You want the trifecta when shopping for a used car: low price, reliability and reassuring safety scores.
Or you might be between cars and think it’s smarter to buy used.
Even in normal times,a used carcan be the smart play.
It’s already donemuch of its depreciating.
Used cars are a better fit in many budgets.
All are priced at $15,000 or less, enjoy good reliability scores and did well in safety tests.
Keep in mind that to fit the budget, some vehicles are perhaps older than you would prefer.
One reason: They held their value well and took longer to drop into our price range.
But drawing from more than 25 years of test driving, it’s a bit tepid.
A sportier-feeling alternative is the 2015 Honda Civic for $13,973.
Its scores are similar to the Corolla’s, except for J.D.
Power’s consumer satisfaction score of 73.
By the time of the 2015 update, it had turned pretty sour and unpleasant to drive.
Make up your own mind with a personal test drive.
Its test drive of the Camry hybrid was a thumbs-up.
Another one you should try before you buy.
Power rating:74 out of 100; also a Dependability Award winner with the fewest problems at three years old
