance Deals February 2026 Feb 05, 2026
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared February 2026 Feb 05, 2026
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Right Now Feb 05, 2026
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Feb 05, 2026
January 2026
- Best Car Deals by Category Jan 23, 2026
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Jan 23, 2026
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Jan 23, 2026
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Jan 23, 2026
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Jan 15, 2026
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Jan 09, 2026
