A family sedan is a great choice if you're looking for good fuel economy, plenty of room for people, and enough trunk space to pack all the necessities. Buying used allows you to reap these benefits for less money than buying new. To make it easier to find what you're looking for, we have identified some of the best used deals on family sedans on the market.
By purchasing used, you benefit from the original owner taking the initial depreciation hit, as new cars lose much more value in the first and second years than those that follow. Also, most recent sedans have the latest safety equipment (such as curtain air bags and stability control) and are still affordable. (Learn more from our used-car buying advice.)
When shopping, look for cars that scored well in Consumer Reports' tests when new, have proven reliability, and perform well in government and insurance industry crash tests. Before handing over the cash, have the vehicle inspected by a trained and trusted mechanic to make sure there are no hidden problems.
Check out our top deals for recommended used family sedans from the 2008-2010 model years. We ranked the vehicles by the price you might be able to get when buying from the dealer and all are under $20,000. The models listed below are between 17- and 55-percent less than the retail price when the vehicle was new. Plus, all of the models have at least average reliability according to our latest subscriber survey.
| Make & model | Buying from dealer avg price | MSRP (new) | Drop in retail value vs. MSRP | Used-car pricing |
| 2008 Ford Fusion S | $8,650 | $18,135 | 52% | View detailed pricing |
| 2009 Ford Fusion S | $9,675 | $19,035 | 49% | View detailed pricing |
| 2008 Mazda6 i | $9,775 | $20,800 | 53% | View detailed pricing |
| 2008 Mercury Milan | $9,875 | $24,195 | 59% | View detailed pricing |
| 2009 Mazda6 i | $10,800 | $21,150 | 49% | View detailed pricing |
| 2009 Mercury Milan | $11,200 | $24,845 | 55% | View detailed pricing |
| 2008 Nissan Altima S | $11,750 | $20,580 | 43% | View detailed pricing |
| 2009 Nissan Altima | $11,825 | $19,900 | 41% | View detailed pricing |
| 2010 Mercury Milan | $12,325 | $21,180 | 42% | View detailed pricing |
| 2010 Mazda6 | $12,625 | $20,470 | 38% | View detailed pricing |
| 2008 Toyota Camry LE | $12,700 | $21,075 | 40% | View detailed pricing |
| 2010 Ford Fusion S | $12,750 | $19,620 | 35% | View detailed pricing |
| 2008 Toyota Prius | $13,175 | $22,475 | 41% | View detailed pricing |
| 2009 Toyota Prius | $15,125 | $23,375 | 35% | View detailed pricing |
| 2008 Honda Accord EX | $15,200 | $23,860 | 36% | View detailed pricing |
| 2010 Toyota Camry LE | $15,350 | $21,900 | 30% | View detailed pricing |
| 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid | $15,625 | $26,150 | 40% | View detailed pricing |
| 2010 Nissan Altima SL | $16,425 | $23,380 | 30% | View detailed pricing |
| 2010 Honda Accord EX | $17,525 | $24,630 | 29% | View detailed pricing |
| 2010 Toyota Prius | $18,850 | $22,800 | 17% | View detailed pricing |
See our complete list of used-car deals across a variety of vehicle categories.
More from Consumer Reports:
2013 New Car Preview
Best & worst used cars
Complete Ratings for 200 cars and trucks
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