Best Used Cars under $20,000

These are CR's lists of reliable cars from the 2010 Annual Auto Survey. They are the specific models with above average reliability spanning the model years 2001 through 2010. These vehicles performed well in CR road tests when tested new.  Also, see our complete list of reliable used vehicles and those used cars to avoid (available to subscribers)

Our best advice is to buy the newest car that fits your budget, in order to benefit from the most up-to-date safety advances.

Listed by price group and alphabetically within groups. Price ranges are what you'd pay for a typically equipped car with average mileage.

 

$10,000-$12,000 $12,000-$14,000
Acura MDX '03; RL '04; TL '04; RSX '05; TSX '04
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (V8, 2WD) '03
Chrysler Crossfire '05
Ford Escape (FWD) '06; F-150 (V6, 2WD) '06; F-250 (2WD) '03; Focus '08; Fusion (FWD) '07; Fusion (V6, FWD) '06; Mustang (V8) '03
Honda Accord '05-06; Accord Hybrid '05; Civic '06-07; CR-V '05; Fit '07; S2000 '03
Hyundai Elantra '08; Santa Fe '06; Sonata (V6) '07; Sonata '08
Infiniti G Sedan '04
Kia Optima '08; Sportage '07
Lexus ES '04; GS (RWD) '03-04; IS '04; LS '01; RX '03
Lincoln Town Car '05
Mazda MX-5 Miata '04; Tribute (V6, FWD) '06; 3 '07; 6 sedan (4-cyl.) '07
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (4-cyl.) '04; CLK '02
Mercury Mariner (4-cyl., FWD) '06-07; Mariner (V6, FWD) '06; Milan (FWD) '07; Milan (V6, FWD) '06
Nissan 350Z coupe '04; Altima (V6) '05; Altima '06; Sentra '09
Pontiac Vibe '08
Porsche Boxster '01
Scion tC '07
Subaru Forester '05-06; Impreza '07; Impreza WRX '05
Toyota 4Runner '03; Camry '05-06; Camry Solara '05-06; Corolla '07-08; Highlander '04; Matrix '07; Prius '05; RAV4 '05; Sequoia '02; Sienna (FWD) '04; Tacoma (4-cyl., 2WD) '06; Tacoma (V6, 2WD) '03; Tacoma (V6, 4WD) '01-02; Tundra (V6) '05; Tundra (V8) '04
Volkswagen Rabbit '08
Volvo S80 (6-cyl.) '04; XC70 '04 		Acura MDX '04; RSX '06; TSX '05
Ford Crown Victoria '08; Escape (FWD) '07; Escape Hybrid '06; F-150 (V8) '03; Focus sedan '09; Fusion (FWD) '08; Mustang (V8) '04
Honda Accord '07; Accord Hybrid '06; Civic '08; Civic Hybrid '06; Civic Si '06; CR-V '06; Element '06; Fit '08-09; Pilot '05; S2000 '04
Hyundai Elantra sedan '09-10; Elantra wagon '09; Sonata (4-cyl.) '09; Tucson (V6) '07
Infiniti FX35 '03; G Coupe '04
Kia Rondo '09; Sportage '08
Lexus GS (RWD) '05; IS sedan '05; LS '02
Mazda MX-5 Miata '05-06; 3 sedan '08; 6 sedan (4-cyl.) '08
Mercedes-Benz CLK '03; E-Class sedan (V6, RWD) '03-04
Mercury Grand Marquis '08; Mariner (V6, FWD) '07; Mariner Hybrid (AWD) '06; Milan (FWD) '08
Mitsubishi Outlander '07
Nissan Altima (4-cyl.) '07; Altima Hybrid '07; Frontier (2WD) '07; Sentra '10
Pontiac Vibe '09
Porsche Boxster '02
Scion tC '08; xB '08; xD '08-09
Subaru Forester '07; Impreza '08; Impreza WRX '06; Legacy (4-cyl.) '07; Legacy '06; Outback (4-cyl.) '06
Suzuki SX4 '09
