Yahoo Autos Study: These are the top 20 cars to buy used instead of new
New cars are discouragingly expensive, but a recent study from iSeeCars shows that lightly used vehicles can be a solid alternative with significant cost savings. Several models depreciate quickly, with some offering savings of almost 50 percent after just a year or two. So vehicle data outfit iSeeCars has listed the 20 best cars to buy lightly used, with all models in the top 10 showing greater than 31% depreciation:
Top 20 Cars To Buy Lightly Used vs. New – iSeeCars Study | ||||
Rank | Model | % Difference Used Over New | $ Difference Used Over New | Used Price |
1 | -47.8% | -$65,143 | $71,231 | |
2 | -45.7% | -$15,786 | $18,756 | |
3 | -35.4% | -$28,555 | $52,010 | |
4 | -33.4% | -$16,297 | $32,467 | |
5 | -33.3% | -$18,081 | $36,243 | |
6 | -32.9% | -$16,805 | $34,303 | |
7 | -32.9% | -$15,609 | $31,870 | |
8 | -32.3% | -$17,495 | $36,630 | |
9 | -32.0% | -$13,842 | $29,458 | |
10 | -31.5% | -$45,781 | $99,598 | |
11 | -30.8% | -$19,335 | $43,407 | |
12 | -29.8% | -$36,126 | $84,990 | |
13 | -29.8% | -$15,498 | $36,496 | |
14 | -29.8% | -$16,364 | $38,543 | |
15 | -29.2% | -$13,176 | $31,969 | |
16 | -28.8% | -$24,084 | $59,618 | |
17 | -28.7% | -$11,911 | $29,587 | |
18 | -28.2% | -$9,151 | $23,320 | |
19 | -28.0% | -$8,633 | $22,229 | |
20 | -27.9% | -$13,836 | $35,667 | |
Overall Average | -12.8% | -$5,778 | $39,328 | |
Those are severe depreciation numbers — all vehicles in the top 20 lost at least 28%. Electric vehicles had an outsized presence in the top 10, accounting for half of the most depreciated models. The Mercedes-Benz EQS, which depreciated a staggering 47.8 percent after just one year, can be had for up to $65,000 off its new price tag.
