The 6 Best Cars you can Purchase Used for Under $10,000

These days, the “average” American can’t exactly afford to go out and purchase a new car every three or four years. Heck, even every seven or eight years is a little bit of a stretch .

Recently, Cars.com determined that the “price gap” between the cost of an average new car and the cost of a used one is around $20,000. That’s a huge difference and prices of many Americans completely out of buying a used car.

On the other hand, there are literally millions of used cars on the market for sale and, as most people know, buying used can sometimes be a much better deal than buying new. The reason is simply that, when you buy a new car, approximately 20 to 25% of its value is literally erased as soon as you drive it off of the dealer’s lot.

That’s a lot of money to waste just for the sake of having a car that’s new, especially when there are so many excellent used cars waiting to be purchased.

“There are a lot of great used cars on the market, and with a significant price difference between new and used cars, we know that many shoppers choose to go the used route,” Cars.com Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder said.

For those consumers who might be priced out of purchasing a new vehicle, they recently released a list of the Top Buys for cars around $10,000. (That’s give or take a few hundred dollars, depending on the model, where you purchased it and the year it was made.)

If you’re needing a new vehicle, but can’t afford to purchase an actual ”new” car, the automobiles listed below were rated by Cars.com as some of the best on the market for that price.

The 2007 Honda Civic isn’t really a surprise on the list, as Honda has always manufactured excellent vehicles. Cars.com said that the Civic has “Nimble handling, impressive cabin materials and good fuel efficiency make this Honda an excellent choice for compact-car shoppers.” That sounds like a pretty good deal to us.

Another car on their list is the 2009 Hyundai Sonata. Hyundai hasn’t been around for a long time but their cars are considered to be some of the best on the road. Cars.com said that the Sonata has a roomy cabin and a list of excellent safety features that make it a good choice not only for first-time drivers but also for families.

Mazda made it on the list with their 2008 Mazda6. This is more of a “sporty” car and Cars.com said that, for the price, the Mazda 6 is a “compelling” choice for families searching for a family sedan but don’t need a ton of space and so can give up a little for some extra sportiness.

As for this next car, Cars.com said that it combines both excellent power and fuel efficiency. It’s the 2007 Nissan Altima and, if you can find one, $10,000 is definitely an excellent price for this dependable automobile.

Of course no list of Top Cars would be complete without at least one Toyota, and the 2007 Toyota Prius made the list due to its excellent gas mileage and the standout reliability, according to Cars.com.

With a mix of excellent safety features, including six airbags, the 2008 Scion XB is, according to Cars.com, an excellent choice for first-time drivers due to its plethora of safety features.

And you have them. Six excellent automobiles that, if you can find them, will sell for approximately $10,000 and give you a combination of safety features, excellent mileage and dependability that make them some of the best values on the road today.