Toyota 4Runner '04; Avalon '05; Corolla '09; Highlander '05; Land Cruiser '01; Matrix '08; Prius '06; RAV4 '06; Sequoia '03; Sienna (FWD) '05; Tacoma (4-cyl.) '07; Tacoma (4-cyl., 2WD) '08; Tacoma (V6, 2WD) '04; Tacoma (V6, 4WD) '03; Tundra (V6) '06; Tundra (V8) '05
Volkswagen Rabbit '09
Volvo S60 (FWD) '06; V70 '05;XC70 '05
$14,000-$16,000 $16,000-$18,000
Acura TL '05; TSX '06
Chevrolet Corvette '02
Ford Mustang (V6) '08; Mustang (V8) '05
Honda Civic '09; Civic Hybrid '07; Element '07; Fit '10; Ridgeline '06; S2000 '05
Hyundai Elantra wagon '10; Tucson (V6) '08
Infiniti FX35 '04; G sedan '05
Kia Sportage '09
Lexus ES '05; LS '03; LX '01; RX '04; SC '02
Mazda MX-5 Miata '07-08; 3 '09
Mitsubishi Outlander '08
Nissan 350Z coupe '06
Pontiac Vibe '10
Porsche Boxster '03
Scion xB '09-10
Subaru B9 Tribeca '06; Baja '06; Forester '08; Impreza '09-10; Legacy (4-cyl.) '08-09; Outback (6-cyl.) '06
Toyota 4Runner '05; Avalon '06; Camry (4-cyl.) '07-08; Camry Solara (V6) '07; Highlander '06; Matrix '09; Prius '07; RAV4 '07; Sequoia '04; Sienna (FWD) '06; Tacoma (V6, 2WD) '05; Tacoma (V6, 4WD) '04; Tundra (V6) '07
Volkswagen Golf '10; Jetta (5-cyl.) '08
Volvo S40 '07; S80 (5-cyl.) '06 		Acura MDX '05; RL '05
Audi A4 (V6) '06
BMW Z4 '05
Chrysler Aspen '07
Dodge Ram 1500 (2WD) '08
Ford Edge (FWD) '07; Escape Hybrid (FWD) '07; F-150 (2WD) '07; Fusion '09; Mustang (V6) '09-10; Mustang (V8) '06
Honda Accord Hybrid '07; Civic '10; Civic Hybrid '08; Civic Si '08-09; CR-V '07; Element '08; Odyssey '06; Pilot '06; S2000 '06
Hyundai Santa Fe '08; Sonata (4-cyl.) '10
Infiniti FX35 '05; G '06; G coupe '05
Lexus ES '06; GX '03; LX '02; RX '05; SC '03
Mazda 3 '10; 5 '10
Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan (V6, RWD) '05
Mercury Milan (4-cyl.) '09
Mitsubishi Outlander '09
Nissan Altima (4-cyl.) '09; Altima Hybrid '08
Subaru Forester (turbo) '07; Legacy (4-cyl.) '10; Outback (4-cyl.) '07-08; Outback (6-cyl.) '07
Toyota Avalon '07; Camry (4-cyl.) '09; Camry Hybrid '07; Camry Solara '08; Corolla '10; Highlander '07; Matrix '10; Prius '08; RAV4 '08; Tacoma (4-cyl., 4WD) '10; Tacoma (V6) '06; Tacoma (V6, 4WD) '05; Tundra (V6) '08; Tundra (V8) '06
Volkswagen Jetta (5-cyl.) '10
Volvo C30 '08-09; S60 (FWD) '07; XC70 '06
$18,000-$20,000  
Acura MDX '06; TL '06; TSX '07
Audi A4 (4-cyl.) '07
BMW X3 '06
Chevrolet Corvette '04
Chrysler Aspen '08
Ford Edge (FWD) '08; F-250 (2WD) '08; Fusion (V6, AWD) '10; Fusion Hybrid '10; Mustang (V8) '07
Honda Accord (4-cyl.) '09; Civic Hybrid '09; CR-V '08; Ridgeline '07; S2000 '07
Hyundai Santa Fe '09
Lexus GX '04; LS '04
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (V6, RWD) '07; E-Class sedan (turbodiesel) '05
Nissan Frontier (2WD) '10; Maxima '08; Rogue '09-10
Subaru Forester '09-10; Outback (4-cyl.) '09-10
Toyota 4Runner '06; Camry Hybrid '08-09; Highlander Hybrid '06; Prius '09; RAV4 '09; Sequoia '05; Sienna (FWD) '08; Tacoma (V6) '07-08
Volvo S60 (FWD) '08; S80 (6-cyl.) '07; XC70 '07 		 
 

 

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