Are you shopping for used cars based on the price, the type, the build, or the features that are offered? What do you want to enjoy when you get behind the wheel and take a drive in a pre-owned car? Are you starting out in your life and you need to have a used car that can give you an affordable drive or are you looking for more quality for the drive but still want the benefits of a used vehicle when you hit the road? Let’s take a look at some of the qualities that you can consider when shopping.
Price
If the price is your determining factor, here’s what you should find:
Pre-Owned Cars under $10,000
You should be able to find the following models at a price that will come in below $10,000 to make them the right car to drive as a first-time buyer or as a student:
- Smart ForTwo
- Chevrolet Cobalt
- Dodge Caliber
- Mazda3
- Chevrolet HHR
Cars Under $15,000
Add a little more to the price you can pay and the choices you can make expand quite a bit to give you some excellent sedans that you can choose to drive including:
- Nissan Altima
- Chevrolet Cruze
- Honda Civic
- Hyundai Sonata
- Nissan Sentra
Cars Under $30,000
When you can spend this amount, you might want to look for a new vehicle, but if you still want the value of a used model in a modern build, these are some of the smartest choices at the higher trim levels for you to choose.
- Nissan Altima
- Toyota Camry
- Nissan Sentra
- Hyundai Sonata
- Hyundai Elantra
Qualities
Are there some specific qualities you want in the vehicle you choose to drive? Will it be a deal breaker to not have the feature that you’re looking for when you drive? Here are some qualities and the vehicles that go with them to give you some great choices to choose from.
AWD
You want to enjoy the benefits of AWD in the vehicle that you drive, which puts one brand ahead of most of the rest. Even so, when shopping for used cars, these are the top-rated models with AWD for you to choose.
- Subaru Outback
- Subaru Impreza
- Subaru Legacy
- Subaru Crosstrek
- Lincoln MKZ
AWD SUV
When you specifically want an SUV with AWD to make it easier for you to head out on the trails, this is the list you want to consider.
- Nissan Rogue
- Jeep Wrangler
- Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Ford Explorer
- Honda CR-V
Car-Seat Friendly
You need a car that can be easy for you to put an infant seat in, which has to face rearward, or a regular car seat inside. This means having room in the rear door to get the seat and the child in an out easily. These are the choices you should make:
- Honda Civic
- Toyota Camry
- Hyundai Elantra
- Chevrolet Cruze
- Honda Accord
Cars for Teens
Provide your young driver with a pre-owned vehicle that’s going to give them a great driving experience while being easy for them to drive. Fell comfortable when you choose one of these cars for your teen to drive.
- Nissan Altima
- Toyota Camry
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Ford Fusion
- Honda Accord
Manual Transmission Cars
If you want the ability to row your own gears and choose the drive for your pre-owned vehicle, you’ll want to take a look at this short list and pick one with the manual transmission for the drive.
- Honda Civic
- Ford Focus
- Fiat 500
- Nissan Versa
- Mini Cooper
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.